Thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers (TLCPs) have attracted great interest because of the combination of their promising properties, which includes high stiffness and strength, excellent processability, and outstanding chemical resistance. TLCPs exhibit inherently low viscosity relative to many other conventional thermoplastics. The low melt viscosity is detrimental to processes requiring high melt strength, such as extrusion blow molding, film blowing, thermoforming and multilayer coextrusion. Our laboratory has developed a unique method to increase the viscosity of TLCPs by first raising the temperature above the melting point (Tm) to exclude all solid crystalline structure, and then lowering the temperature below Tm to super cool the materials. Additionally, the super-cooling behavior of TLCPs allows them to be blended with other thermoplastics possessing lower processing temperatures. The initial focus of this dissertation is to investigate the processing temperature of a representative TLCP in the super-cooled state, using the methods of small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS), the startup of shear flow and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The TLCP used in this work is synthesized from 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA), terephthalic acid (TA), hydroquinone (HQ) and hydroquinone derivatives (HQ-derivatives). The TLCP of HBA/TA/HQ/HQ-derivatives has a melting point, Tm, of around 280 oC. Once melted, the TLCP can be cooled 30 oC below the Tm while still maintaining its processability. As the TLCP was cooled to 250 oC, a one order magnitude increase in viscosity was obtained at a shear rate of 0.1 s- 1. Additionally, super cooling the TLCP did not significantly affect the relaxation of shear stress after preshearing. However, the recovery of the transient shear stress in the interrupted shear measurements was suppressed to a great extent in the super-cooled state. The second part of this work is concerned with the extrusion blow molding of polymeric blends containing the TLCP of HBA/TA/HQ/HQ-derivatives and high density polyethylene (HDPE), using a single screw extruder. The blends were processed at a temperature of 260 oC which is 20 oC below Tm of the TLCP such that the thermal degradation of HDPE was minimized. Bottles were successfully produced from the blends containing 10, 20 and 50 wt% TLCP. The TLCP/HDPE blend bottles exhibited an enhanced modulus relative to pure HDPE. However, the improvement in tensile strength was marginal. At 10 and 20 wt% TLCP contents, the TLCP phase existed as platelets, which aligned along the machine direction. A co-continuous morphology was observed for the blend containing 50 wt% TLCP. The preliminary effectiveness of maleic anhydride grafted HDPE (MA-g-HDPE) as a compatibilizer for the TLCP/HDPE system was also studied. The injection molded ternary TLCP/HDPE/MA-g-HDPE blends demonstrated superior mechanical properties over the binary TLCP/HDPE blends, especially in tensile strength. Consequently, it is promising to apply the ternary blends of TLCP/HDPE/MA-g-HDPE in the blow molding process for improved mechanical properties. Finally, this work tends to determine how the isothermal crystallization behavior of a TLCP can be adjusted by blending it with another TLCP of lower melting point. One TLCP (Tm~350 oC) used is a copolyester of HBA/TA/HQ/HQ-derivatives with high HBA content. The other TLCP (Tm~280 oC) is a copolyesteramide of 60 mol% hydroxynaphthoic acid, 20 mol% terephthalic acid and 20 mol% 4-aminophenol. The TLCP/TLCP blends and neat TLCPs were first melted well above their melting points, then cooled to the predetermined temperatures below the melting temperatures at 10 oC/min to monitor the isothermal crystallization. As the content of the low melting TLCP increased in the blends, the temperature at which isothermal crystallization occurred decreased. Comparing with neat TLCPs, the blend of 75% low melting TLCP crystallized at a lower temperature than the pure matrices, and the blend remained as a stable super-cooled fluid in the temperature range from 220 to 280 oC. Under isothermal conditions, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was not capable of reliably detecting the the low energy released in the initial stage of crystallization. In contrast, small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) was more sensitive to detecting isothermal crystallization than DSC. / Ph. D.

