The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency has awarded a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I program to TiaLinx Inc. to develop a wafer-scale integration approach to the manufacture of phased-array antennas. The technology will employ wafer-scale interconnects for the RF and control signals. As part of the agreement, TiaLinx will partner with Stanford University.
A typical active-array antenna is a constellation of small antenna elements, spaced a half wavelength apart in a two-dimensional plane. Behind each antenna is an electronic subassembly that makes it steerable, controlling the transmission and the reception of signals at a chosen direction. Compared with active-array technologies of the past, the integrated wafer approach is expected to lower cost, reduce weight, and enhance manufacturing precision.
High-resolution, RF beam-forming technology, such as phase-array antennas have been used for some time to address applications in early warning radar, ad-hoc communication, point-to-point wireless connectivity, and collision avoidance systems.
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