Sandia News

Microelectronics and microsystems


Image of microelectronics

The R&D 100 Award-winning Micro Power Source is a rechargeable, ultra-small power source for smart cards, environmental sensors, tags for material tracking, continuous medical monitors, and power for microsatellites. Sandia and partners integrated a lithium-ion-based solid electrolyte battery with an ultra-thin photovoltaic collector as an energy harvester. With a system volume of 1μliter, it has an energy density greater than 300 Wh/L and can handle 3,500 charge/discharge cycles. The device is based on existing manufacturing technologies that are amenable to volume manufacturing scale-up. (1700) DS&A

MESA researchers demonstrated the world’s lowest-loss radio-frequency (RF) MEMS acoustic resonator. The resonant structure comprises a 1µm-thick film of silicon carbide (SiC) acoustically isolated above a silicon substrate. The measured quality factor, Q, is 117,300 at 2.93 GHz, yielding a record frequency times Q product (fQ) of 3.4×1014. This performance is a factor of 3.4 better than any previously reported. The high fQ, small size, and frequency diversity of SiC microresonators will improve the frequency selectivity of RF filters and oscillators for radios and radars. (1700) DS&A (6500) ECIS, IHNS


Each citation is followed by the center numbers of centers that contributed most directly to the effort described. An acronym after each accomplishment indicates which of Sandia’s strategic management units (SMUs) or strategic management groups (SMGs) the work most directly supported.

The SMG/SMU acronyms are:

  • NW: Nuclear Weapons SMG & SMU
  • DS & A: Defense Systems & Assessments SMU
  • IHNS: International, Homeland, and Nuclear Security SMU
  • ECIS: Energy, Climate, and Infrastructure SMU
  • IES: Integrated Enabling Services SMU
  • SPP: Sandia Partnership Projects