Planar phased array antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019131706-A1
Application number	US-201815975331-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 9, 2018
Priority date	May 9, 2017
Publication date	May 2, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Phased array antenna systems are disclosed. An antenna system as disclosed herein can include a plurality of antenna or radiating elements formed on a common plane comprising a first surface of a circuit board. Each antenna element has one or more feeds. Integrated circuits are placed on a second surface of the circuit board. Each integrated circuit is associated with one or more of the antenna elements. Signal lines connecting an integrated circuit to a feed of an antenna element can be shielded using interlayer ground planes and interlayer conductive plugs. In addition, back surfaces of the integrated circuits can be connected to a common heatsink using a thermally conductive medium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An antenna system, comprising:
a circuit board; at least a first electronic package on a first side of the circuit board; a plurality of first feed lines; and a plurality of antenna elements on a second side of the circuit board, wherein each antenna element is connected to one of the first electronic package and another electronic package by at least one of the first feed lines.

2 . The antenna system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of electronic packages; a plurality of sub-groups of antenna elements, wherein each sub-group of antenna elements includes at least two of the antenna elements, and wherein each radiating element included in a sub-group of antenna elements is connected to an associated electronic package by at least one of the first feed lines.

3 . The antenna system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a plurality of second feed lines, wherein each radiating element included in a sub-group of antenna elements is connected to the associated electronic package by at least one of the second feed lines.

4 . The antenna system of claim 3 , wherein each of the first feeds is perpendicular to each of the second feed lines.

5 . The antenna system of claim 2 , further comprising a beamforming combiner formed on an inner layer of the circuit board.

6 . The antenna system of claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of electrically conductive pads, wherein the electrically conductive pads extend between adjacent ground plane features of the circuit board, and wherein the electrically conductive pads are formed at intervals on first and second sides of a feed line.

7 . The antenna system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a heat sink element, wherein the heat sink element has an area that encompasses an area including the plurality of electronic packages; a plurality of thermally conductive gel elements, wherein each thermally conductive gel element is in contact with and extends across an entire first surface of each of the electronic packages, and wherein each thermally conductive gel element is in contact with the heat sink element.

8 . The antenna system of claim 7 , wherein a surface of the heat sink element in contact with the thermally conductive gel elements is planar, and wherein an opposite surface of the heat sink element includes fins.

9 . The antenna system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a heat sink element; a heat transfer medium volume; a heat transfer medium contained within the heat transfer medium volume,
wherein the heat transfer medium is in contact with each of the electronic packages.

10 . The antenna system of claim 9 , wherein the heat transfer medium volume includes a head space portion.

11 . The antenna system of claim 10 , wherein the heat transfer medium is in a vapor phase in the head space portion of the heat transfer medium volume.

12 . The antenna system of claim 11 , wherein the heat transfer medium is in a liquid phase in a portion of the heat transfer medium volume adjacent the electronic packages.

13 . The antenna system of claim 12 , wherein the heat sink element includes a plurality of interior fins in the head space portion of the heat transfer medium volume, and wherein the heat sink element includes a plurality of exterior fins.

14 . An antenna system, comprising:
a circuit board; a plurality of radiating elements on a first surface of the circuit board; a plurality of electronic packages on a second surface of the circuit board; a plurality of feed lines, wherein for each electronic package feed lines in the plurality of feed lines connect the electronic package to at least two of the radiating elements.

15 . The antenna system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a heat sink, wherein the heat sink is thermally connected to the electronic packages by a thermally conductive compliance member.

16 . The antenna system of claim 15 , wherein the thermally conductive compliance member is a gel, wherein a layer of the gel connects a surface of each of the electronic packages to a surface of the heat sink.

17 . The antenna system of claim 15 , further comprising a heat transfer medium volume, wherein the thermally conductive compliance member is a thermally conductive medium contained within the heat transfer medium volume.

18 . The antenna system of claim 17 , wherein the heat sink includes internal fins, wherein a portion of the heat transfer medium in a vicinity of the electronic packages is in a liquid phase, and wherein a portion of the heat transfer medium in a vicinity of the internal fins of the heat sink are in a vapor phase.

19 . The antenna system of claim 18 , wherein the heat sink is an integral element.

20 . A method for thermal control of a phased array antenna, comprising:
contacting a surface of a plurality of electronic packages on a surface of a circuit board with a heat exchange medium; removing heat from the plurality of electronic packages to the heat exchange medium, wherein a phase of the heat exchange medium is changed from a liquid phase to a vapor phase; containing the vapor phase of the heat exchange medium in a head space of a heat exchange volume; and condensing the vapor phase of the heat exchange medium on internal fins of a heat sink.

Assignees

• Ball Aerospace & Tech Corp

Inventors

• Raney Gary A
• Moosbrugger Peter J
• Unruh Bryce W

Classifications

• H10W40/70

  Fillings or auxiliary members in containers or in encapsulations for thermal protection or control · CPC title

• H10W40/22

  characterised by their shape, e.g. having conical or cylindrical projections · CPC title

• H05K2201/10545

  Related components mounted on both sides of the PCB · CPC title

• H05K7/2029

  using a liquid coolant with phase change in electronic enclosures (in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954) · CPC title

• H05K1/0243

  Printed circuits associated with mounted high frequency components · CPC title