Dielectric waveguide comprised of a core, a cladding surrounding the core and cylindrical shape conductive rings surrounding the cladding

• US 9,472,840 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Herbsommer, Juan Alejandro, Haroun, Baher
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benny
• Application Number:
  US14/285,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20140368301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 333/239
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/122 Dielectric loaded (not air)
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor

Abstract

A dielectric waveguide (DWG) has a dielectric core member that has a length L and an oblong cross section. The core member has a first dielectric constant value. A dielectric cladding surrounds the dielectric core member; the cladding has a second dielectric constant value that is lower than the first dielectric constant. A conductive shield layer surrounds a portion of the dielectric cladding.

Claims

1. A dielectric waveguide (DWG) comprising:

a dielectric core member having a length L and an oblong cross section shape, the core member having a first dielectric constant value;

a dielectric cladding surrounding the core member, the cladding having a second dielectric constant value that is lower than the first dielectric constant value; and

a first conductive layer formed of separate, cylindrical shaped rings surrounding the cladding, the rings being spaced apart by a distance that is less than approximately one wavelength of a target signal.

2. The DWG of claim 1 in which the target signal has a frequency in a range of 100-200 GHz, the cladding material has a dielectric constant value of three, and the spacing between rings is less than approximately 1 mm.

3. The DWG of claim 1, wherein the DWG is comprised within an electronic system, wherein the system further comprises:

a first component coupled to a first end of the DWG; and

a second component coupled to an opposite end of the DWG.

4. The DWG of claim 1 in which the core member has a rectangular cross section shape and the cladding has a round cross section shape.

5. The DWG of claim 1 in which the cladding has a cross section shape different from the cross section shape of the core member.

6. The DWG of claim 1 in which the first conductive layer includes a sputtered coating.

7. The DWG of claim 1 in which the first conductive layer includes an evaporated layer of conductive material.

8. The DWG of claim 1 in which the first conductive layer includes a conductive paint.

9. The DWG of claim 1 in which the first conductive layer includes a metallic foil.

10. The DWG of claim 1 in which the core member is made of high density polyethylene and the cladding is made of polypropylene.

11. The DWG of claim 1, further comprising a connector attached to an end of the DWG, wherein the conductive layer is conductively isolated from the connector.

12. The DWG of claim 1 in which the conductive layer has a thickness of less than 1 μ

m.

13. The DWG of claim 1, wherein the oblong cross section of the dielectric core member has an aspect ratio of approximately 1:

2.

14. The DWG of claim 1 including a connector on each end of the DWG.