Raytheon Company

University of Massachusetts

Thermavant Technologies, LLC

James E Benedict

Thomas V Sikina

Andrew R Southworth

John P Haven

Kevin Wilder

Mikhail Pevzner

Erika Klek

Mary K Herndon

Peter J Adams

Gregory G Beninati

Semira M Azadzoi

Jonathan E Nufio-Molina

Lawrence A Binek

Alkim Akyurtlu

Channing Paige Favreau

Oshadha K Ranasingha

Michael Ryan Souliotis

Thomas J Tellinghuisen

Matthew Souza

Aaron Michael Torberg

Donald G Hersey

Gregory M Fagerlund

Phillip W Thiessen

Joseph A Boswell

Paul A Danello

Tuan L Duong

Patrick E Boyle

Daniel A Pounds

Andrew J Pitts

Adam D Leeds

William J Clark

Timothy David Deley

Carolyn R Reistad

Wade A Schwanda

Shawn Benedict

Kevin M Wilder

Erika C Klek

A radio frequency ('RF') waveguide device fabricated by additive manufacturing is provided that includes a RF channel comprising a wall and a RF component comprising an unsupported span extending from the wall of the RF channel. The unsupported span can include at least one unsupported surface extending from the wall at an oblique angle relative to the wall. The RF component formed in this manner with additive manufacturing does not negatively impact the RF performance of the RF waveguide.

Waveguide components of waveguides formed with additive manufacturing

A radio frequency (RF) waveguide comprising a channel, a filter, and a support bridge. The channel can comprise an outer wall defining an inner cavity configured to propagate electromagnetic waves. The filter can be disposed in the inner cavity of the channel and can comprise a perimeter edge and an aperture. The support bridge can comprise a first interface connected to an inner surface of the outer wall at a first location, and a second interface connected to the filter at a position between the perimeter edge and the aperture of the filter to support the filter within the channel. The support bridge can remain in place as connected to the filter, and the filter and waveguide can operate without interference from the support bridge, meaning that the waveguide meets all performance specifications and functions as intended for a particular application even with the support bridge left in place.

Monolithic waveguide and supporting waveguide bridge

An apparatus includes a structure configured to receive thermal energy and to reject the thermal energy into an external environment. The structure includes a lid and a body. The structure also includes (i) multiple inline and interconnected thermomechanical regions and (ii) one or more oscillating heat pipes embedded in at least some of the thermomechanical regions. Different portions of at least one of the lid and the body form the thermomechanical regions. The one or more oscillating heat pipes are configured to transfer the thermal energy between different ones of the thermomechanical regions. At least one of the thermomechanical regions includes one or more shape-memory materials configured to cause a shape of the structure to change. Each of the one or more oscillating heat pipes includes at least one channel in the structure.

Thermally-enhanced and deployable structures

Methods and apparatus for providing an interconnection including a stack of wirebond balls having a selected impedance. The wirebond balls may have a size, which may comprise a radius, configured for the selected impedance. The stack may comprise a number of wirebond balls configured for the selected impedance and/or may comprise a material selected for the selected impedance. In embodiments, the selected impedance is primarily resistive (e.g., 50 Ohms), such that the overall reactance is minimized.

Ball bond impedance matching

A low profile array (LPA) includes an antenna element array layer having at least one Faraday wall, and a beamformer circuit layer coupled to the antenna element array layer. The beamformer circuit layer has at least one Faraday wall. The Faraday walls extends between ground planes associated with at least one of the antenna element array layer and the beamformer circuit layer.

Low profile phased array

An apparatus to automatically place layers of a printed circuit board on a fixture includes a robotic device having a base that is secured to a surface, an upright column that extends upwardly from the base, and a movable arm rotatably coupled to the upright column. The movable arm is configured to rotate about a vertical axis defined by the upright column. The movable arm is further configured to rotate from a position in which the movable arm is disposed over a laminate sheet fixture and to pick up a laminate sheet to a position in which the movable arm is disposed over a board layup fixture to deposit the laminate sheet in the board layup fixture, and from a position in which the movable arm is disposed over a bond film fixture and to pick up a bond film to a position in which the movable arm is disposed over the board layup fixture to deposit the bond film in the board layup fixture.

