Transition between a laminated PCB and a waveguide through a cavity in the laminated PCB

1. A system configured to inject and guide millimeter-waves through a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), comprising:

at least two laminas;

an electrically conductive plating, applied on insulating walls of a cavity formed perpendicularly through the at least two laminas; and

a probe located above the cavity, and printed on a lamina that is directly joined to the at least two other laminas and the cavity via a prepreg bonding lamina;

wherein the cavity is configured to guide millimeter-waves injected by the probe at one side of the cavity to the other side of the cavity, and the lamina on which the probe is printed, the prepreg bonding lamina, and the at least two other laminas, are all pressed together forming a PCB constituting a single structure, such that said injection and guidance of millimeter-waves are all done completely inside the PCB.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

electrically conductive surfaces printed on the at least two laminas, the electrically conductive surfaces extending outwards from the cavity, and are electrically connected to the electrically conductive plating; and

at least 10 Vertical Interconnect Access (VIA) holes going through the at least two laminas and the electrically conductive surfaces, the at least 10 VIA holes are plated or filled with electrically conductive material connected to the electrically conductive surfaces, and the at least 10 VIA holes located around the cavity, thereby forming an electrically conductive cage.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a ground layer or at least one ground trace associated with a transmission line signal trace, forming a transmission line for the millimeter-waves, the transmission line reaching the probe; the at least one ground trace electrically connected to at least one of the electrically conductive surfaces, and the transmission line configured to carry the millimeter-waves from a source connected to one end of the transmission line to the probe.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising at least one of the at least 10 VIA holes electrically connecting the electrically conductive plating to the ground layer or the at least one ground trace.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least two laminas are PCB laminas, laminated together by another prepreg bonding lamina.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least two laminas are PCB laminas, out of which at least one is another prepreg bonding lamina.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

electrically conductive surfaces printed on the at least two laminas, the surfaces extending outwards from the cavity and electrically connected to the electrically conductive plating; and

a ground layer or at least one ground trace associated with a transmission line signal trace, forming a transmission line for the millimeter-waves, the transmission line is printed on the lamina on which the probe is printed and reaching the probe; the ground trace is electrically connected to at least one of the electrically conductive surfaces by at least one VIA, such that a millimeter-wave path is created in which the transmission line feeds directly the probe, and the probe injects directly the millimeter-waves into the cavity.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a receiver probe located below the cavity, and printed on an additional lamina; the receiver probe configured to receive the millimeter-waves injected to the cavity by the probe located above the cavity.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a discrete waveguide located below the cavity and as a continuation to the cavity; the discrete waveguide configured to pass-through the millimeter-waves guided by the cavity into the discrete waveguide.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cavity is dimensioned to form a waveguide having a cutoff frequency above 20 GHz.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lamina used to carry the probe on one side thereof also carries a micro strip trace operative to feed the probe, the lamina used to carry the probe on one side thereof is the lamina used to carry a ground trace associated with the micro strip trace on the opposite side thereof, and the lamina carrying the probe, micro strip trace, and ground trace, is made out of a soft laminate material suitable to be used as a millimeter-wave band substrate in the PCB, such that a millimeter-wave path is created in which the microstrip feeds directly the probe, and the probe injects directly the millimeter-waves into the cavity.

12. A system operative to inject and guide millimeter-waves through a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) laminate structure, comprising:

at least two laminas belonging to the laminate structure;

a plurality of Vertical Interconnect Access (VIA) holes passing through the at least two laminas, the plurality of VIA holes are placed side by side forming a contour of a waveguide aperture, and the at least two laminas are at least partially transparent to at least a range of millimeter-wave frequencies;

the plurality of VIA holes plated or filled with an electrically conductive material, forming an electrically conductive cage enclosing the contour of the waveguide aperture; and

a probe located above the electrically conductive cage, and printed on an additional lamina belonging to the laminate structure;

