METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING ANTENNA STRUCTURE

• US 20130318778A1
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron NeWeb Corporation (Wistron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Chih-Yung Shih, Tzuh-Suan Wang, Yuan-Chin Hsu, Yu-Fu Kuo
• Inventors: WANG, Tzuh-Suan, Hsu, Yuan-Chin, Kuo, Yu-Fu, Shih, Chih-Yung
• Granted Patent: US 9,112,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/600
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an antenna structure is disclosed. Employing steps of mixing with a catalyst and embedding a metal insert can simplify steps for manufacturing the antenna structure. Further, a non-conductive frame produced by the process disclosed herein can exhibit waterproof effect. The catalyst mentioned above is mixed with a plastic and then injected into a mold to form the non-conductive frame. The metal insert mentioned above is disposed in the mold before the step of injecting the plastic. Alternatively, the metal insert is embedded in the non-conductive frame after the step of injecting the plastic.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an antenna structure, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a non-conductive frame containing a catalyst;

disposing a metal insert in an area of the non-conductive frame;

forming an anti-plating resistance layer covering a surface of the non-conductive frame;

removing the anti-plating resistance layer on the area of the non-conductive frame by a laser-direct-structuring (LDS) technique, and forming a coarsened surface in the area;

removing the anti-plating resistance layer on the surface of the non-conductive frame; and

forming a metal layer on the coarsened surface to obtain the antenna structure in contact with the metal insert.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the non-conductive frame containing the catalyst comprises:

injecting a plastic containing the catalyst into a mold to form the non-conductive frame.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of disposing the metal insert in the area of the non-conductive frame comprises:

disposing the metal insert in the mold before the step of injecting the plastic containing the catalyst into the mold;

or embedding the metal insert in the non-conductive frame containing the catalyst after the step of injecting the plastic containing the catalyst into the mold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the catalyst is uniformly dispersed in the non-conductive frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the catalyst is clustered on the surface of the non-conductive frame.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-conductive frame containing the catalyst comprises a non-conductive layer free of the catalyst.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal insert penetrates the non-conductive frame.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal insert does not penetrate the non-conductive frame.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal insert is a material selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, iron, aluminum and a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the catalyst is a material selected from the group consisting of metal, an inorganic metal compound, an organic metal compound and a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the catalyst has a material selected from the group consisting of palladium, tin, copper, iron, silver, gold and any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the anti-plating resistance layer comprises a resin.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the anti-plating resistance layer on the non-conductive frame is employing a dipping method or a spraying method.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal layer is a material selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, iron, aluminum and a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the metal layer comprises electroless plating the metal layer on the surface of the non-conductive frame.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of increasing the thickness of the metal layer by using a depositing method.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the depositing method is an electroplating process or an electroless plating process.