TWI790665B - Systems and methods for additive manufacturing passive resistor-capacitor frequency pass filter (prc fpf) - Google Patents

Abstract

The disclosure relates to systems and methods for fabricating passive RC frequency filter. More specifically, the disclosure is directed to computerized systems and methods for using additive manufacturing (AM) of simultaneous deposition of conductive and dielectric inks to form passive RC frequency pass filters having predetermined cutoff frequency with wide stop band frequency.

Description

System and method for additive fabrication of passive resistor-capacitor frequency-pass filters (PRC FPF)

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for fabricating passive RC frequency filters. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to computerized systems and methods for forming RC pass filters with predetermined cutoff frequencies and wide stopband frequencies using additive manufacturing (AM) of simultaneous deposition of conductive and dielectric inks.

Low pass filters are utilized in radio frequency (RF) circuits to remove unwanted harmonics or spurious signals caused by, for example, signal mixing in RF front-end circuits.

Although stepped-impedance low-pass filters and open-circuit stub low-pass filters are commonly used for low-pass filter implementations, stepped-impedance low-pass filters and open-circuit stub low-pass filters have two implementations that generally provide progressive cutoff responses Shortcomings. By increasing the number of sections of the step impedance low-pass filter or the open stub low-pass filter, the rejection characteristic of the low-pass filter can be improved to a certain extent. However, increasing the number of segments will increase the passband insertion loss (S ₂₁ ) as well as the physical size of the low pass filter (see eg top of FIG. 7A ).

Some low pass filters deal with this problem using semi-lumped elements consisting of a lumped capacitor and at least one section of the transfer load trace. However, using multiple lumped elements increases the low-pass filter component cost and increase the assembly cost of RF integrated circuits, especially for low-pass filters operating in the high RF frequency range. Multi-section low-pass filters using microstrip lines and microstrip elements such as interdigit capacitors, coupling lines, and stepped impedance hairpin resonators are other effective methods. Stepped-impedance hairpin resonators allow the design of relatively small-sized low-pass filters with additional zeros in the stopband (eg, realized by additional electrical coupling paths). (See eg Figure 1)

Additionally, slotted ground structure (DGS) microstrip line structures have been utilized in low-pass filters to implement wide stopbands. However, the DGS microstrip line structure introduces disadvantages. For example, the DGS microstrip line structure increases radiation due to the partially open ground plane, thus requiring a metal housing to shield the DGS structure, and thereby increasing the cost of the low-pass filter in conventional fabrication methods.

It is advantageous to design low-pass filters with wide stopband and high stopband rejection to improve the linearity of RF front-end circuits and reduce bit error rate (BER) in high data rate communication systems. It would also be advantageous for the low pass filter to have compact size and integration capabilities to reduce the cost of RF ICs.

The present disclosure is concerned with overcoming one or more of the above-identified disadvantages by using additive manufacturing techniques and systems.

Additive fabrication methods for fabricating passive resistor-capacitor (RC) low/high/bandpass filters are disclosed in various exemplary implementations. Specifically, in various exemplary implementations a computerized method for fabricating a passive resistor-capacitor (RC) frequency (low/high/band) pass filter to be used in an RF implementation for at least one output port is provided Systems, methods and procedures.

In an exemplary implementation, provided herein is a method of fabricating a passive RC pass filter comprising: providing an inkjet printing system comprising: a first printhead sized and configured to distribute a dielectric Ink composition; second printhead sized and configured to dispense conductive ink a water composition; a conveyor operatively coupled to the first and second print heads configured to transport the substrate to each of the first and second print heads; and computer-aided manufacturing ("CAM ”) module in communication with each of the first and second printheads, the CPM further comprising: at least one processor in communication with a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store instructions, the The instructions, when executed by at least one processor, cause the CPM to control the inkjet printing system by performing steps comprising: receiving a 3D visualization file representing a frequency pass filter (FPF); and generating an archive having a plurality of files, Each file represents a substantially 2D layer for printing the FPF and the meta-file represents at least the printing sequence; a dielectric ink composition and a conductive ink composition are provided; a CAM module representing the first layer for printing the FPF is obtained from the library First file; the first file includes printing instructions for representing patterns of at least one of the following: dielectric ink and conductive ink; using a first print head to form a pattern corresponding to the dielectric ink; making a pattern corresponding to a multilayer The pattern represented by the dielectric ink in the 2D layer of the PCB is solidified; the pattern corresponding to the conductive ink is formed using a second print head; the pattern corresponding to the conductive ink is sintered; the representation is obtained from the library using a CAM module for subsequent printing of the FPF a subsequent file of layers; the subsequent file includes printing instructions for representing a pattern of at least one of the following: dielectric ink and conductive ink; repeating the steps of: forming a pattern corresponding to the dielectric ink using the first print head, Up to the step of obtaining a subsequent substantially 2D layer from a 2D archive using a CAM module, where after printing the final layer, the passive RC FPF comprises: a plurality of resistors placed in an intermediate layer in series configuration with the transmission load traces a plurality of capacitors disposed in an intermediate layer configured in parallel with at least one transmission load trace, the plurality of capacitors being sized and operable to provide a predetermined cutoff frequency; and transmission load lines sized and assembled state to be operably coupled to each of the plurality of capacitors and each of the plurality of resistors; and removing the substrate.

S₂₁)小於約2.0dB，且阻帶在3.4GHz與至少20GHz之間小於-25dB。 In an exemplary implementation, the passive RC FPF fabricated using the disclosed additive manufacturing (AM) method and system is a first low-pass filter (LPF1) with a cutoff frequency of 2.4 GHz, wherein for at least one unshielded transmit load trace, the frequency roll-off rate is not less than about -25dB/GHz, and the insertion loss (

S ₂₁ ) is less than about 2.0 dB, and the stopband is less than -25 dB between 3.4 GHz and at least 20 GHz.

S₂₁)小於約2.0dB，且阻帶在3.4GHz與至少11GHz之間小於-25dB。 In another exemplary implementation, the RC FPF fabricated using the disclosed additive manufacturing method and system is a second low-pass filter (LPF2) with a cutoff frequency of 2.4 GHz, where for the shielded transmit load trace, the frequency The roll-off rate is not less than about -22.5dB/GHz, and the insertion loss (

S ₂₁ ) is less than about 2.0 dB, and the stopband is less than -25 dB between 3.4 GHz and at least 11 GHz.

S21)小於約2.0dB，且阻帶在6.1GHz與至少20GHz之間小於-25dB。 In another exemplary implementation, the RC FPF fabricated using the disclosed additive manufacturing method and system is a third low-pass filter (LPF3) with a cutoff frequency of 5.0 GHz, where for unshielded transmit load traces, frequency The roll-off rate is not less than about -27dB/GHz, and the insertion loss (

S21 ) is less than about 2.0 dB, and the stopband is less than -25 dB between 6.1 GHz and at least 20 GHz.

