Randomized circular grids for low-scatter EM shielding of a sensor window

• US 8,361,540 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2009
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Jones, Michael I., Hines, Leslie D.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRINH, MINH N
• Application Number:
  US12/654,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20100180428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 428/156, 428/172, 428209-210, 428/426, 428430-433, 428/500, 428/913, 174/390, 359893-896, 295/921, 298/40
• US Class Current: 427/96.2
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/12 to obtain a coating with specific electrical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2038/0092 Metallizing
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/02 only coatings only including layers of metallic material
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0094 being light-transmitting, e.g. transparent, translucent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1089 of discrete laminae to single face of additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer

Abstract

A randomized elliptical grid disposed on a sensor window for electro-magnetic and/or radio-frequency shielding of sensors, and a method of applying same. Grids may be made of electrically conductive or resistive material and may include elliptical or circular shapes. The shapes are in physical contact with each-other and preferably do not contain straight lines to reduce detection artifacts caused by the coating. Grid element shape, size, orientation, and grid pattern density may be randomized or varied across a sensor window.

Claims

1. A metallization coating for a sensor window, the coating comprising:

a plurality of randomly distributed elliptical shapes arranged in a randomized elliptical grid pattern such that the elliptical shapes are physically connected to each-other as a result of direct shape-to-shape contact or overlap;

where the elliptical shapes are hollow to allow for transmission of electro-optical radiation through the sensor window; and

where pattern density, which is a ratio of shapes per unit of sensor window area, increases toward an edge of the sensor window.

2. The coating of claim 1, wherein the randomized elliptical grid pattern is made of an electrically conductive material.

3. The coating of claim 1, wherein the randomized elliptical grid pattern is made of an electrically resistive material.

4. The coating of claim 1, where each elliptical shape has a 1-2 micron deposition thickness and the elliptical shapes have an average major axis width of 10 microns.

5. The coating of claim 1, wherein the randomized elliptical grid pattern is radio-frequency (RF) resonant.

6. The coating of claim 1, where rotational orientation of at least one of the elliptical shapes with respect to the sensor window is randomized.

7. The coating of claim 1, where a size of the major and minor axes of at least one of the elliptical shapes is randomized.

8. The coating of claim 7, where at least one the elliptical shapes has major and minor axes of equal size.

9. The coating of claim 8, where the elliptical shapes are circles.

10. The coating of claim 1, where the elliptical shapes are electrically connected.

11. The coating of claim 10, where at least one of the elliptical shapes is electrically connected to a window frame encompassing the sensor window.

12. The coating of claim 10, where each of the elliptical shapes is electrically connected to at least one other elliptical shape.

13. The coating of claim 1, where the elliptical shapes are distributed on the sensor window according to a normal probability distribution.

14. The coating of claim 1, where each of the elliptical shapes is physically connected to at least one other elliptical shape.

15. The coating of claim 1, where the coating is spoke-free.

16. The coating of claim 1, where the grid pattern is a radio-frequency (RF) absorptive randomized elliptical mesh with ellipses arranged in electrically isolated RF-resonant patterns.

17. A metallization coating for a sensor window, the coating comprising:

a metallization layer including a plurality of randomly distributed elliptical shapes arranged in a randomized elliptical grid pattern such that the elliptical shapes are physically connected to each-other as a result of direct shape-to-shape contact or overlap;

a light-absorbing surface binder layer; and

a primer layer, disposed on top of the binder layer, where the primer layer improves adhesion between the metallization layer and the binder layer;

where the surface binder layer is disposed on the sensor window and the metallization layer is disposed on top of the primer layer; and

where the elliptical shapes are hollow to allow for transmission of electro-optical radiation through the sensor window.