Packaging architecture for phased arrays

• US 5,488,380 A
• Filed: 09/20/1993
• Issued: 01/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Fitzsimmons, George W., Harvey, Donn T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US08/123,086
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 342/368, 342/372, 343/700 MS, 343/824, 343/853, 343/859, 343/905, 343/906, 343/754, 343/777, 333/239, 333/24 C, 333/248, 333/254
• US Class Current: 342/368
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00

Abstract

A dipole antenna is inserted into a waveguide to couple EM energy into and out of a waveguide. The dipole antenna is printed on a substrate of a module that contains electronic components. The substrate includes a coupled coplanar strip transmission line connecting the dipole antenna to a slotline. EM energy is electromagnetically coupled between the slotline and a microstrip transmission line. The EM energy is provided to and from the hermetically sealed electronic components by the microstrip transmission line.

Claims

1. An apparatus for coupling electro-magnetic (EM) energy between a waveguide through which said EM energy propagates and an electronics unit, comprising:

a printed dipole antenna;

a coupled coplanar strip transmission line connected to said printed dipole antenna;

a slotline connected to said coupled coplanar strip transmission line, said EM energy being transferred between said waveguide and said slotline via said printed dipole antenna; and

a microstrip transmission line integral to said electronics unit and physically isolated from said slotline, said EM energy being coupled between said slotline and said microstrip transmission line,

wherein said printed dipole antenna and said electronic unit are disposed within said waveguide.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising a module containing said printed dipole antenna, said coupled coplanar strip transmission line, said slotline and said microstrip transmission line.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2 in which no physical electrical contact exists between said waveguide and said module.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said module comprises:

a substrate containing electronic elements including at least said electronics unit;

a carrier for supporting said substrate;

a lid secured to a top surface of said substrate and hermetically sealing electronic elements therein;

said substrate having an extension region on at least one end thereof, said extension region extending beyond the end of the carrier.

5. A coupling apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said printed dipole antenna and said slotline are positioned on one side of said extension region and said microstrip transmission line is positioned on an opposite side of said extension region, thereby coupling said EM energy between said waveguide and said microstrip transmission line without direct metal-to-metal contact between said waveguide and said substrate.

6. A coupling apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said microstrip transmission line is hermetically sealed by said lid and said microstrip transmission line supplies said electronic elements with said coupled EM energy.

7. A phased array antenna structure comprising:

a) a distribution network for distributing electromagnetic (EM) energy;

b) a feed honeycomb structure positioned adjacent said distribution network and connected to receive the EM energy from the distribution network;

c) a module honeycomb structure positioned adjacent said feed honeycomb structure so as to receive EM energy from said feed honeycomb structure;

d) an antenna honeycomb structure positioned adjacent said module honeycomb structure on a side opposite said feed honeycomb structure so as to receive EM energy from said module honeycomb structure;

e) each of said feed, module and antenna honeycomb structures have a plurality of aligned waveguides for transmitting EM energy therealong;

f) said module honeycomb structure including an electronic module for each waveguide, each electronic module having an electronic element for adjusting at least the phase of said EM energy and transmitting the adjusted phase EM energy to the aligned waveguide of the antenna honeycomb structure and

g) at least a first printed dipole antenna positioned on said module to couple EM energy between said waveguide and said electronic module.

8. A phased array antenna structure as recited in claim 7, further comprising a multilayer wiring circuit positioned between at least one of (1) said feed honeycomb structure and said module honeycomb structure and (2) said antenna honeycomb structure and said module honeycomb structure, for providing electrical signals to each of said electronic modules.

9. A phased array antenna structure as

recited in claim 8, wherein each of said electronic modules comprises:

a substrate for supporting said electronic element;

a carrier for supporting said substrate;

a lid secured to a top surface of said substrate and hermetically sealing the electronic element therein;

said substrate having metallization patterns thereon connected to said electronic element, and having an extension region on at least one end thereof, said extension region extending beyond the end of the carrier, said extension region including metallization patterns on the top surface thereof and vias extending from the top surface of said substrate to the bottom surface thereof in the extension region for receiving said electrical signals;

a plurality of terminals connected to the bottom surface of said substrate in the extension region thereof, said terminals connected to said vias for providing said electrical signals to the electronic element of said electronic module.

10. A phased array antenna structure as recited in claim 9, wherein said electrical signals includes power and logic signals and wherein said substrate has a first and second extension region on opposite sides of said electronic element and at least some of said metallization patterns and vias extend to said first extension region and at least others of said metallization patterns and vias extend to said second extension region, and said phased array antenna structure further comprising:

a first and second multilayer wiring circuit, said first multilayer wiring circuit positioned between said feed honeycomb structure and said module honeycomb structure and the second multilayer wiring circuit positioned between said antenna honeycomb structure and said module honeycomb structure, said first multilayer wiring circuit carrying one of said power and logic signals and the second multilayer wiring circuit carrying the other of said power and logic signals.

11. A phased array antenna structure as recited in claim 10, wherein said first extension region at least partially extends within said feed honeycomb structure and second extension region at least partially extends within said antenna honeycomb structure and wherein

said first printed dipole antenna is positioned on said first extension region for coupling said EM energy from said feed honeycomb structure to said electronic element without direct metal-to-metal contact;

and

a second printed dipole antenna is positioned on said second extension region for coupling said EM energy from said electronic element to said antenna honeycomb structure without direct metal-to-metal contact.

12. A phased array antenna structure as recited in claim 11 further comprising:

a microstrip transmission line positioned on each of a first surface of said substrate and coupled directly to said electronic element;

a slotline for each said printed dipole antenna positioned on a second surface of said substrate, said slotline coupling said EM energy between each said printed dipole antenna and said microstrip transmission line.

13. An apparatus for transferring EM energy between a waveguide and an electronics unit, comprising:

a printed dipole antenna, said printed dipole antenna and said electronics unit being inserted into said waveguide and coupling said EM energy between said waveguide and said printed dipole antenna;

a slotline directly connected to said printed dipole antenna; and

a microstrip transmission line within the electronics unit and physically isolated from said slotline, said EM energy being transferred between said waveguide and said microstrip transmission line via said printed dipole antenna.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 13 further comprising a substrate, wherein said printed dipole antenna and said slotline are printed on one side of said substrate and said microstrip transmission line is printed on an opposite side of said substrate.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 14 wherein no physical electrical connection exists between said waveguide and said substrate.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein said electronics unit further comprises electronic elements mounted on said substrate and connected to said microstrip transmission line, said electronic elements receiving said EM energy from said microstrip transmission line.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein said electronics .unit further comprises electronic elements mounted on said substrate and connected to said microstrip transmission line, said electronic elements transmitting said EM energy to said microstrip transmission line.

18. A method for transferring electromagnetic (EM) energy between a waveguide for propagating EM energy and an electronics unit including a microstrip transmission line, comprising the steps of:

disposing said electronics unit within said waveguide; and

coupling said EM energy between said waveguide and said microstrip transmission line via a printed dipole antenna, wherein said printed dipole antenna is disposed within but physically isolated from said waveguide and wherein no physical electrical connection is formed between said printed dipole antenna and said microstrip transmission line.

19. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein said coupling step further comprises the step of coupling said EM energy between a slotline having a physical electrical connection to said printed dipole antenna and said microstrip transmission line, wherein no physical electrical connection is formed between said microstrip transmission line and said slotline.