Printed circuit board automated layup system

A circuit assembly is provided and includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having a circuit element region and defining a trench surrounding an entirety of the circuit element region, a circuit element disposed within the circuit element region of the PCB; and a Faraday wall. The Faraday wall includes a solid, unitary body having a same shape as the trench. The Faraday wall is disposed within the trench to surround an entirety of the circuit element.

Wall for isolation enhancement

A process of fabricating an electromagnetic circuit includes providing three laminate sheets, forming a first feature in a first laminate sheet of the three laminate sheets, and forming a second feature in a second laminate sheet of the three laminate sheets. The second feature is aligned with the first feature when aligning the second laminate sheet with the first laminate sheet. The process further includes stacking the three laminate sheets so that the first laminate sheet is positioned above and aligned with the second laminate sheet and the second laminate sheet is positioned above and aligned with the third laminate sheet. The first feature and the second feature define a contiguous element. The process further includes filling the contiguous element with an electrically conductive material to form an electrically continuous conductor.

Method for forming channels in printed circuit boards by stacking slotted layers

The concepts, systems, circuits and techniques described herein are directed toward a spiral antenna which may be provided using additive manufacturing technology so as to provide an antenna capable of operation at frequencies which are higher than spiral antennas manufactured using standard photo-etch or printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing processes.

Spiral antenna and related fabrication techniques

A wave phased array is manufactured using additive manufacturing technology (AMT). The wave phased array includes a radiator, a radiator dilation layer supporting the radiator, a beamformer supporting the radiator dilation layer, a beamformer dilation layer supporting the beamformer, and a substrate support layer supporting the beamformer dilation layer. At least one of the radiator, the radiator dilation layer, the beamformer, the beamformer dilation layer and the substrate support layer is fabricated at least in part by an AMT process.

Millimeter wave phased array

A method of fabricating a printed circuit assembly includes providing a flexible-hybrid circuit having a base and at least one side panel. The at least one side panel is hingedly connected to the base. The method further includes disposing a support structure on the flexible-hybrid circuit. The support structure includes a base, which is disposed on the base of the flexible-hybrid circuit, and at least one side that corresponds to the at least one side panel of the flexible-hybrid circuit. The method further includes folding the at least one side panel of the flexible-hybrid circuit so that the at least one side panel is disposed co-planar with the at least one side of the support structure to create a printed circuit assembly.

Method for manufacturing non-planar arrays with a single flex-hybrid circuit card

An antenna and method of manufacturing an antenna. The antenna includes a radiator feed layer, a first radiator patch assembly attached to the radiator feed layer, and a second radiator patch assembly attached to the radiator feed layer. The first radiator patch assembly is separated from the second radiator patch assembly by an air gap. The first radiator patch assembly is attached to the radiator feed layer and the second radiator patch assembly is attached to the radiator feed layer separated from the first radiator patch assembly by the air gap.

Segmented patch phased array radiator

An apparatus for automating the fabrication of a copper vertical launch (CVL) within a printed circuit board (PCB) includes a feed mechanism to feed and extrude copper wire from a spool of copper wire and a wire cutting and gripping mechanism to receive copper wire from the feed mechanism, cut and secure a segment of copper wire, insert the segment of copper wire into a hole formed within the PCB, solder an end of the segment of copper wire to a signal trace of the PCB, and flush cut an opposite end of the segment of the copper wire to a surface of the PCB. The wire cutting and gripping mechanism includes a wire cutter to flush cut the segment of copper wire and an integrated heated gripper device to receive the copper wire from the spool of copper wire and cut and grab a segment from copper wire.

Method for fabricating Z-axis vertical launch

A RAMP-radio frequency (RAMP-RF) assembly is provided and includes an RF panel including a microstrip interface, a plate including a stripline interface and a microstrip-to-stripline transition element operably connectable to the microstrip interface and to the stripline interface.

Radio-frequency (RF)-interface and modular plate

A reactive beamformer includes a radiator disposed within a substrate and configured to radiate a received electromagnetic signal, a plurality of receptors disposed within the substrate, each of the plurality of receptors configured to receive a portion of the radiated electromagnetic signal, and a plurality of signal lines. Each signal line of the plurality of signal lines is coupled to a respective receptor of the plurality of receptors to convey the portion of the radiated electromagnetic signal from the respective receptor and to provide the portion of the radiated electromagnetic signal to an output.

Growing community of inventors

Lowell, MA, United States of America

James E Benedict