Miniature RF and microwave components and methods for fabricating such components

• US 7,830,228 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microfabrica Incorporated (Technoprobe S.P.A.)
• Original Assignee: Microfabrica Incorporated (Technoprobe S.P.A.)
• Inventors: Lockard, Michael S., Brown, Elliot R., Smalley, Dennis R., Cohen, Adam L., Bang, Christopher A., Evans, John D., Grosser, Morton
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal; Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Glenn; Kimberly E
• Application Number:
  US11/842,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20080246558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 333/160, 333/206, 333/208, 333/236, 333/242, 333/243, 333/244
• US Class Current: 333/160
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/042 Micromirrors, not used as optical switches
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 1/003 3D structures, e.g. superposed patterned layers
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/202 Coaxial filters cascaded coaxial cavities H01P1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing waveguides or resonators, lines, or other devices of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/005 Manufacturing coaxial lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/007 Manufacturing frequency-selective devices resonators H01P11/008
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/06 Coaxial lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/183 at least one of the guides being a coaxial line
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4647 by applying an insulating layer around previously made via studs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

RF and microwave radiation directing or controlling components are provided that may be monolithic, that may be formed from a plurality of electrodeposition operations and/or from a plurality of deposited layers of material, that may include switches, inductors, antennae, transmission lines, filters, and/or other active or passive components. Components may include non-radiation-entry and non-radiation-exit channels that are useful in separating sacrificial materials from structural materials. Preferred formation processes use electrochemical fabrication techniques (e.g. including selective depositions, bulk depositions, etching operations and planarization operations) and post-deposition processes (e.g. selective etching operations and/or back filling operations).

Claims

1. A component that preferentially passes electromagnetic radiation in a desired frequency band, comprising:

a. at least one radiation entry port in a conductive structure;

b. at least one radiation exit port in the conductive structure;

c. at least one passage, substantially bounded by the conductive structure, through which radiation passes when traveling from the at least one entry port to the at least one exit port;

d. a central conductor extending along the at least one passage from the at least one entry port to the at least one exit port; and

e. at least one conductive spoke extending between the central conductor and the conductive structure at each of a plurality of locations where successive locations along a length of the at least one passage are spaced by approximately one-half of a propagation wavelength, or an integral multiple thereof, within the at least one passage for a frequency to be passed by the component,

wherein a conditions selected from the group consisting of the following conditions is met (1) the central conductor, the conductive structure, and the conductive spokes are monolithic, (2) a cross-sectional dimension of the at least one passage perpendicular to a propagation direction of radiation along the at least one passage is less than about 1 mm;

(3) a cross-sectional dimension of the at least one passage perpendicular to a propagation direction of radiation along the at least one passage is less than about 0.5 mm, (4) a cross-sectional dimension of the at least one passage perpendicular to a propagation direction of radiation along the at least one passage is less than about 0.25 mm, (5) more than about 50% of the at least one passage is filled with a gaseous medium, (6) more preferably more than about 70% of the at least one passage is filled with a gaseous medium, (7) more than about 90% of the at least one passage is filled with a gaseous medium, (8) at least a portion of the component is formed by an electrodeposition process, (9) at least a portion of the component is formed from a plurality of successively deposited layers, (10) the at least one passage extends along a two-dimensional non-linear path, (11) the at least one passage comprises at least one curved region and a side wall of the at least one passage in the curved region has a nominally smaller radius than an opposite side of the at least one passage in the curved region and is provided with a plurality of surface oscillations having smaller radii, (12) the conductive structure is provided with a channels located at a location along a surface of the conductive structure where an electric field of the radiation is less than about 20% of a maximum value of the electric field of the radiation within the at least one passage, (13) the conductive structure is provided with a channel positioned at a location where the electrical field is less than 10% of a maximum value of the electric field within the at least one passage, (14) the conductive structure is provided with a channel positioned at a location where an electrical field of the radiation is less than 5% of a maximum value of the electric field of the radiation within the at least one passage, and (15) the conductive structure is provided with a channel positioned at a location where an electrical field of the radiation is approximately zero, (165)—

the conductive structure is provided with a patches of a different conductive material at a location where an electric field of the radiation is less than about 20% of a maximum value of the electric field of the radiation within the at least one passage;

