SPECTRAL ENERGIES LLC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: AF161-070

Description

ABSTRACT: Our Phase I proposal focuses on the design, fabrication and testing of all the individual components for a smart node for FADEC. This will consist of sensors, sensor interface electronics, passives, and high temperature electronic substrates. We propose to use special design and cost-effective manufacturing techniques for wide temperature operational range from -55oC to 225oC. Specifically, in Phase 1, we plan to develop a wide temperature semi-custom capacitive MEMS air flow sensor as a prototype example. The MEMS anemometer with passive components will be integrated on a Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) substrate. The LTCC substrate is a multilayer ceramic technology that provides not only interconnects between the components but also passive components even in the inner layers of the stack. The technology provides a capability to make high quality passives, antennas, custom packages and active substrates for high temperature electronics and thus, it offers the possibility to build complete modules using hybrid integration. LTCC has excellent mechanical and electrical properties and offers superior high-frequency and high-temperature performance and device miniaturization for high demand applications. Our proposed smart node would satisfy all constrains on size, weight, power and cost while providing high performance as part of next generation FADECs.; BENEFIT: The smart node that consists of sensors, actuators, signal conditioning and processing components, shared I/O bus etc. would make a huge impact on the next generation FADEC devices in terms of simplicity and cost. Commercial applications include but not limited to both military and civilian aircraft engines, alternative energy, and power control, and additive manufacturing.