Miniature RF and microwave components and methods for fabricating such components

• US 9,614,266 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microfabrica Incorporated (Technoprobe S.P.A.)
• Original Assignee: Microfabrica Incorporated (Technoprobe S.P.A.)
• Inventors: Brown, Elliott R., Evans, John D., Bang, Christopher A., Cohen, Adam L., Lockard, Michael S., Smalley, Dennis R., Grosser, Morton
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): GLENN, KIMBERLY E
• Application Number:
  US14/675,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20150311575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 333243, 333244, 333238
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 1/003 3D structures, e.g. superposed patterned layers
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/022 using masking means
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/10 Electroplating with more than one layer of the same or of different metals for bearings C25D7/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/06 Coaxial lines

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, hybrid couplers, antenna arrays 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 coaxial waveguide, comprising:

a center conductor;

an outer conductor comprising one or more walls, spaced apart from and disposed around the center conductor;

one or more dielectric support members for supporting the center conductor in contact with the center conductor and partially embedded within the outer conductor; and

a core volume between the center conductor and the outer conductor, wherein the core volume is under vacuum or in a gas state.

2. The waveguide of claim 1 additionally comprising a substrate to which the outer conductor connects.

3. The waveguide of claim 1 wherein the outer conductor comprises a plurality of stacked layers.

4. The waveguide of claim 3 wherein the stacked layers are planar layers.

5. The waveguide of claim 1 wherein the outer conductor further comprises a conductive base to which the walls connect and wherein the conductive base is located below the central conductor.

6. The waveguide of claim 1 wherein the outer conductor further comprises a conductor top to which connect to the walls and wherein the conductive top is located above the central conductor.

7. The waveguide of claim 1 wherein the waveguide comprises a plurality of stacked levels located one above the other.

8. The waveguide of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more dielectric support members extends only from one side of the outer conductor to the central conductor but not to an opposite side of the outer conductor.

9. The waveguide of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more dielectric support members extends from one side of the outer conductor to contact the central conductor and continues to an opposing side of the outer conductor.

10. The waveguide of claim 1 wherein at least one of the central conductor or the outer conductor comprise a coating material located over a core material.

11. The waveguide of claim 1 wherein the coaxial element has a general rectangular configuration in a plane perpendicular to a local axis of the coaxial waveguide.

12. The waveguide of claim 1 functionally coupled to an active electronic device.

13. The microstructure of claim 1 additionally comprising at least one conductive spoke extending between the central conductor and the outer conductor conductive structure at each of a plurality of locations where successive locations along the length of the passage are spaced by approximately one-half of a propagation wavelength, or an integral multiple thereof, within the passage for a frequency to be passed by the component,

wherein one or more of the following conditions are met (1) the central conductor, the conductive structure, and the conductive spokes are monolithic, (2) a cross-sectional dimension of the passage perpendicular to a propagation direction of the radiation along the passage is less than about 1 mm, more preferably less than about 0.5 mm, and most preferably less than about 0.25 mm, (3) more than about 50% of the passage is filled with a gaseous medium, more preferably more than about 70% of the passage is filled with a gaseous medium, and most preferably more than about 90% of the passage is filled with a gaseous medium, (4) at least a portion of the conductive portions of the component are formed by an electrodeposition process, (5) at least a portion of the conductive portions of the component are formed from a plurality of successively deposited layers, (6) at least a portion of the passage has a generally rectangular shape, (7) at least a portion of the central conductor has a generally rectangular shape, (8) the passage extends along a two-dimensional non-linear path, (9) the passage extends along a three-dimensional path, (10) the passage comprises at least one curved region and a side wall of the passage in the curved region has a nominally smaller radius than an opposite side of the passage in the curved region and is provided with a plurality of surface oscillations having smaller radii, (11) the conductive structure is provided with channels at one or more locations where the electrical field at a surface of the conductive structure, if it were there, would have been less than about 20% of its maximum value within the passage, more preferably less than 10% of its maximum value within the passage, even more preferably less than 5% of its maximum value within the passage, and most preferably where the electrical field would have been approximately zero, (12) the conductive structure is provided with patches of a different conductive material at one or more locations where the electrical field at the surface of the conductive structure, if it were there, would have been less than about 20% of its maximum value within the passage more preferably less than about 10% of its maximum value within the passage, even more preferably less than about 5% of its maximum value within the passage, and most preferably where the electrical field would have been approximately zero, (13) mitered corners are used at least some junctions for segments of the passage that meet at angles between 60°

and 120°

, and/or (14) the conductive spokes are spaced at an integral multiple of one-half the wavelength and bulges on the central conductor or bulges extending from the conductive structure extend into the passage at one or more locations spaced from the conductive spokes by an integral multiple of approximately one-half the wavelength.

14. A three-dimensional microstructure formed by a sequential build process, comprising:

a first microstructural element formed of a first material; and

a second microstructural element formed of a second material different from the first material;

a third microstructural element formed of a third material that is different from the second material;

wherein the second microstructural element comprises an anchoring portion embedded in the first microstructural element and contacting the third microstructural element for mechanically locking the first microstructural element to third microstructural element via the second microstructural element.

15. The microstructure of claim 14 wherein the anchoring portion includes a change in cross-section.

16. The microstructure of claim 14 wherein the second microstructural element comprises a dielectric while the first and third microstructural elements comprise conductors.

17. The microstructure of claim 14 configured to functions a coaxial microwave or RF component.

18. The microstructure of claim 14 wherein one of the first-third microstructural elements contains a patterned locking portion that mechanically locks the respective element to another of the first or third elements.

19. The microstructure of claim 18 wherein the patterned locking portion comprises an opening through at least one of the first to third elements.

20. A three-dimensional microstructure formed by a sequential build process, comprising:

a first microstructural element formed of a first material; and

a second microstructural element formed of a second material different from the first material;

wherein the first or second microstructural element comprises an anchoring portion embedded in the other of the first or second microstructural element for mechanically locking the first microstructural element to the second microstructural element, wherein the anchoring portion includes a change in cross-section so as to provide locking.