TUNABLE RESONATOR DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

• US 20150123748A1
• Filed: 11/04/2014
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kymeta Corporation (Reorganized ISA SA)
• Original Assignee: Kymeta Corporation (Reorganized ISA SA)
• Inventors: Stevenson, Ryan A., Kundtz, Nathan, Lorkowski, Chris, Teller, Witold
• Granted Patent: US 9,780,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/235
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/55 Liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/00 Electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/1292 selectively, e.g. in stripes, in patterns B32B37/0076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/008 Manufacturing resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 7/06 Cavity resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 7/065 integrated in a substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 7/088 Tunable resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40

Abstract

Techniques and mechanisms for providing a tunable RF resonator device. In an embodiment, a patterned layer of an adhesive material is disposed on a side of a panel comprising a substrate and a metal layer. A membrane is aligned between the panel and another panel. A laminate is formed with the first panel, the second panel and the membrane, where an intermediate layer of the laminate includes a first portion comprising a liquid crystal channel, and a second portion comprising adhesive material disposed in interstices of the membrane. In another embodiment, the second portion forms at least part of a boundary to the liquid crystal channel.

Claims

1. A tunable resonator device comprising:

a first panel including a first substrate and a first metal layer;

a second panel including a second substrate and a second metal layer; and

an intermediate layer disposed between the first panel and the second panel, the intermediate layer including;

a liquid crystal channel including a first portion of a membrane and a liquid crystal material disposed in first interstices of the first portion;

a channel boundary portion adjacent to the liquid crystal channel, the channel boundary portion including a second portion of the membrane and an adhesive material disposed in second interstices of the second portion.

2. The tunable resonator device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first spacer disposed between the first side and the intermediate layer; and

a second spacer disposed between the second side and the intermediate layer;

wherein a first cavity region adjacent to the first spacer separates a side of the liquid crystal channel from the first side, and wherein a second cavity region adjacent to the second spacer separates another side of the liquid crystal channel from the second side.

3. The tunable resonator device of claim 2, further comprising a soldermask post extending through the first cavity region between the first side and the intermediate layer.

4. The tunable resonator device of claim 1, wherein the adhesive material forms a gasket portion of the intermediate layer, the gasket portion in direct contact with both the first side and the second side.

5. The tunable resonator device of claim 1, wherein the first panel comprises an iris panel and wherein the second panel comprises a patch panel.

6. The tunable resonator device of claim 1, wherein the membrane comprises a microporous material or a nanofibrous material.

7. The tunable resonator device of claim 1, further comprising:

soldermask posts disposed between the first panel and the second panel, wherein the membrane is located between the soldermask posts.

8. The tunable resonator device of claim 6, wherein the membrane is adjacent to the soldermask posts.

9. The tunable resonator device of claim 1, wherein the membrane includes two hydrophobic outer regions and a hydrophilic inner region located between the hydrophobic outer regions.

10. A method comprising:

disposing on a first side of a first panel a first patterned layer of an adhesive material, the first panel including a first substrate and a first metal layer;

after disposing the first patterned layer of adhesive material, aligning a membrane between the first panel and a second panel including a second substrate and a second metal layer;

forming a laminate including the first panel, the second panel and an intermediate layer including the membrane, wherein the intermediate layer includes;

a first portion comprising first interstices of the membrane and a liquid crystal material disposed in the first interstices, wherein the first portion forms a liquid crystal channel; and

a second portion comprising second interstices of the membrane and a portion of the adhesive material disposed in the second interstices, wherein the second portion forms at least part of a boundary to the liquid crystal channel.

11. The method of claim 10, before aligning the membrane between the first panel and the second panel, disposing on a second side of the second panel a second patterned layer of adhesive material.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein a pattern of the second patterned layer matches a pattern of the first patterned layer.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

disposing a first spacer between the first side and the membrane; and

disposing a second spacer between the second side and the membrane;

wherein a first cavity region separates a side of the liquid crystal channel from the first side, and wherein a second cavity region separates another side of the liquid crystal channel from the second side.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

disposing a soldermask post between the first side and the intermediate layer, wherein the soldermask post extends through the first cavity region.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the adhesive material forms a gasket portion of the intermediate layer, the gasket portion in direct contact with both the first side and the second side.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first panel comprises an iris panel of the laminate and wherein the second panel comprises a patch panel of the laminate.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein forming the laminate includes infusing the liquid crystal material into the first interstices after the adhesive material is disposed in the second interstices.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

positioning soldermask posts between the first panel and the second panel, wherein the forming the laminate includes adhering the membrane to a location between the soldermask posts.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein adhering the membrane to the location between the soldermask posts includes adhering the membrane adjacent to the soldermask posts.

20. A tunable resonator device comprising:

a first panel;

a second panel; and

an intermediate layer disposed between the first panel and the second panel, the intermediate layer including;

a liquid crystal channel including a first portion of a membrane and a liquid crystal material disposed in first interstices of the first portion;

a channel boundary portion adjacent to the liquid crystal channel, the channel boundary portion including a second portion of the membrane and an adhesive material disposed in second interstices of the second portion

a first spacer disposed between the membrane and the first panel; and

a second spacer disposed between the membrane and the second panel, wherein the liquid crystal channel is suspended by the spacers between the first panel and the second panel.

21. The tunable resonator device of claim 20, wherein the first panel comprises an iris panel and wherein the second panel comprises a patch panel.

22. The tunable resonator device of claim 20, wherein the membrane comprises expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.

23. The tunable resonator device of claim 20, further comprising:

soldermask posts disposed between the first panel and the second panel, wherein the microporous membrane is located between the soldermask posts.