Dielectric Choke Structure for Waveguide Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional waveguide connection structures face issues with electromagnetic wave reflections, passage losses, and leakages due to gaps caused by warpage of organic dielectric and metal waveguide substrates.
Innovation Solution
A waveguide connection structure featuring a choke structure with inside and outside surface conductive patterns, a conductor opening exposing a dielectric member, and dielectric transmission paths short-circuited at the end, which confines electromagnetic waves and reduces reflections and leakages by using a dielectric substrate with higher permittivity than air, allowing for a thinner device configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional waveguide connection structure is used, then the structure is simple, but electromagnetic wave reflections, passage losses, and leakages occur due to gaps caused by substrate warpage
Solution Approach 1:
The connection structure is segmented into multiple functional components: a choke structure with conductive patterns on the dielectric substrate, a conductor opening, and a waveguide hole in the metal substrate. This segmentation allows each component to address specific aspects of the problem (gap sealing, electromagnetic confinement, waveguide alignment) independently, improving overall reliability while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The choke structure is nested within the dielectric substrate, with the conductor opening positioned within the choke structure and the waveguide hole nested in the metal substrate. This nested arrangement creates a hierarchical confinement of electromagnetic waves, with each nested level contributing to reducing reflections and leakages, thereby improving transmission quality without requiring a completely separate external structure
2Reliability
If the dielectric substrate thickness is increased to reduce gaps, then gap reduction is achieved, but device thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the electromagnetic parameters of the dielectric substrate by selecting materials with specific permittivity values (e.g., alumina with εr=9.8, aluminum nitride with εr=8.8). This parameter change allows the choke structure to achieve effective electromagnetic confinement with a reduced physical depth, thereby reducing gaps caused by warpage without increasing overall device thickness
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of addressing gap reduction solely in the vertical dimension (increasing substrate thickness), the invention introduces a lateral dimension solution through the choke structure with conductive patterns arranged in a specific geometric configuration. This lateral confinement mechanism effectively seals gaps without requiring increased vertical thickness, maintaining a compact device profile
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed solution effectively reduces electromagnetic wave reflections, passage losses, and leakages, enhancing isolation properties and enabling a thinner, more compact device design by utilizing the choke structure within the dielectric substrate.
Implementation Method 1
because the choke structure is provided in the dielectric substrate that is configured with a material having a higher electric permittivity than that of the air
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Provided is a choke structure including: an inside surface conductive pattern 5a formed in the surrounding of a through hole 2 on the surface of a dielectric substrate 3 opposing a waveguide substrate 4; an outside surface conductive pattern 5b formed in the surrounding of the inside surface conductive pattern 5a while being positioned apart therefrom; a conductor opening 6 that is provided between the inside surface conductive pattern 5a and the outside surface conductive pattern 5b and in which a dielectric member is exposed; and an dielectric transmission path 12 short-circuited at end that is formed by an inner layer conductor 7 and a plurality of penetrating conductors 8, the inner layer conductor 7 being provided in a position that is away from the conductor opening 6 by a predetermined distance in the layer-stacking direction of the dielectric substrate 3, and the plurality of penetrating conductors 8 connecting the inner layer conductor 7 to the inside surface conductive pattern 5a and to the outside surface conductive pattern 5b. With the choke structure, it is possible to reduce reflections, passage losses, and leakages of electromagnetic waves, even when a gap occurs between the through hole and the waveguide substrate due to, for example, warpage of the dielectric substrate and the waveguide substrate.