Professor Dr.-Ing. Manfred Berroth

Universität Stuttgart
Institut für Elektrische und Optische Nachrichtentechnik (INT)

Professor Dr.-Ing. Joachim N. Burghartz

Institut für Mikroelektronik Stuttgart (IMS CHIPS)

Professor Dr. Jan Hesselbarth

Universität Stuttgart
Institut für Hochfrequenztechnik (IHF)                

Project Summary                                   

In the frame of the proposed project, new techniques shall be invented and implemented towards a mechanically small and flexible, electrically energy efficient system comprising high-speed wireless connectivity and giving leeway for significant computational power, while maintaining adaptivity to flexing and to varying electromagnetic environments (such as change of environments effective relative permittivity or close-by metallic parts). RF adaptivity will be achieved by a multiply-fed antenna, connected to an RF transceiver and obtaining conjugate-complex match to the transceiver with tunable load impedance obtained by suitably adapting the amplifiers setup and bias. This is likely the optimum way to maintain energy efficiency of the system, which represents the primary optimization goal of the overall design. For the active semiconductors, an integrated silicon BiCMOS chip will be designed, thinned to about 20 micrometers and embedded into a thin-film flexible board which will also include the antenna. A thin standalone prototype module (foil with embedded all-flexible antenna and chip; without power supply) of dimensions approx. 20 mm x 5 mm, providing a data-rate of 100 Mbit/s and an RF output power of 10 mW at 5.5 GHz will be developed.