POLYMER-BASED RESONATOR ANTENNAS

• US 20140327597A1
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karlsruher Institut Fur Technologie, University Of Saskatchewan
• Original Assignee: Karlsruher Institut Fur Technologie, University Of Saskatchewan
• Inventors: Rashidian, Atabak, Klymyshyn, David, Tayfeh Aligodarz, Mohammadreza, Achenbach, Sven Carsten, Brner, Martin Wilfried
• Granted Patent: US 10,361,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/905
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/40 Treatment after imagewise removal, e.g. baking
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0485 Dielectric resonator antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0492 circularly polarised

Abstract

Dielectric resonator antennas suitable for use in compact radiofrequency (RF) antennas and devices, and methods of fabrication thereof. Described are dielectric resonator antennas fabricated using polymer-based materials, such as those commonly used in lithographic fabrication of integrated circuits and microsystems. Accordingly, lithographic fabrication techniques can be employed in fabrication. The polymer-based dielectric resonator antennas can be excited using tall metal vertical structures, which are also fabricated using techniques adapted from integrated circuit and microsystems fabrication.

Claims

1. A dielectric resonator antenna comprising:

a substrate with at least a first planar surface;

a feedline formed on the first planar surface of the substrate; and

a polymer-based resonator body.

2. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 50, wherein the feed structure extends away from the feedline through the cavity by an amount between 10-100% of a height of the cavity.

3. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 50, wherein the first body portion is comprised of dielectric material that is retained following fabrication.

4. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 50, wherein the polymer-based resonator body comprises a second body portion provided in abutment to the first body portion.

5. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 4, wherein the second body portion is in abutment with an outer wall of the first body portion, and wherein the feed structure is fittingly engaged between the first body portion and the second body portion.

6. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 4, wherein the second body portion is provided within the cavity, and wherein the feed structure is fittingly engaged between an outer wall of the second body portion and an inner wall of the first body portion.

7. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 4, wherein the second body portion is comprised of a different material than the first body portion.

8. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 50, wherein the first body portion has a relative permittivity less than 10.

9. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 1, wherein the polymer-based resonator body is comprised of a pure polymer photoresist material.

10. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 1, wherein the polymer-based resonator body is comprised of a composite polymer-based photoresist material.

11. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 50, further comprising a tapered feedline portion, the tapered feedline portion having a first side with a first width and a second side with a second width, wherein the second width is wider than the first width, wherein the conductive feed structure is electrically coupled to the feedline via the tapered feedline portion at the second side, and wherein the feedline is electrically coupled to the conductive feed structure via the tapered feedline portion at the first side.

32. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 1,

wherein the polymer-based resonator body comprises a plurality of metal inclusions extending through the polymer-based resonator body in a direction generally perpendicular to the substrate,

and wherein the plurality of metal inclusions are provided in a regular pattern to enhance an effective relative permittivity of the polymer-based resonator body.

33. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 32, wherein the plurality of metal inclusions have a generally H-shaped profile.

34. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 1, wherein the feedline has a first width, and further comprising:

a conductive feeding structure positioned at least partially between the substrate and the resonator body, the conductive feeding structure having a second width wider than the first width of the feedline;

a tapered feedline portion, the tapered feedline portion having a first side with the first width and a second side with the second width, the first side electrically coupled to the feedline and the second side electrically coupled to the conductive feeding structure.

35. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 34, wherein the tapered feedline portion has a trapezoidal shape.

36. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 1, wherein the feedline is

a microstrip feedline extending at least partially between the resonator body and the substrate, wherein the feedline abuts the resonator body at a first distance from the substrate surface, and wherein the feedline has a width and a thickness selected to provide a predetermined impedance.

37. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 36, wherein the thickness of the feedline substantially exceeds a planar metal waveguide thickness.

38. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 37, wherein the thickness is between 100 μ

m and 1000 μ

m.

39. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 36, further comprising a dielectric support positioned between the feedline and the substrate.

40. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 39, wherein the dielectric support has a low relative permittivity.

41. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 40, wherein the dielectric support has a relative permittivity less than 10.

42. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 39, wherein the width of the feedline corresponds to the width of the dielectric support.

43. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 39, wherein the first distance is equal to the thickness of the feedline and a thickness of the dielectric support.

44. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 36, wherein the predetermined impedance is 50Ω

.

45. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 1,

wherein the polymer-based resonator body comprises at least a first body portion disposed on the first planar surface of the substrate and at least partly upon the feedline, wherein the first body portion at least partly defines a cavity extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the first planar surface, wherein the cavity exposes a first feedline portion of the feedline;

and further comprising;

a feeding structure disposed within the cavity, the feeding structure electrically coupled to the first feedline portion and extending away from the feedline through the cavity;

a dielectric feed section having an inner wall, an outer wall, a top wall and a bottom wall, the bottom wall opposite the top wall, the dielectric feed section disposed at least partly upon the feedline along its bottom wall and abutting the resonator body along the inner wall; and

an external strip disposed along the outer wall of the dielectric feed section, the external strip extending substantially perpendicular to the first planar surface toward the bottom wall from the top wall of the dielectric feed section.

46. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 45, wherein the feed structure extends away from the feedline through the cavity by an amount between 10-100% of a height of the cavity.

47. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 45, wherein the external strip extends away from the top wall by an amount between 10-100% of a height of the dielectric feed section.

48. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 45, wherein the dielectric feed section is comprised of a different material than the resonator body.

49. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 45, wherein the resonator body has a relative permittivity less than 10.

50. The dielectric resonator antenna of claim 1, further comprising at least a first body portion disposed on the first planar surface of the substrate and at least partly upon the feedline, wherein the first body portion at least partly defines a cavity extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the first planar surface, wherein the cavity exposes a first feedline portion of the feedline;

and a conductive feed structure disposed within the cavity, the feed structure electrically coupled to the first feedline portion and extending away from the feedline through the cavity

12. A dielectric resonator antenna comprising:

a substrate with at least a first planar surface;

a feedline formed on the first planar surface of the substrate;

a polymer-based resonator body comprising;

a first body portion disposed on the first planar surface of the substrate and at least partly upon the feedline, wherein the first body portion defines a first cavity extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the first planar surface and a second cavity between a wall of the first cavity and an outer wall of the first body portion, wherein the second cavity exposes a first feedline portion of the feedline; and

a second body portion provided within the first body portion; and

a conductive feed structure disposed within the second cavity, the feed structure electrically coupled to the first feedline portion and extending away from the feedline through the second cavity.

13. A method of fabricating a dielectric resonator antenna, the method comprising:

forming a substrate with at least a first planar surface;

depositing and patterning a feedline on the first planar surface of the substrate;

forming a polymer-based resonator body, comprising at least a first body portion, on the first planar surface of the substrate and at least partly upon the feedline;

exposing the polymer-based resonator body to a lithographic source via a pattern mask, wherein the pattern mask defines a cavity to be formed in the polymer-based resonator body, the cavity extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the first planar surface and at least partially exposing a first feedline portion of the feedline;

developing at least one exposed portion of the polymer-based resonator body and removing the at least one exposed portion to reveal the cavity;

depositing a conductive feed structure within the cavity, the feed structure electrically coupled to the first feedline portion and extending away from the feedline through the cavity.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the forming is performed multiple times to progressively increase a thickness of the polymer-based resonator body.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the forming comprises bonding at least one polymer-based material sheet.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the forming comprises casting the polymer-based resonator body and baking at temperatures below 200°

C.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the lithographic source is an X-ray source.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the lithographic source is an ultraviolet light source.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the developing is performed at temperatures below 250°

C.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the feed structure is deposited using electroplating.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the feed structure extends away from the feedline through the cavity, and wherein the feed structure has a height between 10-100% of the height of the cavity.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising tuning the dielectric resonator antenna by controlling a feed structure height during the depositing.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the first body portion is comprised of a dielectric material that is retained following fabrication.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the forming the polymer-based resonator body, further comprises forming at least a second body portion in abutment to the first body portion.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the second body portion is in abutment with an outer wall of the first body portion, and wherein the feed structure is fittingly engaged between the first body portion and the second body portion.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising forming the second body portion within the cavity, and wherein the feed structure is fittingly engaged between an outer wall of the second body portion and an inner wall of the first body portion.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising removing the first body portion after the second body portion is formed.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the second body portion is comprised of a different material than the first body portion.

29. The method of claim 13, wherein the polymer-based resonator body is comprised of a pure polymer photoresist material.

30. The method of claim 13, wherein the polymer-based resonator body is comprised of a composite polymer-based photoresist material.

31. A method of fabricating a dielectric resonator antenna, the method comprising:

forming a substrate with at least a first planar surface;

depositing and patterning a feedline formed on the first planar surface of the substrate;

forming a polymer-based resonator body comprising;

forming a first body portion disposed on the first planar surface of the substrate and at least partly upon the feedline;

exposing the polymer-based resonator body to a lithographic source via a pattern mask, wherein the pattern mask defines a first cavity to be formed in the first body portion extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the first planar surface, and wherein the pattern mask further defines a second cavity to be formed between a wall of the first cavity and an outer wall of the first body portion, wherein the second cavity exposes a first feedline portion of the feedline; and

developing at least one exposed portion of the polymer-based resonator body and removing the at least one exposed portion to reveal the first cavity;

further forming a second body portion provided within the first cavity; and

depositing a conductive feed structure disposed within the second cavity, the feed structure electrically coupled to the first feedline portion and extending away from the feedline through the second cavity.