11/22/2021
By Sokny Long

The Francis College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, invites you to attend a master’s thesis defense by Bradley Pothier on “Additively Manufactured 5G Antenna Structures on Functional Polyethylene Substrates.”

MSE Candidate: Bradley Pothier
Date: Friday, Dec. 3, 2021
Time: 3 to 4 p.m. EST
Location: This will be a virtual defense via Zoom. Those interested in attending should contact Corey_Shemelya@uml.edu at least 24 hours prior to the defense to request access to the meeting.


Committee Chair (Advisor): Corey Shemelya, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Committee Members:

  • Jean-Francois Millithaler, Ph.D., Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Paul Robinette, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract:
As RF technologies are pushed into conformal, flexible, and hybrid design spaces new techniques, materials, and designs paradigms must also be developed. Therefore, this project investigates advanced manufacturing design and processing techniques to fabricate 5G (4 to 8 GHz) antenna designs on ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene laminated composite substrates. RF design on these novel material systems must account for non-traditional challenges including: increased substrate thicknesses, unconventional RF characteristics, unique surface functionality, and high feature roughness/variability. In order to overcome these challenges, this work utilizes a variety of RF design tools, advanced printing techniques, surface characterization tools, and novel solvent castable polymer coating to provide stability and consistency over a variety of material systems. The results of this work produce a viable combination of advanced manufacturing techniques to push 5G RF technologies into a variety of new substrates, geometries, and form-factors.

All interested students and faculty members are invited to attend the online defense via remote access.