METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FOLDED, ROUGH, AND/OR FRACTAL CAPACITORS

• US 20170047167A1
• Filed: 11/01/2016
• Published: 02/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fractal Antenna Systems Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fractal Antenna Systems Inc.
• Inventors: SALKIND, Philip, COHEN, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US15/340,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20170047167A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/008 Selection of materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/01 Form of self-supporting electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/018 Dielectrics
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/33 Thin- or thick-film capacitors thin- or thick-film circuits H01L27/00; capacitors without a potential-jump or surface barrier specially adapted for integrated circuits, details thereof, multistep manufacturing processes therefor H01L28/40

Abstract

Novel capacitors that have volumetric components that incorporate one or more folds and/or bends and/or have self-similar structures are disclosed. The components may have surfaces that are fractal in finite iterations for at least a portion of the component; moreover, the components (e.g., opposing capacitive elements) may be self-complementary to one another such that one component is self-complementary to another component in a given capacitor. Methods of using 3D printers to make such capacitors and capacitive components are also described.

Claims

1. A fractal capacitor comprising:

a first capacitive element having a surface including a first self-similar structure for at least part of the element, wherein the first self-similar structure includes a first fractal feature, and wherein the first self-similar structure includes a surface with one or more folds;

a second capacitive element having a surface including a second self-similar structure for at least part of the element, wherein the second self-similar structure includes a second fractal feature; and

a dielectric material disposed between the first and second capacitive elements; and

wherein the first self-similar structure and the second self-similar structure are each self-complementary.

2. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the first self-similar structure includes one or more bends.

3. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the first fractal feature comprises a pattern of rectangular prisms repeated at multiple different scales.

4. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the first fractal feature comprises a Sierpinski carpet.

5. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the first fractal feature comprises a Menger sponge.

6. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the first fractal feature comprises a logarithmic spiral based pattern.

7. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the second fractal feature comprises a pattern of rectangular prisms repeated at multiple different scales.

8. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the second fractal feature comprises a Sierpinski carpet.

9. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the second fractal feature comprises a Menger sponge.

10. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the second fractal feature comprises a logarithmic spiral based pattern.