The objective of the proposed research is to develop novel, fully-packaged voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs), concurrent oscillators, and multi-mode filters using Liquid Crystalline Polymer (LCP) dielectric material that are directly applicable to simultaneous multi-band radio communication. Integrated wireless devices of the near-future will serve more diverse range of applications (computing, voice/video/data communication) and hence, will require more functionality. This research is focused on providing cost-effective and area-efficient solutions for multi-band/multi-mode oscillators and filters using system-on-package (SOP) design methodology. Silicon-based integrated circuits (ICs) provide an economical method of miniaturizing modules and hence, are attractive for multi-band applications. However, fully monolithic solutions are limited, by its high substrate losses, and marginal quality factors (Qs) of the passives, to low profile applications. Furthermore, the VCOs made on conventional packaging technologies are not very cost-effective. This thesis is directed towards developing highly optimized VCOs and filters using LCP substrate for use in multi-mode radio systems. The thesis investigates and characterizes lumped passive components on new LCP based technology feasible for VCO and filter design. The dissertation then investigates design techniques for optimizing both power consumption and the phase noise of the VCOs to be employed in commercial wireless systems. This work then investigates the temperature performance of LCP-based VCOs satisfying military standards. Another aspect of the thesis is the development of dual-band (multi-mode) oscillators. The approach is to employ existing multi-band theories to demonstrate one of the first prototypes of the oscillator. Finally, the design of multi-mode, lumped-element type filters was investigated.

One portion of this work was concerned with injection molding pregenerated microcomposites composed primarily of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) as the matrix and HX1000 as the thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCP). Several factors were examined to maximize the mechanical properties of these composites, including injection molding temperature, matrix viscosity, and nozzle tip exit diameter. In addition, concentrated strands of HX1000/PET (50/50 wt%) were diluted using both an injection molding grade of PET and an injection molding grade of PBT. From this work, it was determined that the best mechanical properties were produced when the microcomposites were processed at the lowest injection molding temperatures, diluted with PBT, and injection molded using a large nozzle tip exit diameter. The pregenerated microcomposite properties were compared against theoretical predictions as well as glass-filled PET. It was found that the pregenerated microcomposites had tensile moduli of approximately 70% of theoretical expectations in the machine direction. Additionally, the comparisons against glass-filled PET revealed that at the same weight fraction of reinforcement, the pregenerated microcomposites had lower properties. Still, the composites were found to have smoother surfaces than glass-filled PET and at temperatures up to 150° C the storage and loss moduli of the pregenerated microcomposites were similar to those of glass filled PET. It was concluded that if the theoretically expected levels of reinforcement could be attained, the pregenerated microcomposites processing scheme would be a viable method of producing light weight, wholly thermoplastic composites with smoother surfaces than are obtained with glass reinforcement. An additional focus of this research was to evaluate the ability to modify the crystallization behavior of a high melting TLCP (HX6000, Tm = 332° C) with a lower melting TLCP (HX8000, Tm = 272°C). It was found that it was possible to tailor the crystallization behavior of these TLCP/TLCP blends by varying the weight fraction of each component, as determined by rheological cooling scans and differential scanning calorimetric cooling tests. Based on the analysis of these TLCPs at the maximum injection molding temperature of 360° C, it was speculated that they had reacted with one another. / Ph. D.

