Method of fabrication of low-loss filter and frequency multiplexer

1. A method of fabricating a ridge-waveguide filter with a signal input port and a signal output port, comprising:

forming a monolithic polymeric dielectric core configured for establishing a dielectric-filled cavity, said core including a plurality of spaced-apart depressions;

applying a layer of conducting metal to an outer surface of the core to form a metallized core with a conductive metal layer, said metal layer including port openings at opposite ends of the metallized core, wherein metallized depressions thereby formed are the ridges of the filter's ridge-waveguide sections; mounting the metallized core on a supporting carrier, and forming metallized channels in the core at the input and output ends of a ridge-waveguide filter to thereby effectively define a pair of end strip conductors positioned on dielectric substrates employed for port impedance-matching purposes.

2. A method of fabricating a frequency multiplexer, comprising

a) forming a monolithic polymeric dielectric core configured for establishing a dielectric-filled cavity of a ridge-waveguide filter, said core including a plurality of spaced-apart depressions;

b) applying a layer of conducting metal to an outer surface of the core to form a metallized core with a conductive metal layer, said metal layer including port openings at opposite ends of the metallized core, wherein metallized depressions thereby formed are the ridges of the filter's ridge-waveguide sections; and

c) mounting the metallized core on a supporting carrier to thereby form a channel filter;

d) repeating steps a-b until a desired number of filters are formed; and

e) connecting said filters with an electrical-series-type connection among the ports of each of said filters that are not connected to strip impedance-matching conductors to form a frequency multiplexer having a waveguide manifold that includes a structural element selected from the group consisting of a ridge-waveguide segment, an evanescent-mode-waveguide segment, and a quasi-lumped reactive waveguide component, and combinations thereof.

3. A method as in claim 2 , wherein the manifold is filled at least partially with moldable dielectric material.

4. A method as in claim 3 , wherein the dielectric material is a composite of different dielectric materials with differing relative dielectric constants.

5. A method as in claim 4 , wherein said filters have substantially rectangular cross sections and are vertically stacked.

6. A method as in claim 2 , wherein external ports of channel filters not connected to the manifold are connected to impedance-matching circuits.

7. A method as in claim 2 , further comprising an external heat sink, wherein the channel filters include external metallization thermally connected to the external heat sink to permit operation at elevated high-frequency signal levels.

8. A method as in claim 2 , wherein the quasi-lumped reactive waveguide component is a constrictor.

9. A method as in claim 8 , wherein said constrictor is selected from the group consisting of a waveguide iris and a post.

10. A method of fabricating a frequency multiplexer, comprising

a) forming a monolithic polymeric dielectric core configured for establishing a dielectric-filled cavity of a ridge-waveguide filter, said core including a plurality of spaced-apart depressions;

b) applying a layer of conducting metal to an outer surface of the core to form a metallized core with a conductive metal layer, said metal layer including port openings at opposite ends of the metallized core, wherein metallized depressions thereby formed are the ridges of the filter's ridge-waveguide sections; and

c) mounting the metallized core on a supporting carrier to thereby form a channel filter;

d) forming a metallized channel in the core at an end of the channel filter to thereby effectively define an end strip conductor positioned on a dielectric substrate employed for port impedance-matching purposes;

d) repeating steps a-b and then d until a desired number of filters are formed; and

e) connecting said filters with an electrical-series-type connection among the ports of each of said filters that are not connected to strip impedance-matching conductors to form a frequency multiplexer having a waveguide manifold that includes a structural element selected from the group consisting of a ridge-waveguide segment, an evanescent-mode-waveguide segment, and a quasi-lumped reactive waveguide component, and combinations thereof.