An innovative structure for thin-film band-pass filters was proposed and analyzed. This structure was employed in the design, fabrication, and development of 3D IPD diplexers on glass substrates with double-side metallization electrically connected by through-vias. Through modeling, design, fabrication and characterization of the WLAN 3D IPD glass diplexers, the proposed filter structure was shown to enable miniaturized and high-performance RF passives. Further, component-level shield structures were developed to provide electromagnetic interference isolation between thin-film passives that are placed less than 100 µm apart. Glass substrates were designed, fabricated and characterized to demonstrate the shield effectiveness of metallized trench and via-array-based shields. The integration of such shields in miniaturized WLAN RF modules enables up to 60dB EM isolation in the frequency range of 1- 20GHz. Advanced RF module technologies based on 3D IPAC concept were designed and demonstrated with ultra-thin low-loss organic and glass substrates, integrating the proposed WLAN actives with miniaturized diplexer and EM shields. Double-side integration of such high-performance components on ultra-thin glass substrates enables up to 8x volume miniaturization including more than 3x reduction in area. Thus, the advanced components demonstrated in this research, vis-a-vis miniaturized diplexers and component-level EMI shields; integrated with actives in ultra-thin glass substrates using the 3D IPAC concept, can enable highly-miniaturized smart systems with multiband wireless communication capabilities.

The objective of the proposed research is to integrate nanotechnology, applied electromagnetics, and inkjet printing fabrication methods to develop a series of novel inkjet-printed RF modules for sensing and communication applications: wireless gas sensor, wearable RFID tag, and RF inductor. Passive, wireless sensors have various applications in a wide range of fields including military, industry, and medicine. However, there are issues such as cost, sensitivity of sensors, manufacturing complexities, and feasibility of further miniaturization of these RF modules. One aspect of this research investigates the feasibility of addressing these issues by integrating nanotechnology and applied electromagnetics. The underlying common theme for the three designs is inkjet-printing silver nanoparticles on organic paper substrate. The research will investigate the characterization of thin film carbon nanotubes and the optimization of inkjet-printing the CNT material on paper substrate followed by the design of a patch antenna based gas sensor. Measurement results from a closed measurement system will be shown. Secondly, an inkjet-printed, conformal, wearable RFID tag on an artificial magnetic conductor is designed and tested using an RFID Reader. Lastly an inkjet-printed high Q RF inductor is designed and integrated with magnetic nanomaterial to evaluate the feasibility of increasing inductance using high permeability nanomaterial. Through the design and testing of the aforementioned three designs, it will be shown that through a multidisciplinary design process, novel, low-cost RF modules can be designed for sensing and communication applications.

The purpose of this reasearch was to develop a respiratory monitoring system using a reflective object sensor based belt to measure the thoracic expansion of a neonatal for future application at the medical center of the Universidad Evangelica Boliviana (UEB). This medical center, being founded by the UEB University, is dedicated to help and serve the poor and currently has no respiratory monitoring system. The methodology used was first to build and test the respiratory sensor belt and test the relationship between the blet expansion and the voltage generated. The, to incorporate the respiratory sensor belt in a system that would allow individual testing as well as group testing in a wireless network. The system was simulated using an expandable plastic container that was expanded and extracted periodically, registering the results in a MATLAB software. The system gave successful results and generated the frequency results of each cycle, average frequency and deviation frequency. The system demonstrated to be reliable and to have repeatable results.

This thesis discusses the investigation and utilization of a new promising thin-film material, liquid crystal polymer (LCP), for microwave and millimeter-wave (mm-wave [>30 GHz]) components and packages. The contribution of this research is in the determination of LCP's electrical and mechanical properties as they pertain to use in radio frequency (RF) systems up to mm-wave frequencies, and in evaluating LCP as a low-cost substrate and packaging material alternative to the hermetic materials traditionally desired for microwave circuits at frequencies above a few gigahertz (GHz). A study of LCP's mm-wave material properties was performed. Resonant circuit structures were designed to find the dielectric constant and loss tangent from 2-110 GHz under both ambient and elevated temperature conditions. Several unique processes were developed for the realization of novel multilayer LCP-based RF circuits. These processes include thermocompression bonding with tight temperature control (within a few degrees Celsius), precise multilayer alignment and patterning, and LCP laser processing with three different types of lasers. A proof-of-concept design that resulted from this research was a dual-frequency dual-polarization antenna array operating at 14 and 35 GHz. Device characterization such as mechanical flexibility testing of antennas and seal testing of packages were also performed. A low-loss interconnect was developed for laser-machined system-level thin-film LCP packages. These packages were designed for and measured with both RF micro-electromechanical (MEM) switches and monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs). These research findings have shown LCP to be a material with uniquely attractive properties/capabilities for vertically integrated, compact multilayer LCP circuits and modules.