S₂₁)小於約3.0dB，且阻帶在6.1GHz與至少15GHz之間小於-15dB。 In another exemplary implementation, the passive RC FPF fabricated using the disclosed additive manufacturing method and system is a fourth low pass filter (LPF4) with a cutoff frequency of 5.0 GHz, where for the shielded transmit load trace, The frequency roll-off rate is not less than about -27dB/GHz, and the insertion loss (

S ₂₁ ) is less than about 3.0 dB, and the stopband is less than -15 dB between 6.1 GHz and at least 15 GHz.

100: printing plate

101i: Transmission Load Trace

102j: Capacitor

103p: buried via, blind via

110: Ground plane layer, printed ground layer

300: Low Pass Filter (LPF), Circuits

301: Input port P1

302: The first transmission load trace

303: second transmission load trace

304: The third transmission load trace

305: the fourth transmission load trace

306: fifth transmission load trace

307: The sixth transmission load trace

308: Magnetically coupled inductors

308': Magnetically coupled inductor

309: Magnetically coupled inductors

309': Magnetically coupled inductor

310: Magnetically coupled inductor

310': Magnetically coupled inductor

311: Magnetically coupled inductor

311': Magnetically coupled inductor

312: The first integrated printed capacitor C _p1

313: Integral printed capacitor C _p2

314: Integral printed capacitor C _p3

315: Integral printed capacitor C _p4

316: Ground contact

317: Ground contact

318: Ground contact

319: Ground contact

320: output port

350: Passive Resistor-Capacitor Frequency Pass Filter (RC FPF)

352: line

353: line

354: line

355: line

356: line

357: line

362:C _p1

363:C _p2

364:C _p3

365:C _p4

For a better understanding of direct or indirect additive manufacturing methods and systems for fabricating passive resistor-capacitor (RC) frequency (low/high/band) pass filters, for illustrative implementations thereof, reference is made to the accompanying examples and drawings , in the drawings: Fig. 1 is a prior art example of a circuit schematic of a shielded phase-locked loop (PLL), where the switched filter bank can be replaced by a passive RC FPF formed using AM; Fig. 2A is an example of a low-pass filter (LPF) An upper right cutaway perspective view of an example, shown in FIG. 2B; FIG. 2C is a top view of an example of a circuit printed using the disclosed method and programming implemented in the disclosed system; FIG. Schematic diagram of a fourth-order Butterworth passive RC LPF with a cutoff of 2.4GHz, where an example of a cutoff of 5.0GHz is illustrated in FIG. 3B; Figure 4A illustrates the frequency sweep of the unshielded passive RC LPF of Figure 3A, and the shielded frequency sweep is illustrated in Figure 4B; Figure 5A illustrates the frequency sweep of the unshielded passive RC LPF of Figure 3B, and is illustrated in Figure 5B Screened frequency sweep; Figure 6 shows the results of the return loss (S11) signal for a capacitor fabricated and used in the LPF illustrated in Figure 3A; and Figures 7A and 7B illustrate a typical LPF (top) fabricated using conventional methods Size difference from a similar AM fabricated LPF (bottom).

Provided herein are examples of computerized systems and methods for additive fabrication using simultaneous deposition of conductive and dielectric inks to form RC pass filters with predetermined cutoff frequencies and wide stopband frequencies.

RF filter design is a complete process considering the requirements of the final system. Systems (eg, PLL, DDS-PLL, ADPLL) typically have the ability to input a signal and "ignore" irrelevant spectrum. A filter with 3 options on the input is required: 1) low pass, 2) band pass, and 3) high pass. All three types of filters can be implemented with resistors, capacitors, coils, semiconductor devices. Implementation by their components can also be done by coaxial technology and SMT, which causes problems connecting the components together, thus generating frequency reflections. With the disclosed method implemented in the provided system, the capacitors, coils, at least one transmit load trace (shielded or unshielded), and the ground plane layer are printed as an integral part of the circuitry inside the board. In this way, the parasitic behavior of misalignment between connections is substantially avoided. Similarly, using the disclosed method implemented in a provided system, a filter of the described type can be fabricated covered with a metal box behaving like a Faraday cage to isolate the filter from the environment.

Specifically, in certain exemplary implementations, there is provided a method for producing additively manufactured electronic (AME) Computerized system of devices and systems. The disclosed system uses an inkjet infrastructure to simultaneously deposit conductive ink (CI) based on, for example, silver nanoparticles (but also contemplates additional print heads with CIs of different materials, such as copper), and media based on photopolymerizable resins. Electro-Ink (DI). Where this method is used, the system is simultaneously configured to build a 3D composite device designed using established design rules in a predetermined order.

Starting from the 3D image file of the designed device, and selectively changing the patterns of CI and DI in each layer for printing, and each substantially 2D layer contains both patterns, or a single DI/CI pattern, where the meta file Further includes instructions related to the corresponding CI/DI not included in that particular generally 2D layer for printing (in other words, resolving the relationship between the patterns); and separately (in other words, using two different means in one example) , such as UV sources and heating sources such as IR lamps), sintering and curing the pattern allows the creation of devices for applications ranging from very difficult to virtually impossible for standard (subtractive) manufacturing methods using printed circuit boards (PCBs). devices that may be manufactured. The disclosed methods, systems and procedures are used to create multilayer capacitors with different area geometries and different layer counts, allowing a wide range of range of capacitance. The described frequency (eg, high, low) pass filter (FPF) unit is implemented by using at least one transmissive load trace and a capacitor coupled to the ground plane (see eg FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B ).

Different transfer load trace lengths, widths, capacitance values and counts of capacitors designed and fabricated using the disclosed methods and implemented in the disclosed systems affect different notches in the transfer function, thus enabling control and improvement of various S-parameters such as insertion loss (S ₂₁ ) and return loss (S ₁₁ ).

Accordingly and in an exemplary configuration, there is provided herein a method of manufacturing a passive RC frequency pass filter (FPF) comprising: providing an inkjet printing system comprising: a first printhead sized and configured to dispense a dielectric ink composition; a second printhead sized and configured to dispense a conductive ink composition; a conveyor operatively coupled to the first and second printheads assembled state to deliver substrates to each of the first and second print heads; and a computer-aided manufacturing ("CAM") module in communication with each of the first and second print heads, the CPM further comprising : with the configured A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions in communication with at least one processor, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the CPM to control the inkjet printing system by performing steps comprising: receiving representative frequency pass filtering A 3D visualization file of a device (FPF); and generating an archive with a plurality of files, each file representing a substantially 2D layer for printing the FPF and the meta-file representing at least a printing order. If the layer profile specifies a single ink, eg CI only, the meta-file will further indicate the ratio between the CI layers to be printed before printing the next layer with both patterns or only the DI pattern. Thereafter, a dielectric ink composition and a conductive ink composition are provided; a CAM module is used to obtain a file representing a first layer for printing a FPF from a library using a meta file; the first file contains a file representing at least one of Printing instructions for patterns of one: dielectric ink and conductive ink; use the first print head to form a pattern corresponding to the dielectric ink; solidify the pattern corresponding to the dielectric ink in the 2D layer of the multilayer PCB; use the second The print head forms a pattern corresponding to the conductive ink; sinters the pattern corresponding to the conductive ink; obtains a follow-up file from the library using a CAM module representing a subsequent layer for printing the FPF; Printing instructions for the pattern of one: dielectric ink and conductive ink; repeating the following steps: using the first print head to form the pattern corresponding to the dielectric ink, until the step of obtaining the subsequent substantially 2D layer from the 2D archive using the CAM module , wherein after printing the final layer, the passive RC FPF comprises: a plurality of resistors placed in an intermediate layer in a series configuration with at least one transmission load trace; a plurality of capacitors placed in connection with at least one transmission load trace In the middle layer of the parallel configuration, a plurality of capacitors sized and operable to provide a predetermined cutoff frequency; and at least one transmit load trace (interchangeable with a transmit load line) sized and configured to be operable ground is coupled to each of the plurality of capacitors and each of the plurality of resistors; and the substrate is removed.