The application of glass fiber reinforced composites has grown rapidly due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, low cost, and chemical resistance. However, the increasing demand for fiber reinforced composites results in the generation of more composite wastes. Mechanical recycling is a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly recycling method, but the loss in the quality of recycled glass or carbon fiber composite hinders the wide-spread use of this recycling method. It is important to develop novel composite materials with higher recyclability. Thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers (TLCPs) are high-performance engineering thermoplastics, which have comparable mechanical performance to that of glass fiber. The TLCP reinforced composites, called in situ composites, can form the reinforcing TLCP fibrils during processing avoiding the fiber breakage problem. The first part of this dissertation is to study the influence of mechanical recycling on the properties of injection molded TLCP and glass fiber (GF) reinforced polypropylene (PP). The processing temperature of the injection molding process was optimized using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and a rheometer to minimize the thermal degradation of PP. The TLCP and GF reinforced PP materials were mechanically recycled up to three times by repeated injection molding and grinding. The mechanical recycling had almost no influence on the mechanical, thermal, and thermo-mechanical properties of TLCP/PP because of the regeneration of TLCP fibrils during the mold filling process. On the other hand, glass fiber/PP composites decreased 30% in tensile strength and 5% in tensile modulus after three reprocessing cycles. The micro-mechanical modeling demonstrated the deterioration in mechanical properties of GF/PP was mainly attributed to the fiber breakage that occurred during compounding and grinding. The second part of this dissertation is concerned with the development of recyclable and light weight hybrid composites through the use of TLCP and glass fiber. Rheological tests were used to determine the optimal processing temperature of the injection molding process. At this processing temperature, the thermal degradation of matrix material was mitigated and the processability of the hybrid composite was improved. The best formulation of TLCP and glass fiber in the composite was determined giving rise to the generation of a recyclable hybrid composite with low melt viscosity, low mechanical anisotropy, and improved mechanical properties. Finally, TLCP reinforced polyamide composites were utilized in an additive manufacturing application. The method of selecting the processing temperature to blend TLCP and polyamide in the dual extrusion process was devised using rheological analyses to take advantage of the supercooling behavior of TLCP and minimize the thermal degradation of the matrix polymer. The composite filament prepared by dual extrusion was printed and the printing temperature of the composite filament that led to the highest mechanical properties was determined. Although the tensile strength of the TLCP composite was lower than the glass fiber or carbon fiber composites, the tensile modulus of 3D printed 60 wt% TLCP reinforced polyamide was comparable to traditional glass or carbon fiber reinforced composites in 3D printing. / Doctor of Philosophy / The large demand for high performance and light weight composite materials in various industries (e.g., automotive, aerospace, and construction) has resulted in accumulation of composite wastes in the environment. Reuse and recycling of fiber reinforced composites are beneficial from the environmental and economical point of view. However, mechanical recycling deteriorates the quality of traditional fiber reinforced composite (e.g., glass fiber and carbon fiber). There is a need to develop novel composites with greater recyclability and high-performance. Thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers (TLCP) are attractive high performance materials because of their excellent mechanical properties and light weight. The goal of this work is to generate recyclable thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCP) reinforced composites for use in injection molding and 3D printing. In the first part of this work, a novel recyclable TLCP reinforced composite was generated using the grinding and injection molding. Recycled TLCP composites were as strong as the virgin TLCP composites, and the mechanical properties of TLCP composites were found to be competitive with the glass fiber reinforced counterparts. In the second part, a hybrid TLCP and glass fiber reinforced composite with great recyclability and excellent processability was developed. The processing conditions of injection molding were optimized by rheological tests to mitigate fiber breakage and improve the processability. Finally, a high performance and light weight TLCP reinforced composite filament was generated using the dual extrusion process which allowed the processing of two polymers with different processing temperatures. This composite filament could be directly 3D printed using a benchtop 3D printer. The mechanical properties of 3D printed TLCP composites could rival 3D printed traditional fiber composites but with the potential to have a wider range of processing shapes.

The integration of mixed-signal systems has long been a problem in the semiconductor industry. CMOS System-on-Chip (SOC), the traditional means for integration, fails mixed-signal systems on two fronts; the lack of on-chip passives with high quality (Q) factors inhibits the design of completely integrated wireless circuits, and the noise coupling from digital to analog circuitry through the conductive silicon substrate degrades the performance of the analog circuits. Advancements in semiconductor packaging have resulted in a second option for integration, the System-On-Package (SOP) approach. Unlike SOC where the package exists just for the thermal and mechanical protection of the ICs, SOP provides for an increase in the functionality of the IC package by supporting multiple chips and embedded passives. However, integration at the package level also comes with its set of hurdles, with significant research required in areas like design of circuits using embedded passives and isolation of noise between analog and digital sub-systems. A novel multiband balun topology has been developed, providing concurrent operation at multiple frequency bands. The design of compact wideband baluns has been proposed as an extension of this theory. As proof-of-concept devices, both singleband and wideband baluns have been fabricated on Liquid Crystalline Polymer (LCP) based organic substrates. A novel passive-Q based optimization methodology has been developed for chip-package co-design of CMOS Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA). To implement these LNAs in a mixed-signal environment, a novel Electromagnetic Band Gap (EBG) based isolation scheme has also been employed. The key contributions of this work are thus the development of novel RF circuit topologies utilizing embedded passives, and an advancement in the understanding and suppression of signal coupling mechanisms in mixed-signal SOP-based systems. The former will result in compact and highly integrated solutions for RF front-ends, while the latter is expected to have a significant impact in the integration of these communication devices with high performance computing.

