Granted Patent B2

US 7,012,489 · App. 10/793,574 · Granted Mar 14, 2006

Abstract

Claims (129)

1. A coaxial waveguide microstructure, comprising:

a substrate having a planar region; 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, 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 is under vacuum or in a gas state.

2. The coaxial waveguide microstructure of claim 1 , wherein the outer conductor comprises a first sidewall, and a plurality of the dielectric support members have a first end portion embedded in the first sidewall and extend beneath the center conductor.

3. The coaxial waveguide microstructure of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of the dielectric support members, wherein the coaxial waveguide has a generally rectangular coaxial structure.

4. The coaxial waveguide microstructure of claim 1 , wherein the one or more dielectric support members are in the form of support posts having a first end on an inner surface of the outer conductor and a second end in contact with the center conductor.

5. The coaxial waveguide microstructure of claim 1 , wherein the coaxial waveguide has a generally rectangular coaxial structure.

6. 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.

7. The coaxial waveguide microstructure of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of the coaxial waveguides are joined together by one or more vias.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. The coaxial waveguide microstructure of claim 11 , wherein the connectorization structure comprises a slot structure, a key structure or a flared structure.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising planarizing one or more of the layers of (a) by chemical mechanical planarization, lapping or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the outer conductor comprises a first sidewall, and a plurality of the dielectric support members have a first end portion embedded in the first sidewall and extend beneath the center conductor.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. The coaxial waveguide microstructure of claim 22 , comprising a plurality of the dielectric support members.

24. The coaxial waveguide microstructure of claim 23 , wherein the center conductor and outer conductor comprise copper or a copper alloy.

25. The coaxial waveguide microstructure of claim 22 , further comprising an active device.

26. The coaxial waveguide microstructure of claim 22 , wherein the active device is bonded to the coaxial waveguide.

Assignments (8)