Millimeter wave phased array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11569574-B2
Application number	US-201916418231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2019
Priority date	May 22, 2018
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

A wave phased array is manufactured using additive manufacturing technology (AMT). The wave phased array includes a radiator, a radiator dilation layer supporting the radiator, a beamformer supporting the radiator dilation layer, a beamformer dilation layer supporting the beamformer, and a substrate support layer supporting the beamformer dilation layer. At least one of the radiator, the radiator dilation layer, the beamformer, the beamformer dilation layer and the substrate support layer is fabricated at least in part by an AMT process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wave phased array manufactured using additive manufacturing technology (AMT), the wave phased array comprising:
a radiator including a spiral antenna;
a radiator dilation layer supporting the radiator;
a beamformer supporting the radiator dilation layer;
a beamformer dilation layer supporting the beamformer; and
a substrate support layer supporting the beamformer dilation layer,
wherein at least one of the radiator, the radiator dilation layer, the beamformer, the beamformer dilation layer and the substrate support layer is fabricated by an AMT process, and
wherein the radiator further includes a vertical launch surrounding feed lines for the spiral antenna and Faraday walls disposed around the feed lines and the vertical launch.

2. The wave phased array of claim 1 , wherein the wave phased array is configured to produce an electromagnetic signal having a frequency in the range of 24 GHz to 75 GHz.

3. The wave phased array of claim 1 , wherein the wave phased array is configured to produce an electromagnetic signal having a frequency of approximately 30 GHz.

4. The wave phased array of claim 1 , wherein the radiator has a thickness of approximately 97 mils.

5. The wave phased array of claim 4 , wherein the radiator dilation layer has a thickness of approximately 23 mils.

6. The wave phased array of claim 5 , wherein the beamformer has a thickness of approximately 52 mils.

7. The wave phased array of claim 6 , wherein the substrate support layer embodies chips and DC logic and has a thickness of approximately 6 mils.

8. The wave phased array of claim 1 , wherein the wave phase array has a total thickness of approximately 177 mils.

9. An AMT process for fabricating the wave phased array of claim 1 including a radiator, a radiator dilation layer supporting the radiator, a beamformer supporting the radiator dilation layer, a beamformer dilation layer supporting the beamformer, and a substrate support layer supporting the beamformer dilation layer.

10. The process of claim 9 , wherein process steps include at least one of the following: milling; conductive ink deposition; and lamination under CAD control.

11. The process of claim 9 , wherein the wave phased array is configured to produce an electromagnetic signal having a frequency in the range of 24 GHz to 75 GHz.

12. The process of claim 9 , wherein the wave phased array is configured to produce an electromagnetic signal having a frequency of approximately 30 GHz.

13. The process of claim 9 , wherein the radiator has a thickness of approximately 97 mils.

14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the radiator dilation layer has a thickness of approximately 23 mils.

15. The process of claim 14 , wherein the beamformer has a thickness of approximately 52 mils.

16. The process of claim 15 , wherein the substrate support layer embodies chips and DC logic and has a thickness of approximately 6 mils.

17. The wave phased array of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the radiator, the radiator dilation layer, the beamformer, the beamformer dilation layer and the substrate is created by removing material by milling to create a void and depositing conductive ink to fill the void.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Benedict James E
• Haven John P
• Adams Peter J
• Sikina Thomas V

Classifications

• H01Q1/36

  Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; {Particular materials used therewith}(H01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence) · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• H01L23/60

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01Q3/26 Primary

  varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture ({H01Q3/12,} H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence) · CPC title