# US 2014/0197904 A1 · Method for Fabricating Miniature Structures or Devices such as RF and Microwave Components > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0197904 A1 - Document ID: US20140197904A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/194,592 - Filed: 2014-02-28 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2001-12-03 - Assignees: Microfabrica Inc. - Applicants: Microfabrica Inc. - Inventors: Elliott R. Brown; John D. Evans; Christopher A. Bang; Adam L. Cohen; Michael S. Lockard; Dennis R. Smalley; Morton Grosser - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197904A1 ## CPC - H01P 1/202: Coaxial filters (cascaded coaxial cavities H01P1/205) - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - C25D 1/003: {3D structures, e.g. superposed patterned layers} - G01P 15/0802: {Details} - G01P 15/125: by capacitive pick-up - H01P 3/06: Coaxial lines - H01P 5/183: {at least one of the guides being a coaxial line} - H01P 11/00: Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing waveguides or resonators, lines, or other devices of the waveguide type - H01P 11/005: {Manufacturing coaxial lines} - H01P 11/007: {Manufacturing frequency-selective devices (resonators H01P11/008)} - B81B 2201/042: Micromirrors, not used as optical switches - H05K 3/4647: {by applying an insulating layer around previously made via studs} - Y10T 29/49002: Electrical device making - Y10T 29/49016: Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making - Y10T 29/49018: with other electrical component - H01P: WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE (operating at optical frequencies G02B) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR - G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G}) - B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Multi-layer, multi-material fabrication methods include depositing at least one structural material and at least one sacrificial material during the formation of each of a plurality of layers wherein deposited materials for each layer are planarized to set a boundary level for the respective layer and wherein during formation of at least one layer at least three materials are deposited with a planarization operation occurring before deposition of the last material to set a planarization level above the layer boundary level and wherein a planarization occurs after deposition of the last material level above the layer boundary level and wherein a planarization occurs after deposition of the last material whereby the boundary level for the layer is set. Some formation processes use electrochemical fabrication techniques (e.g. including selective depositions, bulk depositions, etching operations and planarization operations) and post-deposition processes (e.g. selective etching operations and/or back filling operations). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A coaxial RF or microwave component that preferentially passes a radiation in a desired frequency band, comprising: a. at least one RF or microwave radiation entry port in a conductive structure; b. at least one RF or microwave radiation exit port in the conductive structure; c. at least one passage, substantially bounded on the sides by the conductive structure, through which RF or microwave radiation passes when traveling from the at least one entry port to the at least one exit port; d. a central conductor extending along the at least one passage from the entry port to the exit port; and e. at least one conductive spoke extending between the central conductor and the conductive structure at each of a plurality of locations where successive locations along the length of the passage are spaced by approximately one-half of a propagation wavelength, or an integral multiple thereof, within the passage for a frequency to be passed by the component, wherein one or more of the following conditions are met (1) the central conductor, the conductive structure, and the conductive spokes are monolithic, (2) a cross-sectional dimension of the passage perpendicular to a propagation direction of the radiation along the passage is less than about 1 mm, more preferably less than about 0.5 mm, and most preferably less than about 0.25 mm, (3) more than about 50% of the passage is filled with a gaseous medium, more preferably more than about 70% of the passage is filled with a gaseous medium, and most preferably more than about 90% of the passage is filled with a gaseous medium, (4) at least a portion of the conductive portions of the component are formed by an electrodeposition process, (5) at least a portion of the conductive portions of the component are formed from a plurality of successively deposited layers, (6) at least a portion of the passage has a generally rectangular shape, (7) at least a portion of the central conductor has a generally rectangular shape, (8) the passage extends along a two-dimensional non-linear path, (9) the passage extends along a three-dimensional path, (10) the passage comprises at least one curved region and a side wall of the passage in the curved region has a nominally smaller radius than an opposite side of the passage in the curved region and is provided with a plurality of surface oscillations having smaller radii, (11) the conductive structure is provided with channels at one or more locations where the electrical field at a surface of the conductive structure, if it were there, would have been less than about 20% of its maximum value within the passage, more preferably less than 10% of its maximum value within the passage, even more preferably less than 5% of its maximum value within the passage, and most preferably where the electrical field would have been approximately zero, (12) the conductive structure is provided with patches of a different conductive material at one or more locations where the electrical field at the surface of the conductive structure, if it were there, would have been less than about 20% of its maximum value within the passage more preferably less than about 10% of its maximum value within the passage, even more preferably less than about 5% of its maximum value within the passage, and most preferably where the electrical field would have been approximately zero, (13) mitered corners are used at least some junctions for segments of the passage that meet at angles between 60° and 120°, and/or (14) the conductive spokes are spaced at an integral multiple of one-half the wavelength and bulges on the central conductor or bulges extending from the conductive structure extend into the passage at one or more locations spaced from the conductive spokes by an integral multiple of approximately one-half the wavelength. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein condition one (1) is met and at least one other condition is met. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein condition two (2) is met and at least one other condition is met. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein condition three (3) is met and at least one other condition is met. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein condition four (4) is met and at least one other condition is met. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein condition five (5) is met and at least one other condition is met. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein condition six (6) is met and at least one other condition is met. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein condition seven (7) is met and at least one other condition is met. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein condition eight (8) is met and at least one other condition is met. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein condition nine (9) is met and at least one other condition is met. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein condition ten (10) is met and at least one other condition is met. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein condition eleven (11) is met and at least one other condition is met. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein condition twelve (12) is met and at least one other condition is met. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein condition thirteen (13) is met and at least one other condition is met. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein condition fourteen (14) is met and at least one other condition is met. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein the passage is substantially filled with a solid dielectric material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein the desired frequency band is centered on a frequency greater than about 2 GHz, more preferably greater than about 10 GHz, and even more preferably greater about 20 GHz. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The component of claim 1 wherein the at least one spoke comprises one of (1) at least three sets of two spokes, more preferably at least four sets of two spokes, and most preferably at least five sets of two spokes, or (2) at least three sets of four spokes, more preferably at least four sets of four spokes, and most preferably at least five sets of four spokes. ### Claim 19 An RF or microwave component that guides or controls radiation, comprising: a. at least one RF or microwave radiation entry port and at least one exit port within a conductive metal structure; and b. at least one passage substantially bounded on the sides by the conductive metal structure through which RF or microwave energy passes when traveling from the at least one entry port; and c. at least one branching channel along the at least one passage, wherein the conductive metal structure surrounding the passage and the channel in proximity to a branching region of the channel from the passage is monolithic. ### Claim 20 A method of manufacturing an RF device, comprising: a. depositing a plurality of adhered layers of material, wherein the deposition of each layer of material comprises, i. selective deposition of at least a first material; ii. deposition of at least a second material; and iii. planarization of at least a portion of the deposited material; b. removing at least a portion of the first or second material after deposition of a plurality of layers; wherein a structural pattern resulting from the deposition and the removal provides at least one structure that is usable as an RF device.