High/Low Temperature Contactless Radio Frequency Probes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018299488-A1
Application number	US-201816002442-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 7, 2018
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	Oct 18, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A contactless radio frequency (RF) probe. The RF probe includes a dielectric substrate, at least one waveguide comprising an electric field configured to increase the coupling between the dielectric substrate and the at least one waveguide, and an air gap separating the dielectric substrate and the at least one waveguide to prevent thermal loading, thermal expansion, and material deformity.

First claim

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a dielectric substrate; at least one waveguide comprising an electric field configured to increase the coupling between the dielectric substrate and the at least one waveguide, and an air gap separating the dielectric substrate and the at least one waveguide to prevent thermal loading, thermal expansion, and material deformity.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one waveguide comprises a probe.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the probe comprises a contactless radio frequency probe.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one waveguide includes a flared transition region configured to match impedance of the at least one waveguide with a free space impedance.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one waveguide is a metal waveguide.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the metal waveguide is rectangular, circular, or an arbitrary shape.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the flared transition region is linear, curved, or an arbitrary shape.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric substrate includes a microstrip line or a slot line associated with a device under test.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the microstrip line or slot line includes a transition region.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one waveguide is noncontact coupled with the transmission region.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the slot line transition region includes a linear taper.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the dielectric substrate includes a dielectric step, a dielectric notch, or a cosine taper.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the microstrip line is positioned above the dielectric substrate and is curved along the transition region.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a strip ground plane positioned below the dielectric substrate and curved in the opposite direction from the curved microstrip line.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the curved microstrip line and the curved strip ground plane are replaced with a series of stepped microstrip lines and stepped ground planes in the transition region.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a second waveguide located at the other end of the dielectric substrate.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the second waveguide comprises a second probe.

Assignees

• Nasa

Inventors

• Jordan Jennifer L
• Simons Rainee N

Classifications

• H01Q13/106

  Microstrip slot antennas (patch antenna elements H01Q9/0407) · CPC title

• H01Q1/38

  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

• G01R1/06772

  High frequency probes · CPC title

• G01R1/07 Primary

  Non contact-making probes · CPC title

• H01Q9/045

  with particular feeding means (for circular polarisation H01Q9/0428) · CPC title