In the context of this disclosure, "band-pass filter" generally means a high-pass filter and/or a band-pass filter and/or a low-pass filter, whereby the term high-pass filter means a filter whose impedance characteristics have peak at one frequency and a notch at a second frequency (where the second frequency is higher than the first frequency), and the term low-pass filter means that the filter impedance characteristic has a notch at the first frequency and a notch at the second frequency frequency peak (where the second frequency is higher than the first frequency) (see eg Figure 4A, Figure 4B). In some implementations, the FPF is a low-pass filter (LPF) with at least one transmit load trace (at least one transmit load line) and capacitor operable to deliver a frequency cutoff at 2.4 GHz, or in other implementations , the FPF is a low pass filter with at least one transmit load trace and capacitor operable to deliver a frequency cutoff at 5.0 GHz.

In the context of the present disclosure, the term "roll-off" refers to the steepness or slope of the filter response in the transition region from the passband to the stopband. For example, a particular digital filter may be said to have a roll-off of 12dB/octave—meaning that the first octave of frequency _f0 , or _2f0 , will attenuate 12dB more than the filter attenuation at _f0 . The second octave 4f ₀ will attenuate 24dB more than the filter attenuation at f ₀ , and so on. Likewise, the term "stopband" refers to a frequency band that is attenuated by a predetermined amount by the RC FPF such that output signals at corresponding frequencies within the stopband do not degrade or otherwise affect downstream processing. By way of example, the stopband may include all frequencies at which the output signal is attenuated by -20 dB or more. Stopband attenuation is measured between the peak passband amplitude and the maximum stopband lobe amplitude. In addition, the term "cutoff frequency" refers to the upper passband frequency of the low pass filter, and the lower passband frequency of the high pass filter. For example, the cutoff frequency can be determined by the point at which the frequency response (or frequency domain description of how the FPF interacts with the input signal) exhibits a selected amount of attenuation, such as the -3dB point of the filter magnitude response relative to the peak passband value.

The disclosed at least one transmission load trace or line (in other words, the trace that carries electromagnetic (EM) signals from point to point) may actually be coaxial (e.g., a shielded microstrip line) integral with the FPF device or unshielded traces of varying widths and lengths (see eg, 302 to 306 of FIG. 3A ), thereby forming an all-in-one feeder infrastructure that does not require external wiring or coupling to external components. Furthermore, in some examples, at least one transmission load trace 101i may be substantially circular in cross-section. In the context of this disclosure, the term "coaxial" means that the various layers/regions of at least one transmission load trace 101i have a common axis of propagation. In another example, at least one layer/region of transfer load trace 101i is fabricated such that once the printing of the 2D layer has been completed, the layer/region has the same geometry center. In some instances, at least one transmission load trace fabricated using the systems, methods, and procedures disclosed herein is coaxial and concentric, while in other examples; the at least one transmission load trace is neither coaxial nor concentric. Additionally, due to the manufacturing methods disclosed herein, the at least one transmission load trace of certain examples is not limited to those traces that are circular in cross-section, and in fact, at least one transmission load trace with other cross-sections is contemplated, Including but not limited to rectangular and oval cross-sections. As used herein, the term "unitary" is defined as molded or otherwise formed as a single integral part of the disclosed passive RC FPF.

The systems, methods, and compositions described herein can be used to form a single sequential build-up fabrication process (pass) using, for example, an inkjet printing device, or using several passes using a combination of printheads and conductive and dielectric ink compositions. /make fpf. Using the systems, methods, and compositions described herein, thermoset resin materials can be used to form insulating and/or dielectric portions of printed boards (see, eg, 100 of FIG. 2A ). This printed dielectric inkjet ink (DI) material is printed in an optimized shape including accurate via location (see eg 103p of Figure 2B), for passive RC FPF 350 (see eg 5.0 GHz of Figure 3B Plated through holes for passive RC LPF).

The passive RC FPFs described herein can be made from any suitable build-up material, such as metal powders (e.g., cobalt, chromium, steel, aluminum, titanium, and/or nickel alloys), gas-atomized metal powders, thermoplastic powders ( For example, polylactic acid (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and/or high density polyethylene (HDPE)), photopolymer resins (e.g. UV curable photopolymers such as PMMA), thermosetting resins , thermoplastic resin, or any other suitable material to achieve the functionality as described herein.

The systems used may generally include several subsystems and modules. Such subsystems and modules may be, for example: additional conductive and dielectric print heads, mechanical subsystems for controlling movement of the print head, chuck, its heating and conveyor movement; ink composition injection systems; curing/sintering Subsystem; a computerized subsystem having at least one processor or CPU (or GPU) configured to control the program and generate appropriate printing instructions, such as a robotic arm component placement system (e.g., for spanning secondary winding Component terminal external resonant capacitors), hot air knives for welding, machine vision systems, and command and control systems for controlling 3D printing.

Accordingly, a method of fabricating a passive RC FPF using AM includes: providing a printing system having: a first print head adapted to dispense dielectric ink; a second print head adapted to dispense conductive ink; operably coupled to A conveyor to the first and second printheads configured to convey the substrate to each printhead; and computer-aided manufacturing ("CAM") in communication with the first printhead, the second printhead, and the conveyor Module, a CAM module comprising: at least one processor; non-volatile memory having stored thereon a set of executable instructions configured to, when executed, cause the at least one processor to: receive a signal representing a passive RC FPF 3D visualization files (eg, Gerber files) for 3D designs; use of 3D visualization files after printing produces a library of layer files, each layer file representing a substantially 2D layer for printing AM passive RC FPF.

In the context of this disclosure, the term "2D archive" refers to a given collection of archives that, when assembled and printed, together define a single passive RC FPF or a plurality of passive RC FPFs for a given purpose. Furthermore, the term "2D archive" may also be used to refer to a collection of 2D files or any other raster graphics file format (an image is represented as a collection of pixels, usually in the form of a rectangular grid, e.g. BMP, PNG, TIFF, GIF), which Can be indexed, searched and reassembled to provide structural layers of the RC FPF, whether the search is for the entire passive RC FPF or a given specific 2D layer within the RC FPF.

