Sustainable and Energy-Efficient 6G Full-Metal Antennas in the Sub-Terahertz Range

About SEFMA

SEFMA is a Vinnova project, funded under the Smartare Elektroniksystem framework. Research will be conducted at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, collaborating with the Public University of Navarre (Spain) and the Swedish start-up Northern Waves.

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6G Innovation

Our goal is to build metallic antenna systems that are efficient, scalable, and ready for the next generation of wireless communication.

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About

SEFMA: Sustainable and Energy-Efficient 6G Full-Metal Antennas in the Sub-Terahertz Range

SEFMA is a project funded by Vinnova, the Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems.
Telecommunications companies emphasise that current 5G technologies are reaching their limits, especially in high-density urban environments. The transition to 6G communications, expected by 2030, will require new spectrum availability in the sub-terahertz (sub-THz) range to achieve high data rates and low latency. The transition to 6G faces delays due to a technological gap: existing antennas are inadequate for efficient operation at these frequencies. Currently, few manufacturing technologies are available for developing devices in the sub-THz range.
SEFMA aims to develop sustainable, energy-efficient antenna technologies for the sub-THz range, essential for future 6G systems. Advanced manufacturing methods like additive manufacturing, Focused Ion Beam micromachining, and metallized photolithography will be studied.

Contribution

Expected impact in the scientific, social, and economic spheres

The impact of implementing SEFMA spans three crucial sectors: science, industry, and society. The main scientific contribution of this project is the use of emerging manufacturing techniques to produce high-resolution FulMet metalenses in the sub-THz range for 6G applications. Employing these techniques not only enhances the capabilities of the equipment but also examines and assesses their technological limits. An additional advantage is that these components will not use plastics, which contribute to environmental pollution.