Wideband Test Facility
High-Frequency Characterization at Notre Dame
and circuit testing
The strategic goal for microelectronics research at Notre Dame is to transition innovative work from university labs and centers directly into hardware solutions that address unmet needs for both national defense and commercial users. This objective aligns with the Microelectronics Commons Initiative, which was established under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and is administered by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
The Initiative's primary mission is to promote the "Lab-to-Fab" transition of critical technologies. It achieves this by providing the necessary funding to bridge the so-called "Valley of Death"—the gap that routinely delays the adoption of promising new technology into practical, manufacturable prototypes for critical U.S. supply chains.
Although the Microelectronics Commons portfolio covers several focus areas, the Wideband Test Facility is explicitly equipped to strengthen the pipeline for high-frequency microelectronics projects, including antenna characterization and design. This facility, combined with our existing expertise in radio frequency (RF) device fabrication and wide-bandgap semiconductors, provides the capabilities necessary for developing resilient communication and spectrum dominance technologies.
In summary, the Wideband Test Facility's state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment provide the essential platform to convert Notre Dame faculty's breakthrough research into the prototypes demanded by our partners in government and industry.
Device and Circuits: Characterization
Antennas: Measurement and Characterization