wherein the electrically conductive cage is operative to guide the millimeter-waves, transmitted by the probe, through the at least two laminas, the lamina on which the probe is printed is bonded to the at least two laminas using a prepreg bonding lamina, and the laminate structure is pressed together, thereby forming the PCB laminate structure constituting a single structure, such that said injection and guidance of the millimeter-waves are all done completely inside the PCB laminate structure.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a cavity confined by the electrically conductive cage, the cavity going through the at least two laminas, and the millimeter-waves are guided through the cavity.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising electrically conductive surfaces printed on the at least two laminas, such that the plurality of VIA holes pass through the electrically conductive surfaces, and the electrically conductive surfaces enclose the contour.

15. A system configured to inject and guide millimeter-waves through a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) laminate structure, comprising:

at least one lamina, the at least one lamina comprising a cavity shaped in the form of a waveguide aperture;

an electrically conductive plating, applied on insulating walls of the cavity; and

a probe located above the cavity, and printed on a lamina different than the at least one lamina;

wherein the cavity is configured to guide the millimeter-waves injected by the probe at one side of the cavity to the other side of the cavity, the lamina on which the probe is printed is bonded to the at least one lamina using a prepreg bonding lamina, and the lamina on which the probe is printed, the prepreg bonding lamina, and the at least one lamina comprising the cavity, are all pressed together, thereby forming the PCB laminate structure constituting a single structure, such that said injection and guidance of the millimeter-waves are all done completely inside the PCB laminate structure.

16. A system operative to guide millimeter-waves through a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) laminate structure, comprising:

a plurality of Vertical Interconnect Access (VIA) holes passing through at least one lamina of the PCB laminate structure, the plurality of VIA holes placed side by side forming a contour of a waveguide aperture, and the at least one lamina is at least partially transparent to at least a range of millimeter-wave frequencies;

the plurality of VIA holes plated or filled with an electrically conductive material, thereby forming an electrically conductive cage enclosing the contour of the waveguide aperture; and

a probe located above the electrically conductive cage, and printed on a lamina of the at least one lamina belonging to the PCB laminate structure;

wherein the electrically conductive cage is operative to guide the millimeter-waves, transmitted by the probe, through the at least one lamina, the lamina on which the probe is printed is bonded to the at least one lamina using a prepreg bonding lamina, and the lamina on which the probe is printed, the prepreg bonding lamina, and the at least one lamina comprising the VIA holes, are all pressed together, thereby forming a PCB laminate structure constituting a single structure, such that said transmission and guidance of the millimeter-waves are all done completely inside the PCB laminate structure.

17. A system configured to inject and guide millimeter-waves through a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) laminate structure, comprising:

at least two laminas belonging to the PCB, the at least two laminas are contiguous and electrically insulating;

an electrically conductive plating, applied on insulating walls of a cavity formed perpendicularly through the at least two laminas, the electrically conductive plating and the cavity form a waveguide; and

an antenna embedded inside an Integrated Circuit, the antenna located above the cavity, and the Integrated Circuit soldered to electrically conductive pads printed on an additional lamina belonging to the PCB and located above the at least two laminas through which the cavity is formed;

the cavity configured to guide the millimeter-waves injected by the antenna at one side of the cavity to the other side of the cavity.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the Integrated Circuit is a flip-chip or Solder-Bumped die, the antenna is an integrated patch antenna, and the integrated patch antenna is configured to radiate the millimeter waves towards the cavity.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising:

electrically conductive surfaces printed on the at least two laminas, the surfaces extending outwards from the cavity, and are electrically connected to the electrically conductive plating; and

Vertical Interconnect Access (VIA) holes going through the at least two laminas and the electrically conductive surfaces, the VIA holes plated or filled with electrically conductive material electrically connected to the electrically conductive surfaces, and the VIA holes located around the cavity, thereby forming an electrically conductive cage extending the waveguide above the cavity towards the Integrated Circuit.