In addition, each file in the 2D archive has associated metadata defining the printing order of the layers and other instructions about the printing system, such as printing speed (m/sec), order of CI and DI, etc. As indicated, the metadata files will also contain the correlation between CI and DI in those files using only one ink type. In the context of the present disclosure, "metadata" is generally used herein to refer to data describing other data, such as data describing CI and/or DI patterns to be printed. However, it should be understood that, as used herein, the term "data" may refer to data or metadata. Thus, the library automatically parsed from the 3D image file contains three different file types corresponding to the substantially 2D layers used for printing. Therefore, the library has At least one of the following for printing: at least one file containing only DI patterns, at least one file containing only CI patterns, and at least one file containing both DI patterns and CI patterns. Each file type metadata will further include the interrelationships between the particular file type (CI, DI, both) and other files in the repository.

Where a library is used, the system is operable to retrieve a 2D file for printing and generate, for example (depending on, for example, the metadata of the 2D layer file) a conductive ink pattern containing all the information for printing a passive RC FPF. The conductive portion of each of the 2D layer files for the conductive portion of the layer is extracted, followed by an ink pattern corresponding to each of the 2D layer files for printing the dielectric portion of the passive RC FPF layer The dielectric ink portion, wherein the CAM module is configured and operable to control each of the first and second print heads, thereby obtaining the 2D layer. Then, depending on the print order configured in the metadata of the 2D file, a pattern corresponding to the dielectric ink in the captured 2D layer file is formed using the first print head and the DI pattern is cured. A second print head is then used to form a pattern corresponding to the conductive ink in the captured 2D layer archive and sinter the pattern corresponding to the conductive ink, thereby obtaining a single substantially 2D layer of the passive RC FPF. In the context of the present disclosure, a substantially 2D layer means a single layer forming a film having a thickness between about 10 μm and about 55 μm, such as between about 15 μm and about 45 μm or between about 17 μm and about 35 μm.

With respect to systems, devices and programs (methods), the term "operable" means that the system and/or device and/or program are fully functional and calibrated, including for At least one processor associated with a device is an element that performs the recited functions and/or steps when executed, and satisfies applicable operability requirements for performing the recited functions and/or steps. With respect to systems and circuits, the term "operable" means that the system and/or circuits are fully functional and calibrated, comprising logic for performing the recited functions and/or steps when executed by at least one processor, and satisfying the requirements for performing the required Describe applicable operability requirements for functions and/or steps.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, as is apparent from the following discussion, it should be understood that throughout In this disclosure, terms such as "access" or "retrieve" or "form" or "process" or "execute" or "generating" or "display" or "obtain" or "creating" or Discussions of terms such as "execute" or "continue" or "calculate" or "determine" refer to the actions and procedures of a computer system or similar electronic computing device or under the control of a computer system or similar electronic computing device, such actions and A program that manipulates and transforms data and/or metadata represented as physical (electronic) quantities within a computer system's registers, libraries, databases, and memory storage devices into computer system memory or registers or other such Information storage, transmission or display of other data similarly represented as physical quantities in a device. It should be noted, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities, and are merely convenient labels applied to those actions and quantities.

In addition, the set of executable instructions, when executed, is further configured such that the at least one processor: retrieves from the library subsequent layer files, each subsequent layer file representing use in printing passive RC FPF or passive resistor/capacitor circuits A substantially two-dimensional (2D) subsequent layer of the subsequent portion. Extraction of files for subsequent layers is performed, for example using a CAM module, each file contains the CI and/or DI (or support ink pattern as the case may be) patterns for printing and in some The printing instruction data written in the data. It should be noted that once converted, the 2D archive can be remotely connected to the system and need not physically reside on the same non-transitory memory storage device that stores the executable instructions to perform the various disclosed method steps .

The CAM module may thus comprise or communicate with a 2D archive storing a plurality of files converted from a 3D visualization file of the passive RC FPF. Therefore, to reiterate, as used herein, the term "library" refers to a collection of 2D layer files derived from a 3D visualization file, which contains the information required to print each conductive and dielectric pattern, which can be obtained from data collection application to access and use, and the data collection application can be executed by a computer-readable medium. The CAM module further comprises: at least one processor in communication with the library; a non-transitory memory storage device storing a set of operating instructions for execution by the processor; one or more micromechanical inkjet print heads in communication with the processor and the library ; and with 2D archives, memory and one or more A printhead (or multiple printheads) interface circuitry for communication between a micromachined inkjet printhead, the 2D file library configured to provide functional layer-specific printer operating parameters, e.g., using each 2D layer file metadata.

The use of the term "module" does not imply that all of the components or functionality described or claimed to be part of the module are configured in a (single) common package. Rather, any or all of the various components of a module (whether control logic or otherwise) may be combined in a single package or maintained separately and may be further distributed in multiple groupings or packages or across multiple (remote) locations and devices. Additionally, in some exemplary implementations, the term "module" refers to an integral or distributed hardware unit. Also, in the context of the first printhead, the term "dispensing" is used to designate the means for dispensing ink drops. Dispensers can be, for example, devices for dispensing small quantities of liquids, including microvalves, piezoelectric dispensers, continuous jet print heads, boiling (bubble jet) dispensers, and other devices that affect the temperature and properties of fluid flowing through the dispenser.

-46dB/倍頻程)，插入損耗(

S₂₁)小於約2.0dB，且阻帶或隔離參數(S₁₂)在3.4GHz與至少20GHz之間小於-25dB(參見例如圖4A)，或在另一例示性實施中，提供具有2.4GHz之截止頻率的低通濾波器，其中對於經屏蔽的至少一個傳輸負載跡線，頻率滾降速率不小於約-22.5dB/GHz(

-60dB/倍頻程)，插入損耗(

S₂₁)小於約2.0dB，且阻帶或隔離參數(S₁₂)在3.6GHz與至少11GHz之間小於-25dB。 In certain implementations of the disclosed methods and programs implemented in the disclosed systems, a low-pass filter is provided having a cutoff frequency of 2.4 GHz, wherein for at least one transmit-loaded trace that is unshielded, the frequency roll-off rate (in other words , the power change as a function of frequency in the stop band) is not less than about -25dB/GHz (

-46dB/octave), insertion loss (

S ₂₁ ) is less than about 2.0 dB, and the stopband or isolation parameter (S ₁₂ ) is less than -25 dB between 3.4 GHz and at least 20 GHz (see, eg, FIG. 4A ), or in another exemplary implementation, providing a A low-pass filter at a cutoff frequency with a frequency roll-off rate of not less than about -22.5dB/GHz (

-60dB/octave), insertion loss (

S ₂₁ ) is less than about 2.0 dB, and the stopband or isolation parameter (S ₁₂ ) is less than -25 dB between 3.6 GHz and at least 11 GHz.

