An autonomous disturbance detection and monitoring system was developed with imaging radar that combines the unique capabilities of imaging radar with high throughput onboard processing technology and onboard automated response capability based on specific science algorithms. This smart sensor development leverages off recently developed technologies in real-time onboard synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processor and onboard automated response software as well as science algorithms previously developed for radar remote sensing applications.

A silicon-based complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) integrated-circuit voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) operating in a frequency range around 324 GHz has been built and tested. Concomitantly, equipment for measuring the performance of this oscillator has been built and tested. These accomplishments are intermediate steps in a continuing effort to develop low-power-consumption, low-phase-noise, electronically tunable signal generators as local oscillators for heterodyne receivers in submillimeter-wavelength (frequency > 300 GHz) scientific instruments and imaging systems.

This work outlines the present state-of-the-art in terms of on-wafer S-parameter measurements, on-wafer noise figure measurements, and on-wafer power measurements up to 350 GHz for a variety of MMIC and new Submillimeter-wave MMIC (S-MMICs) chips.

A supercapacitor technology has been developed that can operate as low as -75 °C. This technology can be used to store energy and deliver high power at temperatures lower than commercially available components,which are rated to -40 °C.

A regio-regular poly(3-hexylthiophene)thin film transistor having a split-gate architecture has been fabricated on a doped silicon/silicon nitride substrate and characterized. This device is seen to demonstrate AND logic functionality. The device functionality is controlled by applying either 0 or –10 volts to each of the gate electrodes.