Antenna window and antenna pattern for electronic devices and methods of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016149298-A1
Application number	US-201514945335-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 18, 2015
Priority date	Jun 7, 2013
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A housing for an electronic device, including an aluminum layer enclosing a volume that includes a radio-frequency (RF) antenna is provided. The housing includes a window aligned with the RF antenna; the window including a non-conductive material filling a cavity in the aluminum layer; and a thin aluminum oxide layer adjacent to the aluminum layer and to the non-conductive material; wherein the non-conductive material and the thin aluminum oxide layer form an RF-transparent path through the window. A housing for an electronic device including an integrated RF-antenna is also provided. A method of manufacturing a housing for an electronic device as described above is provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device, comprising:
a radio-frequency (RF) antenna; and an outer housing enclosing a volume that includes the RF antenna therein, the outer housing including:
a metal layer having a gap formed therein, wherein the gap is aligned with the RF antenna,
a non-conductive material filling the gap in the metal layer, and
a metal oxide layer adjacent to the metal layer and to the non-conductive material, wherein the non-conductive material and the metal oxide layer form a RF-transparent path for the RF antenna.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the entire non-conductive material filling the gap is a metal oxide.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the metal layer includes a plurality of micro-perforations.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein one or more of the plurality of micro-perforations provide an RF-transparent path for the RF antenna.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the gap extends through an entire thickness of the metal layer.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the metal is aluminum and the metal oxide is aluminum oxide.

7 . A method of manufacturing an electronic device, the method comprising:
forming an exterior aluminum oxide layer at an exterior surface of an outer housing for the electronic device, wherein the outer housing includes an aluminum layer; removing a portion of the aluminum layer beneath the aluminum oxide layer to form a gap in the aluminum layer; and filling the gap with a non-conductive material to create a window in the outer housing, the window including the non-conductive material and the exterior aluminum oxide layer portion adjacent thereto, wherein the window allows transmission of substantially all radio-frequency (RF) radiation therethrough.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the removing and the filling include performing an anodization process to form aluminum oxide as the non-conductive material.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the performing includes masking a portion of an interior surface of the aluminum layer and forming an aluminum oxide layer thicker than about 50 m at an unmasked portion of the interior surface.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the removing and the filling include forming a sapphire layer as the non-conductive material.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the forming includes masking a portion of an interior surface of the aluminum layer and performing a Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) at an unmasked portion of the interior surface.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the filling includes using a supporting material selected from the group consisting of a plastic, a thermosetting polymer, and a resin.

13 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the removing includes machining the aluminum layer, etching away the aluminum layer, or both.

14 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the removing includes forming micro-perforations in an interior side of the aluminum layer to establish thin wall sections that allow substantially all of the aluminum at the thin wall sections to be anodized.

15 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
forming an electrically conducting path configured as one or more RF antennas in the aluminum layer.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the removing includes separating a first segment and a second segment of the electrically conducting path configured as the one or more RF antennas.

17 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
depositing the aluminum layer on a side of the outer housing by performing a process selected from the group consisting of physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, ion vapor deposition, cathodic arc deposition, and plasma spray deposition.

18 . A method of forming a radio-frequency (RF) transparent window in an aluminum housing for an electronic device, the method comprising:
inserting an RF transparent material into a gap in the aluminum housing; forming a thin aluminum layer on an exterior surface of the aluminum housing and the RF transparent material; and anodizing the thin aluminum layer to form an aluminum oxide layer adjacent to the RF transparent material in the gap to create a window thereby, wherein the window allows transmission of substantially all radio-frequency (RF) radiation therethrough.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
forming an interior support layer on an inside surface of the aluminum housing.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the forming an interior support layer includes forming a layer of a material selected from the group consisting of fiberglass, glass, ceramics, and plastics.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Ely Colin M
• Prest Christopher D
• Browning Lucy E
• Lynch Stephen B
• Laakmann Eric S
• Nangeroni Paul L

Classifications

• C23C14/5853

  Oxidation · CPC title

• H01Q1/42 Primary

  Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome · CPC title

• C23C28/322

  only coatings of metal elements only · CPC title

• H01Q1/243

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• H01Q1/24

  with receiving set · CPC title