至少-50dB/倍頻程)，插入損耗(

S₂₁)小於約2.0dB，且阻帶或隔離參數(S₁₂)在6.2GHz與至少20 GHz之間小於-25dB，或提供具有5.0GHz之截止頻率的低通濾波器，其中對於經屏蔽的至少一個傳輸負載跡線，頻率滾降速率不小於約-27dB/GHz(

至少-50dB/倍頻程)，插入損耗(

S₂₁)小於約3.0dB，且阻帶或隔離參數(S₁₂)在6.1GHz與至少15GHz之間小於-15dB。 Additionally, in certain implementations of the disclosed methods and procedures implemented in the disclosed systems, provided herein is a low pass filter having a cutoff frequency of 5.0 GHz, wherein for at least one transmit load trace that is unshielded, the frequency rolls The drop rate is not less than about -27dB/GHz (

at least -50dB/octave), insertion loss (

S ₂₁ ) is less than about 2.0dB, and the stopband or isolation parameter (S ₁₂ ) is less than -25dB between 6.2GHz and at least 20 GHz, or provides a low-pass filter with a cutoff frequency of 5.0GHz, where for shielded At least one transmit-loaded trace with a frequency roll-off rate not less than approximately -27dB/GHz (

at least -50dB/octave), insertion loss (

S ₂₁ ) is less than about 3.0 dB, and the stopband or isolation parameter (S ₁₂ ) is less than -15 dB between 6.1 GHz and at least 15 GHz.

In some examples, and as illustrated in FIGS. 2A, 2B, at least one ground plane layer 110 that can ground capacitor 102j is a ground plane on top of the structure illustrated in FIG. And/or blind via 103p contact. A printed ground layer 110 is indicated as present in the middle layer of the illustrated laminate structure. In addition, at least one ground plane layer 110 may be printed individually as a mesh (in other words, a grooved ground structure (DGS) to implement a wide stopband) after printing the final layer, each mesh layer covering an area of the intermediate layer. Between about 40% and about 99% of the area. By forming resonant gaps or slots in the ground plane placed directly under, for example, the corresponding transmit load trace and aligned to effectively couple to that line, the mesh can be kept at a mesh density (in other words, each CI per unit area, unitless (eg ^mm2 / ^mm2 ) is applicable to the components used in the FPF. Additionally, in certain exemplary implementations, the RC FPF is configured to have multiple DGS layers, thereby further Reduce insertion loss of passive RC FPF (S ₂₁ ).

In certain implementations, after printing the final layer, each printed capacitor includes two conductive layers with the same or different geometries, each capacitor layer is sized using the disclosed methods and procedures implemented in the disclosed system after printing the final layer and adapted to have a thickness of between about 10 μm and about 60 μm, such as between about 15 μm and about 55 μm, or between about 17 μm and about 35 μm. Similarly, the two conductive layers forming each capacitor (see, e.g., 102j of FIG. 2B ) are formed by having a thickness between about 15 μm and about 60 μm, such as between about 20 μm and about 55 μm or between about 35 μm and about 50 μm The dielectric ink layer is separated.

Likewise, in certain exemplary implementations, transmission (load) lines coupled to adjacent capacitors formed using the disclosed methods and procedures implemented in the disclosed systems have a width (W) of between about 600 μm and about 2000 μm and a length (L) between about 2000 μm and about 10,000 μm, At least one transmit load trace is sized and configured to have an aspect ratio L/W >2.

In an exemplary implementation, the term "forming" (and variations thereof "formed", etc.) refers to pumping, injecting, pouring, releasing, displacing, using any suitable means known in the art. Dispensing, circulating, or otherwise placing a fluid or material (eg, conductive ink) into contact with another material (eg, a substrate, resin, or another layer).

Curing an insulating and/or dielectric layer or pattern deposited by a suitable print head as described herein may be achieved by, for example, heating, photopolymerization, drying, depositing plasma, annealing, promoting redox reactions , irradiated by ultraviolet beams, or a combination comprising one or more of the foregoing. Curing need not be by a single process and may involve several processes simultaneously or sequentially (eg, drying and heating, and deposition of crosslinker by an additional print head included in the system in any way not structurally necessary).

In addition and in another implementation, cross-linking refers to the use of cross-linking agents by covalent bonding (ie, forming a linking group) or by monomers (such as but not limited to methacrylate, methacryl Free radical polymerization of amines, acrylates, or acrylamides binds the moieties together. In some exemplary implementations, the linking groups grow to the ends of the polymer arms.

Thus, in an exemplary implementation, the vinyl component used as part of DI is a monomer, a comonomer, and/or an oligomer selected from the group comprising: multifunctional acrylates, carbonate copolymers thereof , its urethane copolymer, or a composition comprising monomers and/or oligomers of the foregoing. Thus, multifunctional acrylates are 1,2-ethylene glycol diacrylate, 1,3-propanediol diacrylate, 1,4-butanediol diacrylate, 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate, di Propylene Glycol Diacrylate, Neopentyl Glycol Diacrylate, Ethoxylated Neopentyl Glycol Diacrylate, Propoxylated Neopentyl Glycol Diacrylate, Tripropylene Glycol Diacrylate, Bisphenol-A-Diacrylate Glyceryl Ether Diacrylate, Hydroxypivalate Neopentyl Glycol Diacrylate, Ethoxylated Bisphenol-A-Diglycidyl Ether Diacrylate, Polyethylene Glycol Diacrylate, Trimethylolpropane Triacrylate Ester, Ethoxylated Trimethylolpropane Triacrylate, Propoxylated Trimethylolpropane Tripropylene ester, propoxylated glyceryl triacrylate, ginseng (2-acryloxyethyl) isocyanurate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, ethoxylated pentaerythritol triacrylate, Pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, di(trimethylolpropane) tetraacrylate, dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate and dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate, or a combination thereof One or more multifunctional acrylate compositions.

In exemplary implementations, the term "copolymer" means a polymer derived from two or more monomers (including terpolymers, tetramers, etc.), and the term "polymer" means a polymer derived from one or more Any carbon-containing compound that is the repeating unit of several different monomers.

Other functional heads may be located before, between or after the inkjet ink print heads used in the systems used to practice the methods described herein. Such functional heads may include an electromagnetic radiation source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation of a predetermined wavelength (λ), such as between 190 nm and about 400 nm, such as 395 nm in one exemplary implementation, which may be used to accelerate and/or Or conditioning and/or facilitating photopolymerizable insulating and/or dielectric substances that can be used in conjunction with metal nanoparticle dispersions used in conductive inks. Other functional heads may be heating elements, printing heads additionally with various inks (eg supports, pre-soldered connectivity inks, marking printing of various components (eg capacitors, transistors), etc.) and combinations of the foregoing.

