JP3449936B2 - Manufacturing method of waveguide slot antenna - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a waveguide slot antenna in which a plurality of radiation waveguides are arranged and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a method of manufacturing a waveguide slot antenna, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-212104, a laminate having a dielectric material sandwiched between two metal plates is prepared. Manufactured by forming through-holes plated inside or forming conductor walls separating the waveguides by inserting conductor pins at the boundaries between the portions where the waveguides are formed. The method is known.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a waveguide slot antenna manufactured by a conventional manufacturing method.

In FIG. 3, a plurality of radiation slots 24, are formed in a metal conductor layer 22 on the surface of a laminate 23 composed of a dielectric layer 21 and metal conductor layers 22, 22 covering the front and back surfaces of the dielectric layer 21. 24, ... Are opened and each waveguide 25, 25,
Internally plated through-holes 27, 27, arranged at boundaries 26, 26, ...
Shown is a waveguide slot antenna 20 having conductor walls 28, 28 formed by. As a method of forming the conductor wall, the through hole 27 having the inside plated,
Instead of forming 27, ..., The conductor wall may be formed by inserting conductor pins.

[0005]

However, the waveguide slot antenna manufactured by the above manufacturing method has the following problems.

1. The number of man-hours required for the through-hole forming step or the conductor pin inserting step for forming the conductor wall is large, and the size and the position of the conductor wall are required to be highly accurate, which makes the processing difficult. In particular, the higher the operating frequency of the antenna, the more the number of through holes or conductor pins increases, so the distance between the through holes or conductor pins decreases, and the demand for processing accuracy becomes strict.

2. When the conductor wall is formed by through-holes plated inside, it becomes difficult to plate inside the through-holes with a large aspect ratio, the plating film thickness tends to be uneven, and the electrical connection lacks reliability. There is a fear.

3. When the conductor wall is formed by inserting the conductor pin, the electrical connection between the metal conductor layer sandwiching the dielectric and the conductor pin is likely to be incomplete, and the product may lack reliability.

In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a highly reliable waveguide slot antenna and its manufacturing method.

[0010]

A waveguide slot antenna of the present invention which achieves the above object has a dielectric layer and a metal conductor layer covering the front and back surfaces of the dielectric layer, and the dielectric layer surface. In a waveguide slot antenna in which a plurality of radiation waveguides each having at least one radiation slot having an opening of a metal conductor layer for covering are arranged, adjacent radiation waveguides are formed on the surface of the dielectric layer. It is characterized in that it is separated by a slit having a conductor wall penetrating through the back surface and internally connecting metal conductor layers covering the front surface and the back surface of the dielectric layer.

A method of manufacturing a waveguide slot antenna according to the present invention which achieves the above object has a dielectric layer and a metal conductor layer covering the front and back surfaces of the dielectric layer, and the surface of the dielectric layer is A method for manufacturing a waveguide slot antenna, in which a plurality of radiation waveguides each having at least one radiation slot having an opening of a metal conductor layer covering the radiation waveguide are arranged, wherein each radiation waveguide is formed. The first step of forming a slit penetrating the front and back surfaces of the dielectric layer at the boundary between them, and forming a conductor wall electrically connecting between the metal conductor layers covering the front and back surfaces of the dielectric layer inside the slit. And a second step of

Here, it is preferable that the second step is a step of forming the conductor wall by plating or by plating after inserting the metal plate into the slit.

In the first step, the metal conductor film layer covering one of the front surface and the back surface of the dielectric layer and the dielectric layer are penetrated, and the other of the front surface and the back surface of the dielectric layer is covered. This is a step of forming a slit left without penetrating the metal conductor film layer, and the second step forms the conductor wall in the slit by plating using a metal conductor layer covering the other of the metal conductor film layer as an electrode on the deposition side. It is also a preferable aspect that it is a step of performing.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a waveguide slot antenna of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the waveguide slot antenna 10 has a dielectric layer 1 and metal conductor layers 2a and 2b covering the front surface 1a and the back surface 1b of the dielectric layer 1, and the dielectric layer 1 The metal conductor layer 2a which covers the surface 1a of the No. 1 is formed by arranging a plurality of radiating slots 4, 4, ... Open and a plurality of radiating waveguides 6, 6 ,. There is. The arrangement interval of these radiation waveguides 6, 6, ... Is approximately 1/2 of the feeding wavelength. Further, the radiating slots 4, 4, ... Are arranged substantially at intervals of the wavelength in the radiating waveguide.

The radiation waveguides 6, 6, ... Penetrate the front and back surfaces of the dielectric layer 1, and inside thereof, the front and back surfaces 1a, 1 of the dielectric layer 1.
are separated from each other by slits 8, 8, ... Forming conductor walls 7, 7, ... That electrically connect the metal conductor layers 2a, 2b covering b.

In this embodiment, a Teflon plate having a thickness of 1.5 mm is used as the dielectric layer 1, and the metal conductor layers 2a, 2
A copper plate of 50 μm is used as b.

Next, a method of manufacturing the waveguide slot antenna of the present invention will be described.

