Coaxial waveguide microstructures and methods of formation thereof

A coaxial waveguide microstructure, comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a plurality of coaxial waveguides disposed above the substrate in a stacked arrangement, each waveguide comprising:
• a center conductor;
• an outer conductor comprising one or more walls, spaced apart from and disposed around the center conductor;
• one or more dielectric support members for supporting the center conductor in contact with the center conductor and enclosed within the outer conductor;
• and
• a core volume between the center conductor and the outer conductor,
• wherein the core volume is under vacuum or in a gas state.

A coaxial waveguide microstructure, comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a coaxial waveguide disposed above the substrate, comprising:
• a center conductor;
• an outer conductor comprising one or more walls, spaced apart from and disposed around the center conductor, the one or more walls comprising:
• a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall;
• a plurality of dielectric support members for supporting the center conductor in contact with the center conductor and enclosed within the outer conductor, wherein a plurality of the dielectric support members have a first end portion embedded in the first sidewall and extend beneath the center conductor and a second plurality of the dielectric support members have a first end portion embedded in the second sidewall and extend beneath the center conductor;
• and
• a core volume between the center conductor and the outer conductor,
• wherein the core volume is under vacuum or in a gas state.

A coaxial waveguide microstructure, comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a coaxial waveguide disposed above the substrate, comprising:
• a center conductor;
• an outer conductor comprising one or more walls;
• spaced apart from and disposed around the center conductor;
• one or more dielectric support members for supporting the center conductor in contact with the center conductor and enclosed within the outer conductor;
• and
• a core volume between the center conductor and the outer conductor,
• wherein the core volume is under vacuum or in a gas state, and
• wherein the inner conductor and the outer conductor are comprised of copper or a copper-alloy and comprise a gold and/or nickel coating.

A coaxial waveguide microstructure, comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a coaxial waveguide disposed above the substrate, comprising:
• a center conductor;
• an outer conductor comprising one or more walls, spaced apart from and disposed around the center conductor;
• one or more dielectric support members for supporting the center conductor in contact with the center conductor and enclosed within the outer conductor;
• and
• a core volume between the center conductor and the outer conductor,
• wherein the core volume is under vacuum or in a gas state, and
• a sacrificial release layer between the substrate and the waveguide.

A coaxial waveguide microstructure, comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a coaxial waveguide disposed above the substrate, comprising:
• a center conductor;
• an outer conductor comprising one or more walls, spaced apart from and disposed around the center conductor;
• one or more dielectric support members for supporting the center conductor in contact with the center conductor and enclosed within the outer conductor;
• and
• a core volume between the center conductor and the outer conductor,
• wherein the core volume is under vacuum or in a gas state, and
• a connectorization structure at an end portion of the waveguide.

A coaxial waveguide microstructure, comprising:

• a substrate;
• a coaxial waveguide disposed above the substrate, comprising:
• a center conductor;
• an outer conductor comprising one or more walls, spaced apart from and disposed around the center conductor;
• one or more dielectric support members for supporting the center conductor in contact with the center conductor and enclosed within the outer conductor;
• and
• a core volume between the center conductor and the outer conductor,
• wherein the core volume is under vacuum or in a gas state, and
• compliant interface means between the substrate and waveguide to compensate for CTE mismatch therebetween.

A coaxial waveguide microstructure, comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a coaxial waveguide disposed above the substrate, comprising:
• a center conductor;
• an outer conductor comprising one or more walls, spaced apart from and disposed around the center conductor;
• one or more dielectric support members for supporting the center conductor in contact with the center conductor and enclosed within the outer conductor;
• a core volume between the center conductor and the outer conductor,
• wherein the core volume is under vacuum or in a gas state, and
• a dielectric membrane over an end face of the waveguide extending from the center conductor to the outer conductor.

A hermetic package, comprising a coaxial waveguide microstructure, comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a coaxial waveguide disposed above the substrate, comprising:
• a center conductor;
• an outer conductor comprising one or more walls, spaced apart from and disposed around the center conductor;
• one or more dielectric support members for supporting the center conductor in contact with the center conductor and enclosed within the outer conductor;
• and
• a core volume between the center conductor and the outer conductor,
• wherein the core volume is under vacuum or in a gas state.

A method of forming a coaxial waveguide microstructure by a sequential build process, comprising:

• (a) depositing a plurality of layers over a substrate having a planar region, wherein the layers comprise one or more of a metal material, a sacrificial photoresist material, and a dielectric material, thereby forming a structure above the substrate, comprising:
• a center conductor;
• an outer conductor comprising one or more walls, spaced apart from and disposed around the center conductor, wherein each of the outer conductor walls is disposed over the planar region;
• one or more dielectric support members for supporting the center conductor, in contact with the center conductor and enclosed within the outer conductor;
• and
• a core volume between the center conductor and the outer conductor, wherein the core volume comprises sacrificial photoresist;
• and
• (b) removing the sacrificial photoresist from the core volume.

A method of forming a coaxial waveguide microstructure by a sequential build process, comprising:

• (a) depositing a plurality of layers over a substrate, wherein the layers comprise one or more of a metal material, a sacrificial photoresist material, and a dielectric material, thereby forming a structure above the substrate, comprising:
• a center conductor;
• an outer conductor comprising one or more walls, spaced apart from and disposed around the center conductor;
• one or more dielectric support members for supporting the center conductor, in contact with the center conductor and enclosed within the outer conductor;
• a core volume between the center conductor and the outer conductor, wherein the care volume comprises sacrificial photoresist;
• and
• (b) removing the sacrificial photoresist from the core volume;
• and after (b),
• (c) evacuating the core volume to a vacuous state.

A method of forming a coaxial waveguide microstructure by a sequential build process, comprising:

• (a) depositing a plurality of layers over a substrate, wherein the layers comprise one or more of a metal material, a sacrificial photoresist material, and a dielectric material, thereby forming a structure above the substrate, comprising:
• a center conductor;
• an outer conductor comprising one or more walls, spaced apart from and disposed around the center conductor;
• one or more dielectric support members for supporting the center conductor, in contact with the center conductor and enclosed within the outer conductor;
• a core volume between the center conductor and the outer conductor, wherein the core volume comprises sacrificial photoresist;
• and
• (b) removing the sacrificial photoresist from the core volume;
• and after (b),
• (c) separating the substrate from the structure.

A method of forming a coaxial waveguide microstructure by a sequential build process, comprising:

• (a) depositing a plurality of layers over a substrate, wherein the layers comprise one or more of a metal material, a sacrificial photoresist material, and a dielectric material, thereby forming a structure above the substrate, comprising:
• a center conductor;
• an outer conductor comprising one or more walls, spaced apart from and disposed around the center conductor;
• one or more dielectric support members for supporting the center conductor, in contact with the center conductor and enclosed within the outer conductor;
• and
• a core volume between the center conductor and the outer conductor, wherein the core volume comprises sacrificial photoresist;
• (b) removing the sacrificial photoresist from the core volume;
• and
• (c) planarizing one or more of the layers of (a) by chemical mechanical planarization.

A coaxial waveguide microstructure, comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a coaxial waveguide disposed above the substrate, comprising:
• a center conductor;
• an outer conductor comprising one or more walls, spaced apart from and disposed around the center conductor;
• one or more dielectric support members for supporting the center conductor in contact with the center conductor and enclosed within the outer conductor;
• and
• a core volume between the center conductor and the outer conductor,
• wherein the core volume is under vacuum or in a gas state, and
• wherein the coaxial waveguide has a generally rectangular coaxial structure.