PLASTIC WAVEGUIDE-FED HORN ANTENNA

• US 20100214185A1
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Lin, Liwei, Sammoura, Firas
• Application Number:
  US12/513,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20100214185A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/776
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/44 Aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/56 of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/0225 of non-circular cross-section H01Q13/0216 takes precedence

Abstract

A plastic, waveguide-fed, horn antenna is manufactured using a three-dimensional (3D), polymeric micro hot embossing process. Two cavity resonators may be designed to reduce the impedance mismatch between the pyramidal horn antenna and the feeding waveguide. The waveguide-fed antenna may be fabricated using a self-aligned 3D plastic hot embossing process followed by a selective electroplating and sealing process to coat an approximately 8 μm-thick gold layer around the internal surfaces of the system. As such, this plastic, low-cost manufacturing process may be used to replace the expensive metallic components for millimeter-wave systems and provides a scalable and integrated process for manufacturing an array of antenna.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a waveguide-fed horn antenna using a three-dimensional, polymeric molding process, comprising:

pressing an upper mold piece and a lower mold piece together to form a plastic work piece with a horn pattern and a waveguide pattern;

depositing an electroplating seed layer onto the molded plastic work piece;

surrounding the embossed plastic work piece with a substrate having an electroplating seed layer; and

electroplating and sealing at least a portion of the molded plastic work piece and the substrate to deposit a metallic layer thereon and connect the plastic work piece with the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing cavity resonators in the antenna to reduce impedance mismatch between the horn pattern and the waveguide pattern.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing two cavity resonators in the antenna to reduce impedance mismatch between the horn pattern and the waveguide pattern.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising aligning the upper and lower mold pieces using a key and slot arrangement.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymeric molding process is hot embossing or injection molding.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing an electroplating seed layer comprises sputtering a seed layer.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein sputtering a seed layer comprises sputtering a 200 Å

/6000 Å

of Cr/Pt.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising fabricating a flange adaptor and press fitting the adaptor at the waveguide end.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the metallic layer is gold.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is aluminum.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a plastic material.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the horn pattern comprises a pyramidal shape.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the waveguide pattern comprises a rectangular shape.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the plastic work piece comprises Topas COC polymer.

15. A waveguide-fed, horn antenna, comprising:

a plastic body having a horn pattern and a waveguide pattern therein; and

a metallic layer deposited on at least a portion of the plastic body.

16. The antenna of claim 15 further comprising two cavity resonators for reducing impedance mismatch between the horn pattern and the waveguide pattern.

17. The antenna of claim 15 further comprising a flange adaptor press fitted at an end of the waveguide pattern.

18. The antenna of claim 15 wherein the plastic body comprises Topas COC polymer.

19. A method for manufacturing a waveguide-fed horn antenna using a three-dimensional, polymeric molding process, comprising:

pressing an upper mold piece and a lower mold piece together to make an embossed plastic work piece with a horn pattern and a waveguide pattern;

depositing a metal layer onto the embossed plastic work piece;

surrounding the embossed plastic work piece with a second substrate having a metal layer on the surface; and

sealing at least a portion of the embossed plastic work piece with the second substrate to connect two pieces.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising providing two cavity resonators in the antenna to reduce impedance mismatch between the horn pattern and the waveguide pattern.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the second substrate is made of plastic material.

22. A method for manufacturing a waveguide-fed horn antenna array using a three-dimensional, polymeric molding process, comprising:

pressing an upper mold piece and a lower mold piece together to hot emboss a plastic work piece with a horn pattern array and a waveguide network pattern;

depositing a metal layer onto the embossed plastic work piece;

surrounding the embossed plastic work piece with a substrate having a metal layer on the surface thereof;

sealing at least a portion of the molded plastic work piece with the substrate to connect the work piece with the substrate; and

providing cavity resonators in each of the antenna to waveguide connections to reduce impedance mismatch between the horn pattern and the waveguide pattern.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the second substrate is made of plastic material.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein all manufactured antennas in the antenna array are of the same shape and size.

25. A waveguide-fed, horn antenna array, comprising:

a plastic body having a horn pattern array and a waveguide network pattern therein; and

a metallic layer deposited on at least a portion of the system.

26. The horn antenna array of claim 25 wherein the antenna is a W-band antenna.

27. The horn antenna array of claim 25 wherein all antennas in the antenna array comprise same shape and size.

28. The horn antenna array of claim 25 wherein the waveguide network pattern is a part of an array of network patterns, which patterns have different lengths and shapes.