The method of manufacturing a waveguide slot antenna according to the present invention has a dielectric layer and a metal conductor layer covering the front and back surfaces of the dielectric layer, and the metal conductor layer covering the surface of the dielectric layer is radiated. To produce a waveguide slot antenna in which a plurality of radiation waveguides each including at least one radiation waveguide are arranged, and a dielectric layer is formed at a boundary between portions where the radiation waveguides are formed. The method includes a first step of forming a slit penetrating the front and back surfaces, and a second step of forming a conductor wall electrically connecting the metal conductor layers covering the front surface and the back surface of the dielectric layer inside the slit.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a manufacturing process of the waveguide slot antenna of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is shown as a section view taken along the plane AA of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2 (a), as a preparation step, a dry film resist is used as an etching resist on a laminated body 13 in which a dielectric layer 11 of a Teflon plate is sandwiched between two metal conductor layers 12a and 12b of copper plates. 14 is formed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, the radiation slot 15 is etched in the metal conductor layer 12a.
At this time, the feeding slot 5 (see FIG.
See also).

Next, as shown in FIG. 2C, the surface of the metal conductor layer 12a is covered with an etching resist 14.

Next, the first step according to the present invention is performed. That is, as shown in FIG. 2D, the metal conductor layer 1
A slit 16 having a width of 100 μm that penetrates the front and back surfaces of the dielectric layer 11 is formed at the boundary between the portions of the surface 2a where the radiation conduits 6, 6, ... Slit 1
To form 6, a cutting blade can be used, for example, and the metal conductor layer 12a on the front surface side and the dielectric layer 11 are completely penetrated during the cutting operation by the cutting blade, but the metal conductor on the back surface side is formed. The cutting operation is performed with the surface of the metal conductor layer 12b as the bottom dead center of the cutting blade so that the layer 12b remains uncut.

Next, the second step according to the present invention is performed. That is, as shown in FIG. 2E, a metal conductor layer 12a that covers the front and back surfaces of the dielectric layer 11 by depositing a plating film inside the slits 16 by electroplating copper using the metal conductor layer 12b on the back surface side as a cathode. , 12b are electrically connected to each other to form a conductor wall 17. At this time, slit 1
The conductor wall 17 may be formed by previously inserting a copper plate having a thickness slightly smaller than the width of the slit 16 and a height slightly lower than the width of the slit 16 and then plating the copper plate.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 2F, the etching resist is removed, plating burrs and protrusions are removed, and the feed holes are processed to complete the waveguide slot antenna 10.

[0029]

As described above, according to the waveguide slot antenna and the manufacturing method thereof of the present invention, it is possible to realize a highly reliable waveguide slot antenna and the manufacturing method thereof.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a waveguide slot antenna of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a manufacturing process of the waveguide slot antenna of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a waveguide slot antenna manufactured by a conventional manufacturing method.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Dielectric layer 1a surface 1b back side 2a, 2b metal conductor layer 4 Radiation slot 5 power supply holes 6 Waveguide for radiation 7 Conductor wall 8 slits 10 Waveguide slot antenna 11 Dielectric layer 12a, 12b Metal conductor layer 13 laminate 14 Etching resist 15 Radiation slot 16 slits 17 Conductor wall 20 Waveguide slot antenna 21 Dielectric layer 22 Metal conductor layer 23 Stack 24 Radiation slot 25 Waveguide 26 border 27 through holes 28 Conductor wall

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Hiroaki Tanidokoro, 2270 Yokose, Yokose-cho, Chichibu-gun, Saitama Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Electronic Technology Research Center (72) Masami Koshimura 2270 Yokose, Yokose-cho, Chichibu-gun, Saitama Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Electronic Technology Laboratory (72) Inventor Naohisa Goto 2-8-1, Shiroyamate, Hachioji, Tokyo (56) References JP-A-63-209206 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int .Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01Q 13/20 H01P 11/00 H01Q 21/08

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A and a dielectric layer and the dielectric layer surface and the metal conductive layer covering the back surface, the metal conductive layer is at least one comprises a radiating slot having an opening for covering the dielectric layer surface, single Multiple radiation waveguides consisting of one dielectric layer are arranged.
A method of manufacturing a waveguide slot antenna according to claim 1, wherein the guide is formed at a boundary between portions where the waveguides for radiation are formed.
The first step for forming slits penetrating the front and back surfaces of the electric layer
And the inside of the slit to cover the front and back surfaces of the dielectric layer.
Forming a conductor wall that electrically connects between metal conductor layers
2. A method of manufacturing a waveguide slot antenna , comprising: two steps . 2. The second step is a plating step.
Or by plating after inserting the metal plate into the slit
A step of forming the conductor wall
The method of manufacturing a waveguide slot antenna according to claim 1 . 3. The surface of the dielectric layer is formed in the first step.
A metal conductor film layer covering one of a front surface and a back surface and the dielectric layer
And the surface or back of the dielectric layer.
The space left without penetrating the metal conductor film layer that covers the other surface
A step of forming a rit, the second step depositing a metal conductor layer covering the other
The method of manufacturing a waveguide slot antenna according to claim 2, further comprising the step of forming the conductor wall in the slit by plating used as the electrode on the side .