Method of manufacturing a microradio

• US 8,295,767 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RadioFIDO LLC
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Inventors: Brommer, Karl D., Brommer, Tracey H.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/183,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20110265314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411- 412, 216/13, 427289-290, 438/460
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3114 the device being a chip scale package, e.g. CSP
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/362 for broadside radiating helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/27 Spiral antennas
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.

Abstract

A microradio is provided with a hysteretic switch to permit an optimum range increasing charging cycle, with the charging cycle being long relative to the transmit cycle. Secondly, an ensemble of microradios permits an n² power enhancement to increase range with coherent operation. Various multi-frequency techniques are used both for parasitic powering and to isolate powering and transmit cycles. Applications for microradios and specifically for ensembles of microradios include authentication, tracking, fluid flow sensing, identification, terrain surveillance including crop health sensing and detection of improvised explosive devices, biohazard and containment breach detection, and biomedical applications including the use of microradios attached to molecular tags to destroy tagged cells when the microradios are activated. Microradio deployment includes the use of paints or other coatings containing microradios, greases and aerosols. Moreover, specialized antennas, including microcoils, mini dipoles, and staircase coiled structures are disclosed, with the use of nano-devices further reducing the size of the microradios.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a micro radio comprising the steps of:

cutting a wafer of silicon into a plurality of components;

coating each of said components with a conductive adhesive; and

coupling a hysteretic switch with each of said components, wherein said hysteretic switch further comprises two transistors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wafer is cut into at least about 10,000 components.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the coated components are dissolved in a dilute grease or an aerosol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the components reach a spherical shape due to surface tension.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each component has an antenna.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the antenna is a monopole antenna.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the antenna is a dipole antenna.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the length of the dipole antenna is commensurate with the size of the microradio.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the antenna is a magnetic dipole antenna comprising a microcoil staircase.

10. The method of claim 9, further including inserting a magnetically permeable material inside the microcoil staircase.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising pre-programming each of said components with a serial number.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching a modulated oscillator and a receiver section to each of said components.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching a rectifier to each of said components.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising attaching an oscillator to each of said components.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising coupling at least one capacitor to the oscillator with said hysteretic switch.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising coupling a receiver between said hysteretic switch and the oscillator.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising coupling at least one modulator to the oscillator.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the rectifier includes a voltage multiplier.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising dispersing said components over a naturally radiative structure.

20. A method for manufacturing a micro radio comprising the steps of:

cutting a wafer of silicon into a plurality of components;

coating each of said components with a conductive adhesive;

attaching a rectifier to each of said components

attaching an oscillator to each of said components; and

coupling at least one capacitor to said oscillator with a hysteretic switch, wherein said hysteretic switch comprises at least two transistors.