Metal Oxide RF Integrated Circuits for Internet of Things Connectivity

Smart electronic devices for Internet of Things are increasing their connectivity and computation power that are required for communications between the numerous distributed sensors or wireless network. The next generation of Internet of Things will demand higher frequency system operating beyond the ISM (Industry, Scientific and Medical) 5 GHz range. To enable the RF (Radio Frequency) connectivity, the transistors speed and switching performance in the hardware system are crucial for processing the data between different communication nodes. Compare to conventional silicon device technology, thin film metal oxide semiconductors such as zinc oxide and gallium zinc oxide are seen as the potential electronic material for the transistors in the integrated circuits, because it can be fabricated on low temperature substrates and operate at low switching voltages. It has a higher mobility of > 10 cm2/Vs than the standard amorphous silicon device means zinc oxide can operate well into the RF region. Therefore, the PhD project is to investigate the homogeneity of the novel atomic layer deposition and micro-machining method to create zinc oxide nanowire transistors for RF integrated circuits operating at 5 GHz and above. This research will develop new research expertise in analogue and RF electronics based on the latest thin film semiconductors, circuit technology and applications in the Internet of Things. The project will sustain the growing area of RF and Microwave devices and develop interdisciplinary research in autonomous systems,
and Future Intelligent Systems.