International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 26-29, 1998 / Town & Country Resort Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / Remote, high speed, high explosive wave front monitoring requires very high bandwidth telemetry to allow transmission of diagnostic data before the explosion destroys the sensor system itself. The main motivation for this study is that no known existing implementation of this sort has been applied to realistic weapons environments. These facts have prompted the research and gathering of data that can be used to extrapolate towards finding the best modulation method for this application. In addition to research of similar existing analysis and testing operations, data was recently captured from a Joint Test Assembly (JTA) Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) flight.

Metal Insulator Metal (MIM) diodes that work on fast mechanism of tunneling have been used in a number of very high frequency applications such as (Infra-Red) IR detectors and optical Rectennas for energy harvesting. Their ability to operate under zero bias condition as well as the possibility of realizing them through printing makes them attractive for (Radio Frequency) RF applications. However, MIM diodes have not been explored much for RF applications. One reason preventing their widespread RF use is the requirement of a very thin oxide layer essential for the tunneling operation that requires sophisticated nano-fabrication processes. Another issue is that the reliability and stable performance of MIM diodes is highly dependent on the surface roughness of the metallic electrodes. Finally, comprehensive RF characterization has not been performed for MIM diodes reported in the literature, particularly from the perspective of their integration with antennas as well as their rectification abilities. In this thesis, various metal deposition methods such as sputtering, electron beam evaporation, and Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) are compared in pursuit of achieving low surface roughness. It is worth mentioning here that MIM diodes realized through ALD method have been presented for the first time in this thesis. Amorphous metal alloy have also been investigated in terms of their low surface roughness. Zinc-oxide has been investigated for its suitability as a thin dielectric layer for MIM diodes. Finally, comprehensive RF characterization of MIM diodes has been performed in two ways: 1) by standard S-parameter methods, and 2) by investigating their rectification ability under zero bias operation. It is concluded from the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) imaging that surface roughness as low as sub 1 nm can be achieved reliably from crystalline metals such as copper and platinum. This value is comparable to surface roughness achieved from amorphous alloys, which are non-crystalline structures and have orders of magnitude lower conductivities. Relatively lower resistances of the order of 1 k ohm with a sensitivity of 1.5 V-1 have been obtained through DC testing of these devices. Finally, RF characterization reveals that input impedances in the range of 300 Ω to 25 Ω can be achieved in the low GHz frequencies (from 1-10 GHz). From the rectification measurements at zero bias, a DC voltage of 4.7 mV has been obtained from an incoming RF signal of 0.4 W at 2.45 GHz, which indicates the suitability of these diodes for RF rectenna devices without providing any bias. It is believed that with further optimization, these devices can play an important role in RF energy harvesting without the need to bias them.

Ces travaux de thèse portent sur l’étude des solutions innovantes de caractérisation destinées à l’amélioration de la précision du schéma équivalent petit signal à des fréquences d’ordre millimétrique. Après un état de l’art dans ce domaine et suite à plusieurs caractérisations au niveau composant, une nouvelle structure de test “nouvelle approche” est conçue, réalisée et caractérisée. Cette approche est basée sur une nouvelle méthode d’extraction du schéma équivalent petit signal à partir d’une structure adaptée. Cette méthode réalise une adaptation des impédances du transistor sous test aux impédances des équipements de mesure. Comme résultats, la transmission du signal entre la source et le composant sous test ainsi que la précision de la mesure des paramètres extraits sont améliorés. La méthode développée permet la validation des modèles compacts des composants fabriqués en technologie BiCMOS 0.25μm au niveau circuit. Les mesures réalisées ont montré une bonne amélioration de l’extraction entre un transistor sous test seul et un transistor sous test adapté. La méthode d’investigation proposée permet l’extraction des modèles à des très hautes fréquences avec une meilleure précision. Cette thèse ouvre donc des perspectives pour la caractérisation en bande millimétrique notamment caractérisation des structures adaptées en impédances et de méthodes de de-embedding dédiées à ces dernières. / This thesis deals with the study of innovative solutions for small signal characterization at millimeter wave frequency. After a state of the art in this field and following to several characterizations at device level, a new test structure “new approach” is designed, fabricated, and characterized. The approach of characterizing at circuit level is based on a new method to extract the small signal equivalent circuit using matched test structures. This method proposed here makes the DUT impedances carefully match the characteristic impedances of the measurement equipment. In results, the transmission of the signal from the source to the DUT is improved while the parameters extraction accuracy is improved. The developed method enables the BiCMOS 0.25μm compact models validation in circuit level in mm-Wave band and enables accurate parameter extraction in a narrow band at higher frequencies. The verification results demonstrated that the new test structure significantly outperformed the conventional method in measurement accuracy specifically in very high frequency. Some aspects of the matched test structure could be subject of further investigation. In particularly topics such as, characterization over multiple test structure geometries and deembedding test structure losses.