Other similar functional steps (and thus support systems for affecting these steps) can be performed before or after each of the DI or CI inkjet ink printheads (eg, for sintering the conductive layer). These steps may include (but are not limited to): photobleaching (of the photoresist mask support pattern), photocuring or exposure to any other suitable source of actinic radiation (using, for example, a UV light source); drying (for example, using a vacuum zone); , or heating elements); (reactive) plasma deposition (e.g., using a pressurized plasma gun and plasma beam controller); crosslinking, such as by using cationic initiators, e.g. for flexible resin polymer solutions or [4-[(2-hydroxytetradecyl)-oxyl]-phenyl]-phenyliodonium hexafluoroantimonate in flexible conductive resin solutions; prior to coating; annealing, or promoting redox Reactions and combinations thereof are independent of the order in which these processes are utilized. In certain exemplary implementations, a laser may be used on the rigid resin and/or the flexible portion (e.g., selected selective laser sintering/melting, direct laser sintering/melting) or electron beam melting.

Deposition tools (e.g., in terms of viscosity and surface tension of the composition) and deposition surface properties (e.g., hydrophilic or hydrophobic), and substrate or support materials (e.g., glass, PC, PEI, etc.) (if used) can be considered The interfacial energy) or the requirements imposed by the substrate layer on which the continuous layer is deposited (if any) to formulate the conductive ink composition. For example, the viscosity of the conductive inkjet ink and/or DI (measured at printing temperature (° C.)) may be, for example, not lower than about 5 cP, such as not lower than about 8 cP, or not lower than about 10 cP, and not higher than about 30 cP, such as not higher than about 20 cP, or not higher than about 15 cP. The conductive inks can each be configured (e.g., formulated) to have a dynamic surface tension (referring to the surface tension formed at the printhead orifice) of between about 25 mN/m and about 35 mN/m, such as between about 29 mN/m and about 31 mN/m. Surface tension when jetting an ink drop), as measured by a maximum bubble pressure tensiometer at a surface age of 50 ms and 25°C. The dynamic surface tension can be adjusted such that the contact angle with the peelable substrate, support material, resin layer, or combination thereof is between about 100° and about 165°.

In an exemplary implementation, the term "chuck" is intended to mean a mechanism for supporting, holding or holding a substrate or workpiece. A chuck may consist of one or more parts. In an exemplary implementation, the chuck may comprise a stage and insert combination, a platform jacketed or otherwise configured for heating and/or cooling with another similar component, or any combination.

In an exemplary implementation, implementing inkjet ink compositions, systems and methods allowing direct, continuous or semi-continuous inkjet printing to form/manufacture passive RC FPFs formed using the disclosed methods and procedures implemented in the disclosed systems, And/or shielded phase locked loop (PLL) including passive RC FPF. The PLL includes circuitry operable to phase lock a generated output signal into a predetermined phase relationship with an incoming reference signal. Thus, in the context of this disclosure, the term "phase-locked loop" (PLL) includes any type of phase-locked or synchronous circuit, such as circuits commonly referred to as PLLs, as well as delay-locked circuits, so-called DLLs (in these when used for phase locking or synchronization purposes). In some implementations, the PLL will further include a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), and in another exemplary implementation, a direct digital synthesis PLL (DDS-PLL) system where the passive RC FPF is operable to remove spurious frequency components above a predetermined frequency as presented herein.

Likewise, at a predetermined distance above the chuck or any subsequent layer, e.g., by two (X-Y) (it will be understood that the print head is also moved in the Z axis, e.g. to form blind vias coupling the capacitor layer to the ground plane layer and Other AM electronic circuits (AME) can be fabricated, patterned by ejecting droplets of the liquid inkjet inks provided herein from the orifices one at a time when the printhead (or chuck) is manipulated in a dimensioned manner (/or buried vias). . The height of the print head can vary with the number of layers, keeping eg a fixed distance. In an exemplary implementation, each droplet may be configured to follow a predetermined trajectory from a well operably coupled to the orifice to the substrate upon command, eg, by a pressure pulse, through the deformable piezoelectric crystal. Printing of the first inkjet metallic ink can be increased and a larger number of layers can be accommodated. Provided inkjet printheads for use in the methods described herein can provide a minimum layer film thickness equal to or less than about 0.3 μm to 10,000 μm.

The conveyors steered among the various printheads used in the described methods and implementable in the described systems can be configured to move at speeds between about 5 mm/sec and about 1000 mm/sec. For example, the speed of the chuck may depend, for example, on the desired throughput, the number of print heads used in the process, the printed circuit boards being printed, including built-in passive components and embedded active components described herein. The number and thickness of layers, the curing time of the ink, the evaporation rate of the ink solvent, the print head of the first inkjet conductive ink comprising metal particles or metal polymer paste and the second inkjet ink comprising the second thermosetting resin and plate forming inkjet ink The distance between two printing heads, etc., or a combination of factors including one or more of the foregoing.

In an exemplary implementation, the volume of each droplet of the metal (or metallic) ink and/or the second resin ink may range from 0.5 to 300 picoliters (pL), such as 1 to 4 pL, and is dependent on the drive pulse The intensity, its wavelength and the nature of the ink. The waveform used to eject a single droplet can be 10V to about 70V pulsed, or about 16V to about 20V, and ink can be ejected at a frequency between about 2 kHz and about 500 kHz. It should be noted that using the fabrication system presented herein, control of the use of waveforms enables the printing of Each nozzle in the brush head's nozzle array is controlled to achieve drop-on-demand (DOD), which facilitates the necessary accuracy required for the helical winding.

A representation of a cPCB-based circuit (cPCBI) for the manufacture of a cPCBT and/or a single inductor coil containing a printed circuit board including built-in passive components and embedded active components. STL, IGES, DXF, DMIS, NC, STEP, Catia, SolidWorks, Autocad, ProE, 3D Studio, Gerber, EXCELLON files, Rhino, Altium, Orcad, or files containing one or more of the foregoing; and where indicated The file of at least one substantially 2D layer (and uploaded to the library) can be, for example, a JPEG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, PDF file, or a combination comprising one or more of the foregoing.

A computer that controls the printing process described herein may include a computer-readable storage medium having embodied therewith computer-readable program code that, when executed by a processor in a digital computing device, causes a three-dimensional The inkjet printing unit performs the following steps: Preprocessing CAD/CAM generated information (such as 3D visualization files) associated with the described passive RC FPF, thereby generating a plurality of A library of 2D files (in other words, representing files for printing at least one substantially 2D layer of a passive RC FPF) which can then guide metal from a second inkjet print head of a three-dimensional inkjet printing unit at the surface of the substrate A droplet stream of material; directing a droplet stream of DI resin material from a first inkjet print head at the substrate surface; alternatively or additionally, directing a droplet stream of material from another inkjet printhead (e.g., support ink); moving the substrate/chuck relative to the inkjet head in the X-Y plane of the substrate, wherein for each of the plurality of layers (and/or the pattern of conductive or DI inkjet ink within each layer), the In layer-by-layer fabrication the step of moving the substrate relative to the inkjet head in the X-Y plane of the substrate is performed and wherein curing and sintering are performed separately. The sequence of CI or DI printing and subsequent sintering/curing can be defined in the metadata of the substantially 2D layer files generated and stored in the library.

