Radio-frequency transparent window
A patch for a device in an electronic housing including an aluminum layer having a threshold thickness, a non-conductive layer on a first side of the aluminum layer, and a radio-frequency (RF) transparent layer on a second side of the aluminum layer is provided. A method for manufacturing an antenna window including a patch as above is also provided, the method including determining a thickness of the aluminum layer adjacent to an anodized aluminum layer. A method for manufacturing an antenna window including coating an aluminum layer having a threshold thickness on a radio-frequency (RF) transparent layer to form an RF transparent laminate is also provided. A method for manufacturing an antenna window including removing a thickness of aluminum is also provided. A method for manufacturing an antenna window including disposing a mask on an aluminum substrate and anodizing the aluminum substrate to a selected thickness is also provided.
1. A method for manufacturing an antenna window, the method comprising:
removing aluminum from an antenna region of an electronic device housing to define a recess;
anodizing the antenna region of the electronic device housing;
removing more aluminum from the antenna region to deepen the recess and obtain an aluminum layer of a threshold thickness inside the recess, the threshold thickness selected to provide a radio-frequency (RF) transmissivity and structural support for the antenna window; and
backfilling the recess with a supporting material.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein backfilling the recess with the supporting material comprises filling the recess with a thermosetting polymer.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the thickness of aluminum comprises one of the group consisting of machining the electronic device housing and etching the electronic device housing.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
machining the aluminum layer to include a plurality of micro-perforations operable to increase the RF-transmissivity of the aluminum layer.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein anodizing includes measuring the anodization current and correlating the anodization current to an aluminum thickness in a lookup table.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RF-transmissivity is at least 60%.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the backfilled recess comprises an RF-transparent patch.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the RF transparent patch includes a conductive substrate.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the RF transparent patch includes a touch sensor of a computing device.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the RF transparent patch is adhesively coupled to the aluminum.
11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising machining the RF transparent patch to include micro-perforations.
12. The method of claim 7 wherein the RF-transparent patch is a window for a sensing element arranged in an interior of the electronic device housing.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anodizing includes dipping the entire electronic device housing in an anodizing solution.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anodizing includes dipping a portion of the electronic device housing comprising the antenna window in an anodizing solution.