THREE DIMENSIONAL SELF-FOLDED MICROANTENNA

• US 20140320378A1
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Johns Hopkins University, University of Minho
• Original Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Inventors: Gracias, David H., Gultepe, Evin, Mendes, Paulo Mateus, Anacleto, Pedro Alexandre Marques
• Application Number:
  US13/874,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20140320378A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/893
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/045 specially adapted for treatment inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/364 using a particular conducting material, e.g. superconductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/00 Antenna arrays or systems arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system H01Q3/00

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) devices that can receive, harvest or transmit electromagnetic energy with increased efficiency as compared to planar, two-dimensional devices, and methods of making thereof, are disclosed.

Claims

1. An antenna structure comprising a plurality of interconnected two-dimensional metallic or semiconducting elements self-folded around a sub-millimeter scale dielectric polyhedron or sub-millimeter scale particle.

2. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interconnected two-dimensional metallic or semiconducting elements comprise a folding hinge between two adjacent metallic or semiconducting elements and optionally a locking hinge on an edge of a metallic or semiconducting element, wherein the folding hinge comprises one or more of the materials selected from the group consisting of a liquefiable or coalescing material, a thin film, a residually stressed bilayer, a thermally stressed bilayer, a stimuli responsive material, a polymer bilayer, and a polymer gradient.

3. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interconnected two-dimensional metallic or semiconducting elements are built on a dielectric element which can curve or self-fold due to the stress gradient or differential stress over the whole structure.

4. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the interconnected metallic elements comprise a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, nickel, copper, gold, and silver.

5. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the interconnected semiconducting elements comprise a semiconductor selected from the group consisting of silicon, gallium arsenide, germanium, and indium arsenide.

6. The antenna structure of claim 4, wherein the interconnected metallic elements are coated with a material selected from the group consisting of a metal, a polymer, a dielectric material, and combinations thereof.

7. The antenna structure of claim 6, wherein the dielectric material is selected from the group consisting of a dielectric gas, a dielectric polymer, and an inorganic dielectric material.

8. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the antenna structure is capable of harvesting electromagnetic energy from an electromagnetic energy source.

9. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the antenna structure is capable of operating in the radio, microwave, infrared and optical regions of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths from about 6 mm to about 100 nm.

10. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the antenna structure is isotropic or substantially isotropic.

11. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the antenna structure has a low directional dependence.

12. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the interconnected metallic or semiconducting elements comprise a two-dimensional geometry selected from the group consisting of a square, a rectangle, a triangle, a circle, and parts and combinations thereof.

13. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein varying one or more materials, dimensions and/or geometry of the antenna structure allows varying one or more electrical characteristics of the antenna.

14. An implantable medical device comprising an antenna structure of claim 1.

15. An electronic device comprising an antenna structure of claim 1.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the electronic device comprises a conductivity sensor.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the electronic device comprises an electromagnetic filter.

18. The antenna structure of claim 1, further comprising a rectifier system, wherein the antenna structure is capable of acting as a rectenna.

19. An array comprising a plurality of antenna structures of claim 1.

20. The array of claim 19, wherein the array comprises a metamaterial.