Dielectric Waveguide Manufactured Using Printed Circuit Board Technology

• US 20140285277A1
• Filed: 04/01/2013
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Herbsommer, Juan Alejandro, Seok, Eunyoung, Haroun, Baher
• Granted Patent: US 9,515,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4416 Heterogeneous cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device antennas per se H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73204 the bump connector being embedded into the layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15192 Resurf arrangement of the internal vias
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/001 Manufacturing waveguides or transmission lines of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/002 Manufacturing hollow waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/121 integrated in a substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/165 Non-radiating dielectric waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/00 Coupling devices of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/087 Transitions to a dielectric waveguide
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/107 Hollow-waveguide/strip-line transitions
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/184 the guides being strip lines or microstrips
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/108 Combination of a dipole with a plane reflecting surface H01Q19/106 takes precedence; strip line H01Q9/065
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/30 the primary active element being centre-fed and substantially straight, e.g. Yagi antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/065 : Microstrip dipole antennas patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 : Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 : Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

A dielectric waveguide may be manufactured by forming a set of parallel channels in a planar sheet that has a lower dielectric constant value. The set of channels is then filled with a material having a higher dielectric constant value. The planar sheet is sliced into a plurality of strips that each contain one or more of the channels.

Claims

1. A method for making a dielectric waveguide, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of parallel channels in a planar sheet, wherein the planar sheet has a first dielectric constant value k1;

filling the plurality of channels with a material having a second dielectric constant value k2, wherein k2 is a higher value than k1; and

slicing the planar sheet into a plurality of strips that each contain one or more of the channels.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming metalized walls at an end of each of the plurality of channels prior to slicing the planar sheet by:

forming a grove in the planar sheet for each wall; and

selectively plating the groves to form the metalized walls.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a horn shaped cavity at the end of each of the plurality of channels;

and

forming metalized walls on each of the horn shaped cavities prior to slicing the planar sheet by;

forming a grove in the planar sheet for each wall; and

selectively plating the groves to form the metalized walls.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising etching a metallic layer on the planar sheet to form a bottom plate for each of the horn shaped cavities.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising laminating a top layer onto the planar layer to form a top cladding.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric constant value is selected from a range of approximately 2.5-4.5 and the second dielectric constant is selected from a range of approximately 3-12.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a non-planar interface surface on an end of each of the plurality of channels.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising affixing a deformable material having a third dielectric constant value k3 on an end of each of the plurality of channels, wherein k3 has a value between k1 and k2.

9. A system comprising a dielectric waveguide, wherein the dielectric waveguide comprises:

an outer cladding of printed circuit board (PCB) material, wherein the PCB material has a first dielectric constant value k1; and

a core member of filler material in a grove formed in the PCB material, wherein the filler material has a second dielectric constant value k2, wherein k2 is a higher value than k1.

10. The dielectric waveguide of claim 9, further comprising a metallic waveguide region coupled to the core member, wherein the metallic waveguide region is formed in the PCB material.

11. The dielectric waveguide of claim 10, wherein the metallic waveguide region is tapered to form a horn interface.

12. The dielectric waveguide of claim 9, wherein the first dielectric constant value is selected from a range of approximately 2.5-4.5 and the second dielectric constant is selected from a range of approximately 3-12.

13. The dielectric waveguide of claim 9, further comprising a non-planar interface surface on an end of the dielectric waveguide.

14. The dielectric waveguide of claim 9, further comprising a deformable material having a third dielectric constant value k3 on an end of dielectric waveguide, wherein k3 has a value between k1 and k2.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a multilayer substrate;

an integrated circuit package mounted on the multilayer substrate, wherein the integrated circuit includes a radio frequency (RF) circuit coupled to an antenna; and

wherein the dielectric waveguide is mounted on the multilayer substrate with an end of the dielectric waveguide adjacent the antenna.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the integrated circuit package is mounted on the multilayer substrate with solder that was reflowed while the dielectric waveguide was mounted on the multilayer substrate.