Nanostructured tunable antennas for communication devices

• US 7,501,985 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lempkowski, Robert B., Qian, Zhengfang
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; HoangAnh T
• Application Number:
  US11/344,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20070176832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/909, 343/702
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/368 using carbon or carbon composite
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0075 Stripline fed arrays H01Q21/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00

Abstract

An apparatus (10, 30, 40, 50) is provided that relates to nanotubes as radiation elements for antennas and phased arrays, and more particularly to a macro-sized RF antenna for mobile devices. The antenna comprises a plurality of nanostructures (16), e.g., carbon nanotubes, forming an antenna structure on a substrate (12), and a radio frequency signal apparatus formed within the substrate (12) and coupled to the plurality of nanostructures (16). The radiation element length of a nested multiwall nanotube (161) of an exemplary embodiment may be tuned to a desirable frequency by an electromagnetic force (163).

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

a substrate comprising a material;

a plurality of nanostructures forming an antenna structure on the substrate, the nanostructures selected from one of the group consisting of nanotubes, nanowires, nanorods, and nanobelts; and

a radio frequency signal apparatus comprising a dielectric waveguide formed within the substrate, a coupling between the radio frequency signal apparatus and the plurality of nanostructures consisting of electromagnetic waves-through the material of the substrate.

2. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the nanostructures are randomly positioned on the substrate.

3. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the nanostructures are uniformly positioned on the substrate.

4. The portable communication device of claim 1 wherein the antenna structure comprises a length capable of receiving a waveform having a wavelength of between 0.5 centimeter to 2.0 centimeters.

5. The portable communication device of claim 1 wherein the antenna structure comprises a length capable of receiving a waveform having a wavelength of between 0.5 millimeter to 0.5 centimeter.

6. The portable communication device of claim 1 wherein the antenna structure comprises a length capable of receiving a waveform having a wavelength of between 1.0 nanometer to 0.5 millimeters.

7. The antenna of claim 1 wherein the plurality of nanostructures comprise a phased array.

8. A portable communication device comprising:

a user interface;

receiver circuitry;

a controller coupled between the user interface and the receiver circuitry; and

an antenna coupled to the receiver circuitry, the antenna comprising;

a substrate;

a plurality of nanostructures formed as an antenna structure on the substrate, the nanostructures selected from one of the group consisting of nanotubes, nanowires, nanorods, and nanobelts; and

electronic apparatus comprising a dielectric waveguide formed within the substrate and coupled to the plurality of nanostructures consisting of electromagnetic waves through the material of the substrate.

9. The antenna of claim 8 wherein the nanostructures are randomly positioned on the substrate.

10. The antenna of claim 8 wherein the nanostructures are uniformly positioned on the substrate.

11. The portable communication device of claim 8 wherein the antenna structure comprises a length capable of receiving a waveform having a wavelength of between 0.5 centimeter to 2.0 centimeters.

12. The portable communication device of claim 8 wherein the antenna structure comprises a length capable of receiving a waveform having a wavelength of between 0.5 millimeter to 0.5 centimeter.

13. The portable communication device of claim 8 wherein the antenna structure comprises a length capable of receiving a waveform having a wavelength of between 1.0 nanometer to 0.5 millimeter.

14. A method of tuning an antenna having a substrate, a plurality of nested multiwall nanotubes forming an antenna structure on the substrate and having at least one inner wall, and a radio frequency signal apparatus formed within the substrate, a coupling between the radio frequency signal apparatus and the plurality of nested multiwall nanostructures consisting of electromagnetic waves through the substrate, the method comprising:

applying an electromagnetic force to the nested multiwall nanostructures; and

displacing the at least one inner wall.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the radio frequency signal apparatus comprises one of a ground plane, a transmission line, one or more MEMS-tuned electromagnetic bandgap structures, a dielectric waveguide.