Additionally, in some implementations, the computer program includes a computer program for performing the methods described herein code components of the steps of the method, and a computer program product containing the code components stored on a computer-readable medium. Memory devices used in methods as described herein may be any of various types of non-volatile memory devices or storage devices (in other words, memory that does not lose information on it when power is removed. device). The term "memory device" is intended to cover installation media such as CD-ROM, floppy disk or magnetic tape devices or non-volatile memory such as magnetic media such as hard drives, optical storage, or ROM, EPROM, FLASH, etc.

Non-transitory memory devices may also contain other types of memory, or combinations thereof. In addition, the memory medium can be located in a first computer on which the program is executed (for example, the provided 3D inkjet printer), and/or can be located in a second different computer connected to the first computer via a network such as the Internet. in the computer. In the latter case, the second computer may further provide the program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "memory device" may also include two or more memory devices that may reside in different locations, such as in different computers connected via a network. Thus, for example, a bit library may reside on a memory device remote from a CAM module coupled to a provided 3D inkjet printer and may be accessed by the provided 3D inkjet printer (e.g., by by the WAN).

In some examples, the library of 2D layer files produced by the disclosed computerized systems may be based on converted CAD/CAM data packages such as IGES, DXF, DWG, DMIS, NC files, GERBER® files, EXCELLON®, STL, EPRT files, ODB, ODB++, .asm, STL, IGES, STEP, Catia, SolidWorks, Autocad, ProE, 3D Studio, Gerber, Rhino, Altium, Orcad, Eagle files or contain one or more of the foregoing package. In addition, attributes related to graphic objects convey the metadata required for fabrication to the metadata of the 2D layer file and can precisely define the passive RC FPF. Therefore and in an exemplary implementation, the GERBER®, EXCELLON®, DWG, DXF, STL, EPRT ASM, etc. described herein are converted into 2D layer files using pre-processing algorithms. Furthermore, contacts fabricated using the methods described herein can be coupled to traces at any layer or combination of layers.

A more complete understanding of the components, procedures, assemblies and devices disclosed herein can be obtained by referring to the accompanying examples and drawings. These drawings (also referred to herein as "figures") are merely schematic representations (eg, illustrations) for convenience and ease of presentation of the disclosure, and are therefore not intended to indicate relative dimensions and dimensions of the devices or components thereof. dimensions and/or define or limit the scope of exemplary implementations. Although specific terms are used in the following description for purposes of clarity, these terms are only intended to refer to specific structures chosen for the exemplary implementations illustrated in the drawings, and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the disclosure. In the drawings and the following description, it should be understood that the same reference numerals refer to components with the same function and/or composition and/or structure.

Example I. Low Pass Filter for RF Applications

method

Filter Design and Schematic

The filter implementation is made with at least one transfer load trace, and a capacitor connected to at least one ground plane layer. The fabricated LPF can be viewed as a transfer function of two series components, where _Vout is the voltage to the capacitor. Then by transforming to impedance, we obtain the transfer function shown in Equation 1:

where the cutoff frequency is given by Equation 2:

-16dB/倍頻程)。 The particular filter presented is of order 4, with a theoretical frequency roll-off rate of about -80dB/decade after the cutoff frequency (

-16dB/octave).

FIG. 3A illustrates a schematic diagram of an LPF 300 configured to have a cutoff frequency ( F _c ) of 2.4 GHz. A physically-based equivalent circuit of a low-pass filter 300 according to the present configuration is illustrated in FIG. 3A. The input port P1 301 is connected to the first transmission load trace 302 and the second transmission load trace 303 . The first integral printed capacitor C _p1 312 is connected to the ground plane layer via the magnetically coupled inductor 308 , 308 ′ through the ground contact 316 between the second transmission load trace 303 and the third transmission load trace 304 . Similarly, the integrally printed capacitor _Cp2 313 is connected to the ground plane layer via the magnetically coupled inductor 309, 309' through the ground contact 317 between the third transfer load trace 304 and the fourth transfer load trace 305, the integral print Capacitor C _p3 314 is connected to the ground plane layer via magnetically coupled inductors 310 , 310 ′ through a ground junction 318 between fourth transfer load trace 305 and fifth transfer load trace 306 , and integral printed capacitor C _p4 315 is passed through The ground contact 319 between the fifth transmission load trace 306 and the sixth transmission load trace 307 is connected to the ground plane layer via magnetically coupled inductors 311 , 311 ′. The sixth transmission load trace 307 is coupled to the output port 320 .

In addition, capacitors (C _p1 , C _p2 , C _p4 , C _p4 , respectively, 312 to 315 ) are connected to one end of each forming a common terminal or node through a ground plane layer (not shown, see for example 104 of FIGS. 2A, 2B ). connect.

Geometry and estimated capacitance and value

C _p1 312 (1.37mm×1.3mm): 2pF

C _p2 313 (1.66mm×1.37mm): 2.5pF

C _p3 314 (1.66mm×1.37mm): 2.5pF

C _p4 315 (0.8mm×1.37mm): 1.2pF

Specifications per capacitor: Number of layers: 2 layers of 17um thickness (up to 55 in other cases).

DI thickness between CI layers: 55um thick (minimum 35um)

Transmission geometry (W-width, L-length): Line 302: w=1880um L=5000um

Line 303: w=800um L=3000um

Line 304: w=800um L=9500um

Line 305: w=800um L=9000um

Line 306: w=800um L=8500um

Line 307: w=1880um L=3000um

Turning now to FIG. 2C , a top view of a circuit 300 printed using the disclosed methods and programs implemented in the disclosed system is shown. 2C illustrates an RC FPF fabricated using the method of AM implemented in the system described by the disclosed methods and procedures, where at least one transmission load trace and a capacitor coupled to at least one ground plane layer include parasitics of the trace inductance. Capacitors are printed in one piece. The geometry of the capacitors and traces can be changed and the cutoff frequency of the filter can be changed accordingly as low pass/band pass/band stop/high pass as well.

Low pass with two cutoffs tested: 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz

A similar LPF setup for the schematic diagram of LPF 350 configured with a cutoff frequency ( F _c ) of 5.0 GHz.

Geometry and estimated capacitance and value (passive RC FPF 350)

C _p1 362 (1.37mm×1.3mm): 0.85pF

C _p2 363 (1.66mm×1.37mm): 1.2pF

C _p3 364 (1.66mm×1.37mm): 1.25pF

C _p4 365 (0.8mm×1.37mm): 0.75pF

Line geometry (W-width, L-length) (passive RC FPF 350): Line 352: w=1880um L=8000um

Line 353: w=800um L=4000um

Line 354: w=800um L=5300um

Line 355: w=800um L=5000um

Line 356: w=800um L=5000um

Line 357: w=1880um L=1880um

The shielding structures illustrated in Figures 2A and 2B cover as much of the internal AM components as possible, Only the openings required for connections (eg, SMA male connectors) are unshielded.

Tested performance parameters:

Passband: The frequency range over which a signal can pass through the device with insertion loss (S ₂₁ ) and negative return loss (S ₁₁ ) closest to zero dB.