(17) the conductive structure is provided with a patch of a different conductive material at a location where an electrical field of the radiation is less than about 10% of a maximum value of the electric field of the radiation within the at least one passage, (18) the conductive structure is provided with a patch of a different conductive material at a location where an electrical field of the radiation is less than about 5% of a maximum value of the electric field of the radiation within the at least one passage, (19) the conductive structure is provided with a patch of a different conductive material at a location where an electrical field of the radiation is approximately zero, (20) the at least one passage comprises a plurality of segments that meet at junctions having angles between 60° and

120°

wherein at least a portion of the junctions have mitered corners (21) the conductive spokes are spaced at an integral multiple of one-half the wavelength and bulges on the central conductor extend into the at least one passage at one or more locations spaced from the conductive spokes by an integral multiple of approximately one-half the wavelength; and

(22) the conductive spokes are spaced at an integral multiple of one-half the wavelength and bulges extending from the conductive structure extend into the at least one passage at one or more locations spaced from the conductive spokes by an integral multiple of approximately one-half the wavelength.

2. The component of claim 1 wherein condition one (1) is met and at least one other condition is met.

3. The component of claim 1 wherein condition two (2) is met and at least one other condition is met.

4. The component of claim 1 wherein condition five (5) is met and at least one other condition is met.

5. The component of claim 1 wherein condition eight (8) is met and at least one other condition is met.

6. The component of claim 1 wherein condition nine (9) is met and at least one other condition is met.

7. The component of claim 1 wherein condition ten (10) is met and at least one other condition is met.

8. The component of claim 1 wherein condition eleven (11) is met and at least one other condition is met.

9. The component of claim 1 wherein condition twelve (12) is met and at least one other condition is met.

10. The component of claim 1 wherein condition sixteen (16) is met and at least one other condition is met.

11. The component of claim 1 wherein condition twenty (20) is met and at least one other condition is met.

12. The component of claim 1 wherein condition twenty-one (21) is met and at least one other condition is met.

13. The component of claim 1 wherein the at least one passage is substantially filled with a solid dielectric material.

14. A coaxial component that preferentially passes a radiation in a desired electromagnetic frequency band, comprising:

a. at least one radiation entry port in a conductive structure;

b. at least one radiation exit port in the conductive structure;

c. at least one passage, substantially bounded by the conductive structure, through which radiation passes when traveling from the at least one entry port to the at least one exit port;

d. a central conductor extending along the at least one passage from the at least one entry port to the at least one exit port; and

e. at least one conductive spoke extending between the central conductor and the conductive structure at each of a plurality of locations where successive locations along a length of the at least one passage are spaced by approximately one-half of a propagation wavelength, or an integral multiple thereof, within the at least one passage for the desired electromagnetic frequency band to be passed by the component,

wherein the desired electromagnetic frequency band is centered at greater than about 2 GHz.

15. The component of claim 14 wherein the desired electromagnetic frequency band is centered at greater than about 10 GHz.

16. The component of claim 14 wherein the desired electromagnetic frequency band is centered at greater than about 20 GHz.

17. A coaxial component that preferentially passes electromagnetic radiation in a desired frequency band, comprising:

a. at least one radiation entry port in a conductive structure;

b. at least one radiation exit port in the conductive structure;

c. at least one passage, substantially bounded by the conductive structure, through which radiation passes when traveling from the at least one entry port to the at least one exit port;

d. a central conductor extending along the at least one passage from the at least one entry port to the at least one exit port; and

e. at least one conductive spoke extending between the central conductor and the conductive structure at each of a plurality of locations where successive locations along a length of the at least one passage are spaced by approximately one-half of a propagation wavelength, or an integral multiple thereof, within the at least one passage for a frequency to be passed by the component,

wherein the at least one spoke comprises at least three sets of two spokes.

18. The component of claim 17 wherein the at least one spoke comprises at least four sets of two spokes.

19. The component of claim 17 wherein the at least one spoke comprises at least five sets of two spokes.