3D Inductive Frequency Selective Structures Using Additive Manufacturing and Low-Cost Metallization

The use of additive manufacturing and different metallization techniques for prototyping radio frequency components such as antennas and waveguides are rising owing to their high precision and low costs. Over time, additive manufacturing has improved so that its utilization is accepted in satellite payloads and military applications. However, there is no record of the frequency response in the millimeter-wave band for inductive 3D frequency selective structures implemented by different metallization techniques. For this reason, three different prototypes of dielectric 3D frequency selective structures working in the millimeter-wave band are designed, simulated, and manufactured using VAT photopolymerization. These prototypes are subsequently metallized using metallic paint atomization and electroplating. The manufactured prototypes have been carefully selected, considering their design complexity, starting with the simplest, the square aperture, the medium complexity, the woodpile structure, and the most complex, the torus structure. Then, each structure is measured before and after the metallization process using a measurement bench. The metallization used for the measurement is nickel spray flowed by the copper electroplating. For the electroplating, a detailed table showing the total area to be metallized and the current applied is also provided. Finally, the effectiveness of both metallization techniques is compared with the simulations performed using CST Microwave Studio. Results indicate that a shifted and reduced band-pass is obtained in some structures. On the other hand, for very complex structures, as in the torus case, band-pass with lower loss is obtained using copper electroplating, thus allowing the manufacturing of inductive 3D frequency selective structures in the millimeter-wave band at a low cost.

Millimeter-wave band subsurface sounding module

Radio-wave devices are used for many environmental and material research tasks. These devices and the development of relatively simple and affordable quasi-optic radio wave receivers and transmitters of millimeter and terahertz bands are important for numerous applications. Results of the design of a terahertz-band quasioptical transmitter-receiver module are presented. The module is intended for the remote detection of various objects and for measuring the depolarized field components backscattered by various long objects hidden behind obstacles (building materials and/or everyday items that prevent visual contact with the objects). These may be interfaces between materials with different dielectric constants, fiber optic cables, electric cables, and otherobjects. Results of full-scale experimental testing of the module on the detection of electric cables buried under plater in the wall of a building are presented.

Performance of SVM technique for DoA Estimation in 5G mm-Wave band

Applying Machine Learning algorithms in wireless communication has shown increasing interest due to the increase of demand on capacity, the increase of the number of users, and equipment sharing the limited frequency spectrum resources. Also, the need for a reduction in power consumption at base stations and the optimization of radio coverage make ML an attractive and promising technique. In this paper, we investigate the usage of Support Vector Machine (SVM) technique for Direction of Arrival (DoA) estimation in the millimeter-wave band. The objective is to predict the location of a user in a given area by analyzing the received signals at an array of antennas, using an SVM-based model. The first phase of this technique consists of the training phase that aims to identify the characteristics of each class, and that is based on a set of training samples. The second phase consists of testing the trained model using a set of samples/users. We have carried out a set of simulations based on the developed model. The results are promising in terms of the accuracy of determining the DoA, taking into consideration a channel with noise and multipath.

Waveguide Manufacturing Technologies for Next-Generation Millimeter-Wave Antennas

Some recent waveguide-based antennas are presented in this paper, designed for the next generation of communication systems operating at the millimeter-wave band. The presented prototypes have been conceived to be manufactured using different state-of-the-art techniques, involving subtractive and additive approaches. All the designs have used the latest developments in the field of manufacturing to guarantee the required accuracy for operation at millimeter-wave frequencies, where tolerances are extremely tight. Different designs will be presented, including a monopulse antenna combining a comparator network, a mode converter, and a spline profile horn; a tunable phase shifter that is integrated into an array to implement reconfigurability of the main lobe direction; and a conformal array antenna. These prototypes were manufactured by diverse approaches taking into account the waveguide configuration, combining parts with high-precision milling, electrical discharge machining, direct metal laser sintering, or stereolithography with spray metallization, showing very competitive performances at the millimeter-wave band till 40 GHz.

Verification of the Radio Wave Absorption Effect in the Millimeter Wave Band of SWCNTs and Conventional Carbon-Based Materials

Using a sample coated with three types of carbon-based paints, namely single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNTs), carbon black, and graphite, the amount of radio wave absorption for each was measured. SWCNTs proved to have the superior radio wave absorption effect in the millimeter band. Considering the change in the amount of radio wave absorption depending on the coating amount, three different coating thicknesses were prepared for each test material. The measurement frequency was set to two frequency bands of 28 GHz and 75 GHz, and the measurement method was carried out based on Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) R1679 “Radio wave absorption characteristic measurement method in the millimeter wave band of the radio wave absorber.” As for the amount of radio wave absorption in the 28 GHz band, a maximum amount of radio wave absorption of about 6 dB was obtained when 35 m of CNT spray paint was applied. It was confirmed that the carbon black paint came to about 60% that of the SWCNT, and the graphite paint did not obtain much radio wave absorption even when the coating thickness was changed. Furthermore, even in the 75 GHz band, the radio wave absorption was about 7 dB when 16 μm of CNT spray paint was applied, showing the maximum value. Within these experimental results, the CNT spray paint has a higher amount of radio wave absorption in the millimeter wave band than paints using general carbon materials. Its effectiveness could be confirmed even with a very thin coating thickness of 35 μm or less. It was also confirmed that even with the same paint, the radio wave absorption effect changes depending on the difference in coating thickness and the condition of the coated surface.

Eddy current tomography for visualization of cracks in aircraft riveted joints

The control of the subsurface areas of metal products is necessary in many technological processes. So, for example, in aerospace technology it is essential to determine the presence of defects in aircraft engines. The same problems arise in chemical, power and other industries, which are letting out the highly technological equipment one of the widely known methods for inspecting metal products in the aviation industry is the eddy current method. This method is widely used to control small microscopic defects inside conductive materials. This method allows to ensure the safety of the operation of various products and devices in many areas of modern industry. An eddy current detector (probe) is a device, which induces eddy currents into metal objects and then detects the magnetic fields produced by these eddy currents. A magnetic field is created by a coil, or set of coils, through which a time-varying electrical current is driven. The frequency regime is sufficiently low, a few hertz to a few hundred kilohertz, so the targets of interest are within the near field of the transmitter. Considering the high conductivity of study samples, we can define that used waves in metals are located in the millimeter wave band. An eddy current imaging can be considered near-field imaging and a device allowing obtaining the eddy current images as a scanning near-field microscope. The obtained experimental results showed that the proposed tomographic method is effective for studying various complex inhomogeneities under the metal surface