The goal of the research in this dissertation is to design and characterize embedded passive components, interconnects, and circuits in inhomogeneous, multi-layer liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) substrates. The attenuation properties of inhomogeneous multi-layer LCP substrates were extracted up to 40 GHz. This is the first result for an inhomogeneous LCP stack-up that has been reported. The characterization results show excellent loss characteristics, much better than FR-4-based technology, and they are similar to LTCC and homogeneous LCP-based technology. A two-port characterization method based on measurements of multiple arrays of vias is proposed. The method overcomes the drawbacks of the one-port and other two-port characterizations. Model-to-hardware correlation was verified using multi-layer model in Agilent ADS and measurement-based via model using arrays of the vias. The resulting correlations show that this method can be readily applied to other vertical interconnect structures besides via structures. Comprehensive characterizations have been conducted for the efficient 3D integration of high-Q passives using a balanced LCP substrate. At two different locations from three different large M-LCP panels, 76 inductors and 16 3D capacitors were designed and measured. The parameters for the measurement-based inductor model were extracted from the measured results. The results validate the large panel process of the M-LCP substrate. To reduce the lateral size, multi-layer 3D capacitors were designed. The designed 3D capacitors with inductors can provide optimized solutions for more efficient RF front-end module integration. In addition, the parameters for the measurement-based capacitor model were extracted. Various RF front-end modules have been designed and implemented using high-Q embedded passive components in inhomogeneous multi-layer LCP substrates. A C-band filter using lumped elements has been designed and measured. The lumped baluns were used to design a double balnced-mixer for 5 GHz WLAN application and a doubly double-balanced mixer for 1.78 GHz CDMA receiver miniaturization. Finally, to overcome the limitations of the lumped component circuits, a 30 GHz gap-coupled band-pass filter in inhomogeneous multi-layer LCP substrates, and the measured results using SOLT and TRL calibrations have been compared to the simulation results.

Thermoplastic composites that have been reinforced by thermotropic liquid crystalline (TLCP) fibrils in the microscale and by nanoparticles in the nanoscale are defined as multi-scale wholly thermoplastic composites (WTCs). Multi-scale WTCs have been proposed as lightweight replacements with high performance for some traditional glass fiber (GF) and carbon fiber (CF) reinforced composites materials in various applications. TLCPs are known for performing mechanical properties similar to those of the lower end of CF but significantly better than those of GF. To enhance the mechanical properties of TLPC reinforced WTCs, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered being used as a secondary enhancement in WTCs. CNTs have gathered significant interest in the last 30 years because of their high aspect ratio, high mechanical properties, and other high-performance properties. The focus of this work is on investigating the processing conditions of generating in situ injection-molded multi-scale WTCs, then extending the technology to dual-extrusion and fused filament fabrication (FFF) and obtain high-performance multi-scale WTC products. This dissertation initially focused on investigating the processing conditions, in particular mixing histories and processing temperature profiles, of generating in situ injection-molded multi-scale WTCs, which consist of a representative TLCP, scCO2 aided exfoliated CNTs, and the thermoplastic matrix polyamide 6 (PA 6). The supercooling behavior of the TLCP and thermal stability of PA 6 are studied by applying the rheological methods of small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS). Multiple mixing histories with CNTs and processing temperature profiles are analyzed based on the criterion of maximizing tensile properties of multi-scale WTCs and minimizing thermal degradation of the matrix. Under the optimum processing conditions, the in situ injection-molded multi-scale WTCs exhibit a 26% and 34% tensile modulus and strength enhancement, compared to the in situ injection-molded WTCs with no CNTs. Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) images were used to understand the enhancement. The second part of this work is to extend the scCO2 aided in situ multi-scale WTCs processing technology to dual-extrusion and FFF. Multi-scale WTC filaments, which consists of TLCP, CNTs, and polyamide copolymer (PAc), are generated by dual-extrusion, and 3D printed into rectangular specimens in FFF. The 1 wt% CNTs reinforced multi-scale WTC filaments generated by the means of dual-extrusion exhibit 225% and 80% improvement in tensile modulus and strength, respectively, compared to the WTC filaments with no CNTs. In FFF, 40 wt% TLCP/1 wt% CNT/PAc 3D printed specimens with filament laid in longitudinal direction exhibited excellent tensile modulus and strength of 38.92 GPa and 127.16 MPa, respectively. The well-dispersed exfoliated CNTs show high alignment with TLCP microfibrils in the multi-scale WTC filaments and their laid-down specimens, which causes the significant tensile modulus enhancement. Bridging elements are discovered between TLCP fibrils and PAc matrix to improve interfacial adhesion, which is attributed to the well-dispersed exfoliated CNTs. Finally, the significant improvements in tensile properties attributed to scCO2 aided exfoliated CNTs in WTCs are verified on the multi-scale WTCs based on polypropylene (PP). Moreover, additional tensile properties improvements for exfoliated CNTs reinforced multi-scale WTCs are obtained with the use of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP). With 1 wt% CNTs and 16 wt% MAPP dual reinforcement, 20 wt% TLCP reinforced WTCs based on polypropylene (PP) exhibit 265%, 274%, and 182% improvement in the tensile modulus of the filaments, laid up specimens in the concentric pattern and laid up specimens in ±45° rectilinear pattern, respectively. The dual reinforcement also improves the tensile strength of 20 wt% TLCP reinforced WTC filaments by up to 73%. The high alignment between TLCP fibrils and CNTs are confirmed in the multi-scale WTCs based on PP. Besides the bridging elements attributed to CNTs found in the second part of this work, SEM images show that CNTs are partially trapped in TLCP fibrils. / Doctor of Philosophy / Considering the need for environmentally friendly materials, novel thermoplastic composites with high mechanical performance, lightweight, and potentially high recyclability properties were generated in this work. Two types of thermoplastic matrices, polyamide (PA or nylon) and polypropylene (PP) were reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and rigid chain polymers known as thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers (TLCPs). CNTs are known for their high mechanical properties and high aspect ratio, which are helpful to reinforce thermoplastic composite materials. During injection molding and the dual-extrusion processes, TLCPs deform into almost continuous microfibrils and reinforce the thermoplastic matrices. Instead of using traditional glass fibers or carbon fibers to reinforce thermoplastics, TLCP reinforced thermoplastic composites, which are defined as wholly thermoplastic composites (WTCs), can retain their mechanical properties during the recycling process such as in injection molding and have better performance during the lay-down process in fused filament fabrication. The goal of this work was to generate CNTs reinforced WTCs for use in injection molding and fused filament fabrication with high mechanical performance. In the injection molding process for generating CNTs reinforced WTC end-gated plaques, it was determined that the optimum thermal mixing histories for the CNTs could be identified by the inspections of the tensile property measurements and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). With the obtained optimum thermal mixing histories with CNTs, CNTs reinforced WTC filaments were generated by dual extrusion technology and used in fused filament fabrication. With 1 wt% addition of CNTs, the tensile properties of WTCs were significantly enhanced in both the filament materials and the laid-down parts. Especially, the CNT reinforced WTC filaments based on nylon matrices exhibited competitive tensile moduli to long carbon fiber reinforced nylon composite filaments, which was also competitive to the properties of aluminum alloys. In addition, the laid-down parts of CNTs reinforced WTC based on PP presented further tensile strength improvement due to the improved interfacial adhesion between the laid-down filaments and between layers, which was attributed to the addition of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene.

