Scattered void reservoir

Abstract

An antenna apparatus and method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises an antenna element array having a plurality of radiating radio-frequency (RF) antenna elements formed using portions of first and second substrates with a liquid crystal (LC) therebetween, the first substrate comprising a plurality of irises and the second substrate comprises a plurality of patches, wherein each of the patches is co-located over and separated from an iris in the plurality of irises with LC at least partially between each overlap region a patch and iris overlap; and a reservoir structure between the first and second substrates to hold LC and comprising areas around the RF antenna elements, the reservoir structure having a cavity large enough to accommodate thermal expansion of the LC and having one or more areas void of LC, wherein LC remains in patch/iris overlap regions of the plurality of radiating RF antenna elements even when additional LC could enter the one or more areas void of LC.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.