Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Northrop Grumman Corporaiton

John Chino

Alex E Bailey

Tapan K Gupta

Ronnie L Starling

Andrea Curbean

Steven N Stitzer

William B Yablon

Herbert Jefferson Henderson

Norman E Thurlow

Jose Armando Coronado

Daniel Bobowicz

Dennis Grube

Robert G Schmier

Terry L Reeve

Timothy M Fertiq

Jeffrey J Dickstein

Lawrence J Hunter

Dennis A Grube

A phased array includes a first plurality of radiators having a first polarization and a second plurality of radiators having a second polarization, different from said first polarization. The phased array is constructed such that radiating patterns of the first and second plurality of radiators are congruent. The radiators are constructed so that they radiating apertures thereof can occupy virtually the same space, i.e., the spacing of the radiating elements is less than a wavelength. Other features provided allow this compactness to be achieved. Impedance matching features are integrated into the radiators themselves. The elevation assemblies of the radiators are mated together, and then are coupled across to their respective azimuth assemblies. Two azimuth assemblies for either type of polarization may be provided when monopulse operation is required. Assemblies for both polarizations transmit sequentially, but receive simultaneously, thus allowing a complete polarization matrix to be collected with two pulse transmissions.

Dual polarized electronically scanned antenna

A method of fabricating ferrite toroids used in ferrite phase shifters. The method employs fabrication techniques found in low temperature cofired ceramics (LTCC) tape technology and involves fabricating long rectangular through-holes, as is required by the toroid design, in layers of green ceramic tape and maintaining the integrity of the through-holes during a firing process wherein ferromagnetic ceramic oxide in the tape is converted to ferrite.

Fabrication of ferrite toroids

A cavity pattern for a laminated structure such as a substrate for integrated circuitry is formed in a sheet of unfired low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) material also known as 'green' tape. One sheet at a time is placed in a flexible ram forming die including a resilient rubber pressure pad and a template including the pattern to be formed in the sheet. A pair of outer pressure plates hold the pressure pad and template in place. When a sheet of unfired LTCC material is placed between the pressure pad and template and pressurization is applied to the outer plates, extrusion of the rubber material through the template causes the tape to be sheared off at the edges of the holes in the template, thus effectively cutting the required pattern in the sheet. Following pressurization, the sheet now with the pattern cut therein is removed from the die and the residual tape cut-outs are subsequently removed from the template by a vacuum.

Template type cavity-formation device for low temperature cofired

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Arnold, MD, United States of America

John Chino