Le marché des capteurs de gaz n’a pas cessé d’évoluer depuis ces dernières décennies en passant d’une technologie basée principalement sur des oxydes métalliques vers des nouveaux matériaux nanostructurés. En effet, les applications actuelles demandent des capteurs robustes, à faible consommation d'énergie, faible coût, conformables, sensibles et sélectives. Dans ce contexte, la recherche des matériaux sensibles à base de nanostructures de carbone, ainsi que des nouvelles technologies de fabrication (permettant la miniaturisation et la conformabilité des dispositifs) est nécessaire. Une de solutions actuellement à l’étude concerne l’utilisation de matériaux innovants tels que les nanotubes de carbone (CNTs). Dans ce manuscrit, les CNTs sont présentés ainsi que leurs très bonnes propriétés électriques et mécaniques. Leurs dimensions nous donnent une surface spécifique considérable et donc, la possibilité d’une grande sensibilité. Leur aptitude à être fonctionnalisés avec différents radicaux fait qu’ils puissent être sélectifs à une espèce donnée. Parmi les technologies émergentes apparues récemment, l’impression par jet d’encre est une technologie de déposition des couches minces très utilisée actuellement, car elle reste versatile grâce à sa facilité d’utilisation. La résolution et les possibilités d’impression sur différents types de substrat qu’on dispose, restent des atouts très importants. Un aspect très important qui a été peu étudié est la modélisation des couches minces des éléments sensibles. Concernant les couches imprimées des solutions contenant des nanotubes de carbone, très peu de travaux ont été répertoriés actuellement, et les modèles existants sont assez complexes. Dans nos travaux, nous nous concentrons sur la modélisation des couches minces sous la forme de motifs imprimés par jet d’encre. Des couches de solutions contenant des nanotubes de carbone sont déposées dans des structures RF, dans le but de pouvoir les appliquer dans la détection des gaz. / The gas sensor domain has continued to evolve over the past few decades by moving primarily from a technology based on metal oxides to new nanostructured materials. Indeed, for modern applications in today's world robust sensors with low power consumption, low cost, conformable, sensitive and selective is desirable. In this context, mark-sensitive materials based on carbon nanostructures, as well as new manufacturing technologies (allowing miniaturization and conformability devices) is required. One solution which is currently under consideration is the use of innovative materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) which exhibit very good electrical and mechanical properties. Their dimensions give us a considerable surface area and hence the possibility of high sensitivity. Their ability to be functionalized with different groups makes them very selective to react with a particular target gas. Amongst the emerging technologies, inkjet printing deposition of a very thin film is currently in use as it remains versatile because of its ease of use. The resolution and printing possibilities on different types of substrate have remains very important assets. A very important aspect that has been considered very less is the modeling of thin film sensing elements. Regarding printed layers solutions containing carbon nanotubes, very few works have been currently listed, and the existing models are quite complex. In this work, modeling of thin layers in the form of patterns printed by inkjet has been studied and experimental verifications and their analyses have been carried out successfully. Specific emphasis has been laid on the layers of solutions containing carbon nanotubes deposited in RF structures for application in the detection of gases.