The main technical achievements in the first period of the project are: completion of specifications, design kit, microsystem concept, antenna and sensor interfaces, concept studies of interfaces between the microsystem platform and integrated circuits, fabrication and characterization of preliminary test devices of MMIC-to-waveguide transitions. During the first period of the project, the M3TERA consortium has participated in a large number of dissemination events, including ESSCIRC 2015, ISSCC 2016, GeMiC 2016, IEEE DML, IEEE IMS 2016, MEMSWAVE 2016.
The design of a second MMIC-waveguide transition was completed in autumn 2016; this design was chosen to be the primary design upon which the microsystem platform was to be based. The design of the transition was revised in spring 2017 based on the outcome of the initial characterisation. Design of the diplexer and filter for the telecom demonstrator were also completed during this period of the project. Work undertaken during this period led to the publication of a conference article at IMS 2017.
Characterisation of the initial diplexer and filter designs was completed in autumn 2017; results from these measurements were disseminated at IMS 2018. A revised design of the diplexer was undertaken following the measurements; fabrication of this revised design was completed in June 2018. During the same period of the project, several revisions to the design of the MMIC-waveguide interface used in the microsystem platform were carried out, with measurements of each revision being performed from June 2017 – June 2018. Following successful verification of the transition, the design of the microsystem platform to be used in the telecommunications demonstrator was undertaken, based on input from multiple consortium partners. This work continued to September 2018, whereby the required modules were fabricated and transferred to Ericsson for implementation of the telecommunication demonstrator. A separate type of contactless waveguide-waveguide transition was designed by Ericsson and KTH between November 2017 – February 2018. The designed components were successfully fabricated by KTH in July 2018. Characterisation was performed by Ericsson in July 2018 and showed very promising performance. A novel eWLB interconnection based on dielectric waveguides was designed by Chalmers during autumn 2018, with fabrication performed by KTH during the same period. Fabricated prototypes were delivered to Chalmers in November 2018.
The main technical achievements in the final period of the project are: successful fabrication and measurement of the prototype of the microsystem platform, fabrication and measurement of the diplexer and filter, fabrication and measurement of four different interface concepts between the MMIC and THz microsystem platform, the verification of the proposed THz microsystem platform with integrated MMICs, verification of highly integrated front-end MMICs for the telecom and sensor demonstrator, design fabrication and measurement of three different antenna alternatives (aluminium reflector antenna, a plastic 3D printed reflector solution and a lens horn antenna) for the telecommunication link, microsystem sensor interface fabricated and measured with 3-D printed antenna, development of the sensor prototype for measurement of respiration and heart rate together with CMOS sensor readout circuit, fabrication process transfer to commercial production facility. The M3TERA consortium has participated in a large number of dissemination events, including RFIT 2016, EMBS 2016, EUMW 2016, IMS 2017, IRMMW-THz 2017, EuMW 2017, APMC 2017, SMD 2018, RFIC 2018, IMS 2018, EuMW 2018. Several articles have been submitted and are under review.
