Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Steven J Mass

Gershon Akerling

Marijan D Grgas

Mansoor K Siddiqui

Matthew J Pirih

Anthony L Long

Andrew Yurko

Mark Kintis

Sudhakar K Rao

Dean Tran

Jesse B Tice

Michael T Barako

John M Trippett

Luis M Rochin

Thomas Taoming Chung

Alan Hirschberg

Loc B Chau

Raymon O Fuertes

Ha K DeMarco

Randall J Duprey

Dana Quincey

Kelly Jill T Hennig

An elongate, three dimensional, conductive, micro lattice truss structure has parallel layers of resilient strands so that the truss structure maintains structural integrity during end-to-end compression which shortens its uncompressed length. The resiliency of the micro lattice truss structure enables the truss structure to return to substantially its uncompressed length when the compression is removed. The truss structure is adapted to provide a resilient electrical connection between two opposing conductive areas on parallel spaced-apart printed circuit boards when the distal ends of the truss structure engage and are compressed between the two areas.

Resilient micro lattice electrical interconnection assembly

An integrated circuit assembly including an integrated circuit formed on one side of a substrate and a thermal spreading layer composed of a silver ink directly printed on an opposite side of the substrate from the integrated circuit, where the thermal spreading layer removes heat generated by the integrated circuit. The assembly also includes a heat sink thermally attached to the thermal spreading layer opposite to the substrate, where the heat sink is attached to the thermal spreading layer by printing the same material on the heat sink as the thermal spreading layer and pressing the spreading layer to the heat sink.

Direct write, high conductivity MMIC attach

An elongate, three dimensional, conductive, micro lattice truss structure has parallel layers of resilient strands so that the truss structure maintains structural integrity during end-to-end compression which shortens its uncompressed length. The resiliency of the micro lattice truss structure enables the truss structure to return to substantially its uncompressed length when the compression is removed. The truss structure is adapted to provide a resilient electrical connection between two opposing conductive areas when the distal ends of the truss structure engage and are compressed between the two areas.

One example includes an antenna system. The antenna system includes a plurality of printed boards arranged in layers and including a first printed board and a second printed board. The first printed board includes a resonator and the second printed board includes a shield. The antenna system also includes at least one conductive via that extends through each of the plurality of printed boards and is coupled to a transceiver. The at least one conductive via can cooperate with the resonator to at least one of transmit a wireless signal from the transceiver via the antenna system or receive the wireless signal at the transceiver via the antenna system.

Printed board antenna system

A method of making an electrical structure having a foam housing is set forth. The foam housing includes an interior surface forming a conductive cavity adapted to carry energized waveforms therethrough. An electrical component of the electrical structure is integrally formed with the interior surface as the foam housing of the structure is assembled. The method includes the steps of depositing a plating material into a mold, pouring a foam polymer into the mold and removing the plated foam structure from the mold without etching the section from the mold. The method further includes steps of forming a metallic form into a planar structure, filling the open pores of the foam with a material such as photo-resist, machining a cavity from the foam, electroplating the cavity in the foam then removing the photo-resist material.

Method of making a low mass foam electrical structure

In an exemplary method, three dimensional printing forms a micro lattice truss structure with a first end formed in contact with a conductive area on a PCB so that the truss structure is adhered to the conductive area due to the three dimensional printing. The truss structure extends outward from the PCB and has a distal end. The truss structure is formed with resiliency so that the truss structure maintains structural integrity during end-to-end compression. The resiliency of the micro lattice truss structure enables the truss structure to return to substantially its uncompressed length when the compression is removed. The truss structure is conductive so that a resilient electrical connection can be formed between the conductive area of the PCB and another spaced apart surface parallel with the PCB when the distal end of the truss structure is in contact with and compressed by the other surface.

An exemplary antenna array has first self-complementary antenna cells, e.g. bowtie antennas, disposed in a first plane in rows and columns. Additional bowtie antenna cells are disposed in a second plane parallel to the first plane and are aligned in corresponding rows and columns. A first stripline disposed between the first and second planes carries RF signals to/from the first and second bowtie antenna cells. A slot feed couples the RF signals between the first stripline and each of the first and second bowtie antenna cells. A conductive layer in a third plane parallel to the first and second planes serves as a ground plane for signals radiated from/to the first and second bowtie antenna cells.

Antenna array using sandwiched radiating elements above a ground plane and fed by a stripline

An electrical structure having a foam housing is set forth. The foam housing includes an interior surface forming a conductive cavity adapted to carry energized waveforms therethrough. An electrical component of the electrical structure is integrally formed with the interior surface as the foam housing of the structure is assembled.

RF transmission line disposed within a conductively plated cavity located in a low mass foam housing

Ultra-high speed semiconductors that are usually very thin and therefore very fragile still require connection to a circuit board and a heat transfer pathway. Ultra-high speed circuits and semiconductor devices are provided with a carrier plate formed on the backside of a wafer or substrate by a variety of deposition methods. The carrier plate is a series of metal layers, each being selected to enable the attachment of a relatively thick copper carrier plate to the backside of the substrate or wafer.

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La Palma, CA, United States of America

Steven J Mass