Waveguide device and method for making same
AssigneeSandia National Laboratories
InventorMichael A. Forman
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Abstract
A monolithic micromachined waveguide device or devices with low-loss, high-power handling, and near-optical frequency ranges is set forth. The waveguide and integrated devices are capable of transmitting near-optical frequencies due to optical-quality sidewall roughness. The device or devices are fabricated in parallel, may be mass produced using a LIGA manufacturing process, and may include a passive component such as a diplexer and/or an active capping layer capable of particularized signal processing of the waveforms propagated by the waveguide.
Claims20
A micromachined microwave device comprising:
- uniplanar monolithic circuitry with at least one waveguide channel formed in a metal plate layer;
- wherein said metal plate layer is capped with a metal or metallized cap layer;
- and
- vertices of said at least one channel comprise sidewalls with a finish of optical quality smoothness of less than 50 nm rms roughness to allow for transmission of various frequencies including near-optical frequencies of up to approximately 300 GHz.
A method for making a microwave device comprising:
- creating a uniplanar waveguide with at least one channel formed in a metal plate layer;
- and
- capping said metal plate layer with a metal or metallized cap layer;
- wherein vertices of said at least one channel comprise sidewalls with a finish of optical quality smoothness of less than 50 nm rms roughness to allow for transmission of various frequencies including near-optical frequencies of up to approximately 300 GHz.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.