Among the myraid energy storage technologies, polymer electrolytes have been widely employed in diverse applications such as fuel cell membranes, battery separators, mechanical actuators, reverse-osmosis membranes and solar cells. The polymer electrolytes used for these applications usually require a combination of properties, including anisotropic orientation, tunable modulus, high ionic conductivity, light weight, high thermal stability and low cost. These critical properties have motivated researchers to find next-generation polymer electrolytes, for example ion gels. This dissertation aims to develop and characterize a new class of ion gel electrolytes based on ionic liquids and a rigid-rod polyelectrolyte. The rigid-rod polyelectrolyte poly (2,2'-disulfonyl-4,4'-benzidine terephthalamide) (PBDT) is a water-miscible system and forms a liquid crystal phase above a critical concentration. The diverse properties and broad applications of this rigid-rod polyelectrolyte may originate from the double helical conformation of PBDT molecular chains. We primarily develop an ionic liquid-based polymer gel electrolyte that possesses the following exceptional combination of properties: transport anisotropy up to 3.5×, high ionic conductivity (up to 8 mS cm⁻¹), widely tunable modulus (0.03 – 3 GPa) and high thermal stability (up to 300°C). This unique platform that combines ionic liquid and polyelectrolyte is essential to develop more advanced materials for broader applications. After we obtain the ion gels, we then mainly focus on modifying and then applying them in Li-metal batteries. As a next generation of Li batteries, the Li-metal battery offers higher energy capacity compared to the current Li-ion battery, thus satisfying our requirements in developing longer-lasting batteries for portable devices and even electric vehicles. However, Li dendrite growth on the Li metal anode has limited the pratical application of Li-metal batteries. This unexpected Li dendrite growth can be suppressed by developing polymer separators with high modulus (~ Gpa), while maintaining enough ionic conductivity (~ 1 mS/cm). Here, we describe an advanced solid-state electrolyte based on a sulfonated aramid rigid-rod polymer, an ionic liquid (IL), and a lithium salt, showing promise to make a breakthrough. This unique fabrication platform can be a milestone in discovering next-generation electrolyte materials. / Ph. D. / Among the myraid energy storage technologies, polymer-based electrolytes have been widely employed in diverse applications such as fuel cell membranes, battery electrolytes, “artificial muscle” mechanical actuators, reverse-osmosis membranes and solar cells. The materials used for each of these applications usually require a specific combination of properties, which include anisotropic orientation, tunable mechanical stiffness (modulus), high ionic conductivity, light weight, high thermal stability and low cost. These critical properties have motivated researchers to find next-generation polymer-based electrolytes, for example “ion gels” that consist of a polymer combined with ionic liquids or salts. This thesis describes development of an ion gel that possesses the following exceptional combination of properties: high ionic conductivity (up to 8 mS cm^-1), widely tunable modulus (0.03 ‒ 3 GPa), ion transport anisotropy up to 3.5×, and high thermal stability (up to 300°C). Thus, this unprecedented material shows liquid-like ion motions inside a matrix with solid-like stiffness, and in a material that can withstand extreme temperatures and will not burn. After obtaining these ion gels, we are then mainly focusing on modifying them for application in safe and high density Li-metal batteries. As a next generation of Li batteries, the Li-metal battery offers higher energy capacity compared to the current Liion battery, thus satisfying our requirements in developing longer-lasting batteries for portable devices and even electric vehicles. However, Li dendrite growth on the Li metal anode has limited the pratical application of Li-metal batteries. This unexpected Li dendrite growth can be supressed by developing polymer electrolytes with high modulus (~ GPa), while maintaining sufficient ionic conductivity (~ 1 mS/cm) for efficient battery operation. In short, this thesis describes an advanced solid-state electrolyte based on a kevlar-like (sulfonated aramid) rigid-rod polymer, an ionic liquid (IL), and a lithium salt, showing promise to make a breakthrough and enable practical Li-metal batteries. Furthermore, the unique fabrication platform for these ion gels represents a new paradigm for discovering next-generation electrolyte materials for a wide variety of applications.

