Dielectric encapsulated metal lens
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsDavid D. Crouch, Hooman Kazemi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dielectric encapsulated metal lens includes a planar conductive plate with a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is parallel to the second surface; a plurality of openings from the first surface through the planar conductive plate to the second surface, wherein a longitudinal axis of each opening is perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface, wherein a size of each opening is a function of a position of said each opening on the planar conductive plate; and a dielectric material encapsulating the planar conductive plate and filing the plurality of openings, where the dielectric material forms a top surface and a bottom surface for the metal lens to reduce reflected energy.
Claims20
A dielectric encapsulated metal lens comprising:
- a planar conductive plate with a first surface and a second surface, wherein the planar conductive plate comprises a dielectric material plated with a conductor, and wherein the first surface is parallel to the second surface;
- a plurality of openings from the first surface through the planar conductive plate to the second surface, wherein a longitudinal axis of each opening is perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface, wherein a size of each opening is a function of a position of the opening on the planar conductive plate;
- a dielectric resin encapsulating the planar conductive plate and filling the plurality of openings, wherein the dielectric resin forms a top surface and a bottom surface for the dielectric encapsulated metal lens to reduce reflected energy;
- a first impedance-matching layer covering the top surface;
- and
- a second impedance-matching layer covering the bottom surface.
A method of fabricating a dielectric encapsulated metal lens, the method comprising:
- providing a mold filled with a dielectric liquid resin, the mold including a plurality of spacers in or integral to the mold;
- providing a metal lens comprising:
- a planar conductive plate with a first surface and a second surface, wherein the planar conductive plate comprises a dielectric material plated with a conductor, and wherein the first surface is parallel to the second surface;
- and
- a plurality of openings from the first surface through the planar conductive plate to the second surface, wherein a longitudinal axis of each opening is perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface, wherein a size of each opening is a function of a position of the opening on the planar conductive plate;
- inserting the metal lens in the mold filled with the dielectric liquid resin to be situated on the spacers to form a dielectric bottom surface, the metal lens being encapsulated by the dielectric liquid resin and the plurality of openings being filled with the dielectric liquid resin;
- forming a top dielectric surface on top of the metal lens;
- curing the dielectric liquid resin encapsulating the metal lens and removing the cured dielectric resin from the mold;
- machining the cured dielectric resin to reduce a thickness of the top dielectric surface to form the dielectric encapsulated metal lens;
- covering the top dielectric surface with a first impedance-matching layer;
- and
- covering the bottom dielectric surface with a second impedance-matching layer;
- wherein the top dielectric surface and the bottom dielectric surface of the dielectric encapsulated metal lens reduce reflected energy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.