Millimeter-Wave Contactless Connectors: From Fundamental Research to Commercialization

High-speed electrical connectors are essential components in all modern computing and interconnect systems such as in a display, a smartphone, an automobile, or an industrial robot. With the digitalization of industrial processes along with demand for high-speed consumer electronic products, the connector industry is expected to experience significant growth in coming years. One of the main concerns in electrical connector design is reliability. Because of the nature of physical connections, traditional mechanical connectors are unavoidably exposed to environmental hazards as well as mechanical wear from continuous usage; thus, creating connectivity with long-term reliability can be a major challenge. For instance, many daily personal computer users have experienced physically damaged USB connectors after connecting and disconnecting devices repeatedly over time. Moreover, ever-increasing data rates impose serious signal integrity challenges - especially for cost-driven consumer electronic products.