The emergence of multi-band communications standards, and the fast pace of the consumer electronics markets for wireless/cellular applications emphasize the need for fast design closure. In addition, there is a need for electronic product designers to collaborate with manufacturers, gain essential knowledge regarding the manufacturing facilities and the processes, and apply this knowledge during the design process. In this dissertation, efficient layout-level circuit sizing techniques, and methodologies for design-for-manufacturability have been investigated. For cost-effective fabrication of RF modules on emerging technologies, there is a clear need for design cycle time reduction of passive and active RF modules. This is important since new technologies lack extensive design libraries and layout-level electromagnetic (EM) optimization of RF circuits become the major bottleneck for reduced design time. In addition, the design of multi-band RF circuits requires precise control of design specifications that are partially satisfied due to manufacturing variations, resulting in yield loss. In this work, a broadband modeling and a layout-level sizing technique for embedded inductors/capacitors in multilayer substrate has been presented. The methodology employs artificial neural networks to develop a neuro-model for the embedded passives. Secondly, a layout-level sizing technique for RF passive circuits with quasi-lumped embedded inductors and capacitors has been demonstrated. The sizing technique is based on the circuit augmentation technique and a linear optimization framework. In addition, this dissertation presents a layout-level, multi-domain DFM methodology and yield optimization technique for RF circuits for SOP-based wireless applications. The proposed statistical analysis framework is based on layout segmentation, lumped element modeling, sensitivity analysis, and extraction of probability density functions using convolution methods. The statistical analysis takes into account the effect of thermo-mechanical stress and process variations that are incurred in batch fabrication. Yield enhancement and optimization methods based on joint probability functions and constraint-based convex programming has also been presented. The results in this work have been demonstrated to show good correlation with measurement data.

The advances in modern communication systems have brought about devices with more functionality, better performance, smaller size, lighter weight and lower cost. Meanwhile, the requirement for newer devices has become more demanding than ever. Tunability and flexibility are both long-desired features. Tunable devices are ‘smart’ in the sense that they can adapt to the dynamic environment or varying user demand as well as correct the minor deviations due to manufacturing fluctuations, therefore making it possible to reduce system complexity and overall cost. It is also desired that electronics be flexible to provide conformability and portability. Previously, tunable devices on flexible substrates have been realized mainly by dicing and assembling. This approach is straightforward and easy to carry out. However, it will become a “mission impossible” when it comes to assembling a large amount of rigid devices on a flexible substrate. Moreover, the operating frequency is often limited by the parasitic effect of the interconnection between the diced device and the rest of the circuit on the flexible substrate. A recent effort utilized a strain-sharing Si/SiGe/Si nanomembrane to transfer a device onto a flexible substrate. This approach works very well for silicon based devices with small dimensions, such as transistors and varactor diodes. Large-scale fabrication capability is still under investigation. A new transfer technique is proposed and studied in this research. Tunable BST (Barium Strontium Titanate) IDCs (inter-digital capacitors) are first fabricated on a silicon substrate. The devices are then transferred onto a flexible LCP (liquid crystalline polymer) substrate using iv wafer bonding of the silicon substrate to the LCP substrate, followed by silicon etching. This approach allows for monolithic fabrication so that the transferred devices can operate in millimeter wave frequency. The tunability, capacitance, Q factor and equivalent circuit are studied. The simulated and measured performances are compared. BST capacitors on LCP substrates are also compared with those on sapphire substrates to prove that this transfer process does not impair the performance. A primary study of a reflectarray antenna unit cell is also conducted for loss and phase swing performance. The BST thin film layout and bias line positions are studied in order to reduce the total loss. Transferring a full-size BST-based reflectarray antenna onto an LCP substrate is the ultimate goal, and this work is ongoing at the University of Central Florida (UCF). HFSS is used to simulate the devices and to prove the concept. All of the devices are fabricated in the clean room at UCF. Probe station measurements and waveguide measurements are performed on the capacitors and reflectarray antenna unit cells respectively. This work is the first comprehensive demonstration of this novel transfer technique.