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Content archived on 2024-05-24

Flexible printing of Seeding layer for 3d twisted loop circuit On ceramic pucks to Enable production of high efficiency Antenna for Cell phone location

Objective

An innovative manufacturing process for a balanced load, twisted loop high dielectric puck design antenna will be developed with the characteristics of a high efficiency and low SAR rating. The process include an organic based, precious metal and adhesive loaded ink system, a drop on demand print head, an automated mechanical geometry and dielectric strength measurement system, a personal computer based geometry engine for driving the flexible printing system, which is able to apply an activation/seeding layer to cylindrical ceramic pucks with an edge resolution of +/- two microns. The technology allows to incorporate a satellite reception antenna to a handset, which also houses standard mobile transceiver circuitry and antenna technology with negligible cross talk.

Objectives:
An antenna that has:
A twisted loop dielectrically loaded puck with a system near field of 10mm;
A twisted loop dielectrically loaded puck which as a system is 99.8% efficient;
A twisted loop dielectrically loaded puck which as a system reduces Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) by 95% over current monopole designs to approximately 0.05mW/g of flesh.

An antenna Manufacturing System that has the ability to:
Acquire measurement data for the variable mechanical characteristics of individual ceramic pucks, which are cylindrical in form, namely: Length, outside diameter and bore diameter to a resolution of two microns;
Acquire measurement data for the variable electrical characteristics of individual ceramic pucks namely the dielectric strength of the individual puck measured using a cavity resonance procedure with a resonance frequency in MHz with a tolerance of +/- 1Hz;
Generate geometric seeding layer print data for the twisted loop form, specific to the individual puck variables as previously measured with a tolerance on track width of +/- 0.2 microns;
Print an activation / seeding layer of adhesive additives, precious metals and precursor organic system ink onto ceramic substrate components whose geometry is currently cylindrical with an adhesion level of 3Kg/mm2 and a track width tolerance of +/- 1 micron;
Deposit an electroless plate of copper which can bond to the 3D twisted loop printed activation / seeding ink with an adhesion level of 3Kg/mm2 and a thickness of two microns;
Deposit an electrolytically plated twisted loop copper track on to the electroless plated form to a thickness of 20 microns +/- 2microns.

Work description:
WP1 Project Management & Technology Exploitation; Co-ordinate all project activity & act as the administrative interface to the Commission, to manage time, resources & facilities allocation to optimise the application of resource and establish an exploitation mechanisms & IPR. To develop a waste management strategy, identify outlets and formalise the model;
WP2 Characterisation Of Puck Tolerances, Antenna Track Correction & Printing parameters identify critical properties of the ceramic puck, physical and electrical, that affect antenna performance, and establish means of compensating for variations in these properties by adjusting the position and/or geometry of the antenna tracks. Determine critical elements in the printing process and establish parameters and values for print performance and ink formulation;
WP3 Develop Systems To Measure Puck Properties. Develop prototype systems to measure the elements of the ceramic puck that have a critical affect on the performance of the antenna;
WP4 Variation Compensating Routine. Produce prototype software system and protocols to compensate for variations in puck critical elements by adjusting the position and/or geometry of the printed seeding layer;
WP5 Develop Printing System. Produce a prototype printing system to print the ceramic puck with a seeding layer to facilitate copper plating;
WP6 System Integration and Validation. Integrate the measurement, compensating and printing systems to produce a prototype system for printing case study ceramic pucks. Validate the process through matching the printed pattern to the print specification and by trailing plated antenna.

Milestones:
Software Demonstration;
Data detailing how to adjust seeding layer position to compensate for variations in ceramic puck;
Predictive software system demonstration;
System Demonstration;
Demonstration of plating ability of chosen ink formulation;
Demonstration of printing onto ceramic substrate;
Prototype demonstration;
Demonstrate successful integration of measurement, compensating and printing subsystems to produce printed seeding layer;
Production of a printed puck.

Call for proposal

Data not available

Coordinator

SARANTEL LIMITED
EU contribution
No data
Address
C/O PINSENT CURTIS BIDDLE 1 PARK ROW
LS1 5AB LEEDS
United Kingdom

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Total cost
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Participants (6)