2024 14th International Conference on Electrical Engineering (ICEENG) - Prof. RAAFAT MANSOUR

Reconfigurable Microwave and MillimeterWave Devices for Applications in Future Communication Systems


RAAFAT MANSOUR

Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada


Biography
Raafat Mansour is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo and holds Tier 1- Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Micro-Nano Integrated RF Systems. He held an NSERC Industrial Research Chair (IRC)for two terms (2001-2005) and (2006-2010). Before joining the University of Waterloo in January 2000, Dr. Mansour was with COM DEV, a global manufacturer of space hardware in Canada, over the period 1986-1999, where he held various technical and management positions in COM DEV’s Corporate R&D Department. Professor Mansour holds 44 US and Canadian patents and more than 425 refereed IEEE publications to his credit. He is a co-author of a 23-chapter Book published by Wiley and has contributed 7 chapters to five other books.
Professor Mansour founded the Centre for Integrated RF Engineering (CIRFE) at the University of Waterloo https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-integrated-rf-engineering/. It houses a clean room and a highly advanced RF test and characterization laboratory. He served as the Technical Program Committee (TPC) Chair of the 2012 IEEE International Microwave Symposium (IMS). Professor Mansour is a Fellow of the IEEE, a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), and a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC). He was the recipient of the 2014 Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) Engineering Medal for Research and Development and the 2019 IEEE Canada A.G.L. McNaughton Gold Medal Award.


Abstract
Reconfigurable devices are key components in the development of agile multi-standard microwave and millimeter-wave communication systems. The advent of innovative switched capacitor arrays and switch technologies based on semiconductor SOI, Micro-electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), and Phase Change Material (PCM) technologies permit the development of a new generation of high linearity, low loss, and low power consumption reconfigurable components. This talk starts by addressing the need for using reconfigurable devices in wireless communication systems and flexible satellite payloads. It then addresses existing tuning technologies, providing a comparison between Semiconductor, MEMS, and PCM tuning elements in terms of linearity, insertion loss, and suitability for use at millimeter-wave frequencies. In particular, the talk will address recent developments in PCM switches and their applications to the realization of reconfigurable filters, switch matrices, phase shifters, variable attenuators, and reflective intelligent surfaces. Very recent results for integrating the PCM technology with acoustic filters, which are widely employed in wireless mobile devices will be also presented.