Three dimensional sub-mm wavelength sub-thz frequency antennas on flexible and uv-curable dielectric using printed electronic metal traces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016172741-A1
Application number	US-201514964635-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 10, 2015
Priority date	Dec 10, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Novel methods for micro-additive manufacturing three dimensional sub-millimeter components are disclosed herein. The methods can include dispensing a dielectric at positions on a substrate so as to provide dielectric structures having an aspect ratio of up to 1:20. The methods can also include in-situ curing of the dielectric structure upon dispensing of the dielectric wherein the dispensing and curing steps provide for three dimensional configurations. Direct printing a metal nanoparticle solution on the dielectric to create conductive traces and thereafter sintering the printed nanoparticle solution so as to cure the conductive traces enables three dimensional conductive (antenna) elements having a length and width scale of down to 1 μm.

First claim

We Claim:

1 . A method for manufacturing of a three dimensional sub-millimeter component, comprising:
dispensing a dielectric on one or more positions on a substrate so as to provide one or more dielectric structures having an aspect ratio of up to 1:20; in-situ curing of the dielectric structure upon dispensing the dielectric at the one or more positions, wherein the in-situ curing coupled with the dispensing of the dielectric provides for three dimensional configurations; direct printing a metal nanoparticle solution on the dielectric at the one or more positions to create one or more conductive traces; and hardening upon dispense and/or sintering thereafter the printed nanopowder solution so as to cure the conductive traces to form three dimensional elements, wherein the three dimensional elements have a length and width scale of down to 1 μm.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sintering step provides for three dimensional elements that further comprises three dimensional sub-mm wavelength (<1 mm) sub-THz (<1000 GHz) frequency antennas directly printed over the dielectric.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein dispensing of the dielectric material on the substrate includes dispensing at one or more positions on an integrated chip operating as the substrate.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to dispensing of the dielectric material, the dielectric permittivity of the dielectric material is modulated by mixing it with high permittivity particles as to form a functionally graded dielectric dispense material.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the direct printing includes a conductive polymer on the dielectric at the one or more positions to create one or more conductive traces.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein dispensing of the dielectric material on the substrate includes dispensing of the dielectric material at one or more positions on one or more silicon integrated chips operating as one or more substrates, and wherein the formed three dimensional elements comprises formed one or more monopoles on the one or more silicon integrated chips so as to provide three-dimensional sub-mm wavelength (<1 mm) sub-THz 1000 GHz) frequency antennas configured to be capable of ultra-high speed chip-to-chip communication.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sintering step provides for three-dimensional elements that further comprises one or more passive components directly printed over the dielectric.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sintering step further comprises: sintering the direct printed nanoparticle solution by at least one of: an external energy source or oven.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the in-situ curing further comprises: instantaneously curing the dielectric structure by an external energy source during the dispensing of the material.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein dispensing of the dielectric material on a substrate includes dispensing at one or more positions on at least one substrate selected from: silicon, silicon nitride; glass; germanium, aluminum antimonide, indium tin oxide (ITO); ITO-coated glass; and polymers (e.g., polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyetherimides, polyamide and polyamide-imides).

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of direct printing the metal nanoparticle solution further comprises: direct printing at least one metal nanoparticle solution that further comprises at least one of: silver, carbon, copper, gold, platinum, aluminum, and palladium.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein dispensing of the dielectric material and of direct printing of the metal nanoparticle solution includes controlling dispensing of the dielectric on a first target structure profile selected from circular, rectangular, convex, and concave profiles with constant or varying cross sections and direct printing of the metal nanoparticle solution based on a second target structure profile for antenna elements, wherein the first target structure profile and the second target structure profile is provided by a computer aided design (CAD).

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein dispensing of the dielectric material and of direct printing of the metal nanoparticle solution includes dispensing and direct printing at up to about 89 degrees from the vertical.

14 . A method for micro-additive manufacturing of three-dimensional wavelength antennas, comprising:
dispensing a dielectric on one or more positions on a substrate so as to provide one or more dielectric structures having an aspect ratio of up to 1:20; instantaneously curing in-situ the one or more dielectric structures upon dispensing the dielectric at the one or more positions, wherein the in-situ instantaneously curing coupled with the dispensing of the dielectric provides for three-dimensional configurations; direct printing a metal nanoparticle solution on the dielectric dispensed at the one or more positions so as to create one or more antenna traces; and directing energy toward the directly printed one or more created antenna traces for sintering so as to form one or more three-dimensional antenna elements, wherein the one or more three dimensional antenna elements have a length and width scale of down to 1 μm.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the directing energy step for sintering of the one or more three dimensional elements provides for configured three-dimensional sub-mm wavelength (<1 mm) sub-THz (<1000 GHz) frequency antennas directly printed over the dielectric.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein dispensing of the dielectric material and of direct printing of the metal nanoparticle solution includes controlling dispensing of the dielectric on a first target structure profile selected from circular, rectangular, convex, and concave constant or varying cross-section profiles and direct printing of the metal nanoparticle solution based on a second target structure profile for antenna elements, wherein the first target structure profile and the second target structure profile is provided by a computer aided design (CAD).

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the substrate includes an integrated chip.

18 . The method in claim 14 , wherein the conductive trace of the antenna comprises of a dispensed conductive polymer.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the substrate includes one or more integrated chips operating as one or more substrates, wherein the formed one or more three-dimensional antenna elements are configured as one or more monopoles on the one or more integrated chips so as to enable three-dimensional sub-mm wavelength (<1 mm) sub-THz (<1000 GHz) frequency antennas for ultra-high speed chip-to-chip communication.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein prior to dispensing of the dielectric material, the dielectric permittivity of the dielectric material is modulated by mixing it with high permittivity particles as to form a functionally graded dielectric dispense material.

21 . The method of claim 14 , wherein dispensing of the dielectric material and of direct printing of the metal nanoparticle solution includes dispensing and direct printing at up to about 89 degrees from the vertical.

22 . A computing system having executable processor instructions for manufacturing of a three-dimensional antenna, comprising:
instructing a deposition head to dispense a dielectric on one or more positions on a substrate so as to provide one or more dielectric structures having an aspect ratio of up to 1:20; instructing an external ene

Assignees

• Panat Rahul
• Heo Deuk Hyoun
• Univ Washington State

Inventors

• Panat Rahul
• Heo Deuk Hyoun

Classifications

• B22F7/08 Primary

  with one or more parts not made from powder {(B22F7/062 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B22F10/322

  of the gas flow, e.g. rate or direction · CPC title

• B22F12/33

  translatory in the deposition plane · CPC title

• B22F12/10

  Auxiliary heating means · CPC title

• B22F10/10

  Formation of a green body · CPC title