Laser-induced graphene/graphite antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11095023-B2
Application number	US-202016938146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2020
Priority date	Jan 11, 2018
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to an antenna that includes a substrate and a graphene or graphite layer positioned on at least a portion of the substrate. The graphene or graphite layer includes a first zone having a first thickness along a vertical direction of the antenna and a second zone having a second thickness along the vertical direction of the antenna. The second thickness is less than the first thickness such that the second zone has a greater electrical resistance than the first zone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming an antenna extending along a longitudinal direction between a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end and along a vertical direction between a first vertical end and a second vertical end, the method comprising:
forming a substrate at least partially from a polyimide;
moving a laser along at least a portion of the substrate to form an electrically conductive graphene or graphite layer on the substrate, a parameter of the laser being indicative of a thickness of the electrically conductive graphene or graphite layer along the vertical direction; and
changing the parameter of the laser as the laser moves relative to the substrate such that the electrically conductive graphene or graphite layer includes a first zone having a first thickness along the vertical direction and a second zone having a second thickness along the vertical direction, the second thickness being less than the first thickness such that the second zone has a greater electrical resistance than the first zone.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein changing the parameter of the laser comprises at least one of changing a speed at which the laser moves relative to the substrate, changing an intensity of the laser, or changing a distance between the laser and the substrate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein changing the parameter comprises increasing the speed at which the laser moves relative to the substrate as the laser moves along the longitudinal direction from the first zone to the second zone.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein changing the parameter comprises decreasing the intensity of the laser as the laser moves along the longitudinal direction from the first zone to the second zone.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein changing the parameter comprises increasing a distance between the laser and the substrate as the laser moves relative to the substrate as the laser moves along the longitudinal direction from the first zone to the second zone.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the laser along at least the portion of the substrate comprises moving a blue laser along at least the portion of the substrate.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
encasing the substrate and the electrically conductive graphene or graphite layer with a polymeric material.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the substrate comprises forming the substrate such that the substrate defines a bow-tie shape.

Assignees

• Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Llc

Inventors

• Benza Donald W
• Harrar Karl E
• Folsom Matthew D

Classifications

• H01Q9/285 Primary

  Planar dipole (H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407) · CPC title

• H01Q1/38 Primary

  formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support {(patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface  H01Q15/142)} · CPC title

• H01Q1/368

  using carbon or carbon composite · CPC title