Additive Technology for 3D-Shapeable Millimeter-Wave Passive Components

毫米波无源组件的性能受到这些组件所基于的材料和制造技术的广泛影响，这些组件是无线通信和传感所需的。迫切需要高性价比、高性能的创新技术来实现这些部件。该项目旨在探索利用加法制造，即打印技术，以成本效益的方式制造3D可成形毫米波无源组件的基础铺设方面。该项目将通过几种不同的打印技术解决3D形状互连和电路的单层和多层制造。该项目将探索印刷介质和印刷金属结构的组合，以及它们对毫米波无源电路组件的要求和性能。它将决定喷墨、点胶和3D长丝打印的可能性和局限性。材料和测试结构将从技术可用性和毫米波性能方面进行彻底调查。将被设计和表征的用于30 GHz到140 GHz之间的操作的示例结构将包括各种传输线、天线和平面到波导的过渡。

Performance of millimeter-wave passive components, which are needed, for instance, for wireless communication and sensing, is widely influenced by the materials and manufacturing technologies these components are based of. There is a strong need for innovative cost-efficient, high-performant techniques to realize such components. The project aims to explore ground laying aspects for the cost-efficient manufacturing of 3D-shapeable millimeter-wave passive components using additive manufacturing, that is, printing technology. The project will address single-layer and multi-layer manufacturing of 3D-shapeable interconnects and circuits by several different printing technologies. The project will explore the combination of printed dielectric and printed metal structures, together with their requirements and performances for millimeter-wave passive circuit components. It will determine possibilities and limitations of inkjet, dispensing and 3D filament printing. Materials and test structures will be thoroughly investigated with respect to technological usability and millimeter-wave performance. Example structures that will be designed and characterized, for operation between 30 GHz and 140 GHz, will include a variety of transmission lines, antennas and planar-to-waveguide transitions.