Stopband: The frequency range where the signal cannot pass through the device, S ₁₁ and S ₁₂ should represent the opposite of the passband. Theoretically, the bandwidth of this LPF (interchangeable with FPF) is equivalent to the stop band and from the cut-off frequency ( F _c ), nothing can be transmitted. It is actually due to the equivalent series inductance (ESI) effect (referring to the inductance value representing the distributed inductance associated with a real capacitor (as opposed to an ideal capacitor) which also has inductance and resistance). A typical low-pass filter, such as the low-pass filter tested, has a bandwidth that is the frequency range where the parasitic inductance of the system is low and the signal cannot pass. Any LPFs with better performance will be considered as those filters with wide bandwidth and performance close to that of an ideal filter. -X dB/decade (in other words, dB/10. F _c ) _or -Y dB/octave (in other words, dB/ 2. Fc ₎

Shielding Effectiveness (SE): The ratio of the signal received without the shield (from the transmitter) to the signal received inside the shield; insertion loss when the shield is placed between the transmitting and receiving antennas (S ₂₁ ).

Shielded Enclosure: A structure that protects its interior from external electric or magnetic fields, or conversely, its surroundings from internal electric or magnetic fields. High performance shielding enclosures are generally able to reduce the effects of both electric and magnetic field strengths by one to seven orders of magnitude depending on the frequency. The housing is typically constructed of metal with continuous electrical contact provided between adjoining panels (see eg Figures 7A, 7B), including doors, exits and other required openings.

Device under test

Filters were printed using the system implementing schematics 300, 350 and specifications with cutoff frequencies of 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz. Both LPFs are printed in two editions, one regular and one One is internally shielded.

For reference, 4 types of filters were tested.

A) ATC 0402 LPF series LGA film. Among them, the cutoff frequency is 2484MHz to 6000MHz, the impedance is 50 ohms, and the insertion loss is 0.35dB (typical value). And the operating temperature is -40°C to +85°C.

B) CRYSTEK microwave, low pass filter 50 ohm SMA 7th order. Up to 4 watts. (Note - not part of the circuit - only on the cable).

C) RF microwave flp-2g3 SMA socket connection type 2.3GHz low-pass filter Frequency: 2.3GHz. Bandwidth: dc-1.9GHz-0.5dB. 1.9-2.3GHz @-1dB. 3GHz@-29dB. 4GHz-50dB. Maximum power: 20W. Dimensions: 16×25×50mm.

D) PCB with off-the-shelf SMT capacitors, same schematic as AME LPF.

All 8 filters (5 printed and 3 purchased) were tested under the same conditions. The test is carried out in a temperature-controlled antistatic laboratory (no noise filtering in the laboratory) using a KEYSIGHT E5071C ENA vector network analyzer with 4 ports swept from 300MHz to 20GHz, calibrated by ECAL. Used to calculate return loss (S ₁₁ ) and insertion loss (S ₂₁ ).

result

I. Unshielded LPF with 2.4GHz cut-off value manufactured by AME

frequency result

In the simulation, the expected cutoff frequency is 2.4GHz with a slope of -25dB per 1GHz. After the cutoff, S ₁₁ remains at about 0 dB and S ₂₁ keeps decreasing. As can be seen on FIG. 4A , the cutoff frequency is about 2.4 GHz as set in the simulation, with a slope of -27.5 dB at a 1 GHz frequency change. Unlike the simulations in this section with no loss, the passband insertion loss (S ₂₁ ) is -2.0 dB. When S ₂₁ is kept below -25dB, the bandwidth of the stopband is -25dB up to 20GHz.

II. Shielded LPF with 2.4GHz cut-off value manufactured by AME

As can be seen on Figure 4B, the cut-off frequency remains at about 2.4 GHz as set in the simulation, with a strong slope of -23.5 dB at a 1 GHz frequency change. Unlike the simulations in this section with no loss, the passband insertion loss is -2dB. The stopband has a bandwidth of (at least) at most 11 GHz when S ₂₁ is kept below -10 dB.

III. Unshielded LPF with 5.0GHz cut-off value manufactured by AME

As can be seen on FIG. 5A , the cutoff frequency is about 5.1 GHz as set in the simulation, with a slope of -20 dB at a 1 GHz frequency change. Unlike the simulations in this section with no loss, the passband insertion loss is -2dB. The stopband has a bandwidth of (at least) at most 20 GHz while S ₂₁ remains below -27 dB.

IV. Shielded LPF with 5.0GHz cut-off value manufactured by AME

As can be seen on Figure 5B, the cutoff frequency is about 5.1 GHz as set in the simulation, with a slope of -30 dB at a 1 GHz frequency change. Unlike the simulations in this section with no loss, the passband insertion loss is -2.7dB. The stopband has a bandwidth of (at least) at most 11 GHz when S ₂₁ is kept below -10 dB.

Turning now to Figure 6, this illustrates the measured impedance in AM capacitor 102j as being more stable than the off-the-shelf capacitor setup. As illustrated _, the return loss is small and almost all the signal returns through Fc .

As used herein, the term "comprises" and its derivatives are intended to specify the presence of stated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps but not to exclude other unstated features, elements, components, groups , an open term for the presence of integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words with similar meanings, such as the terms "comprising", "having" and their derivatives.

All ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and each endpoint is independently combinable with each other. "Combination" includes blends, mixtures, alloys, reaction products, and the like. Unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context, the terms "a" and "the" herein do not denote a limitation of quantity and shall be construed to cover both the singular and the plural. As used herein, the suffix "(s)" is intended to include both the singular and the plural of the term it modifies, thereby including one or more of that term (e.g. a printhead comprising one or more brush head). Reference throughout this specification to "an exemplary implementation," "another exemplary implementation," "an exemplary implementation," etc., when present, means that particular elements (such as features, structures, and and/or characteristics) are included in at least one exemplary implementation described herein and may or may not be present in other exemplary implementations. In addition, it is to be understood that the described elements may be combined in any suitable manner in the various exemplary implementations. Also, in this document, the terms "first", "second", etc. do not denote any order, quantity or importance, but are used to denote one element in relation to another.

Similarly, the term "about" means that amounts, sizes, formulations, parameters and other quantities and characteristics are not and need not be exact, but may be approximate and/or larger or smaller as necessary to reflect tolerances, conversions factors, rounding, measurement errors, etc., and other factors known to those skilled in the art. In general, an amount, size, formulation, parameter or other quantity or characteristic is "about" or "approximate" whether or not expressly stated.

Accordingly and in an exemplary implementation, there is provided herein a method of fabricating a passive resistor/capacitor (RC) frequency pass filter (FPF) comprising: providing an inkjet printing system comprising: a first printhead which sized and configured to dispense a dielectric ink composition; a second printhead sized and configured to dispense a conductive ink composition; operatively coupled to the delivery of the first and second printheads a device configured to deliver a substrate to each of the first and second print heads; and a computer-aided manufacturing ("CAM") module in communication with each of the first and second print heads , the CAM further comprising a central processing module (CPM), the CPM comprising at least one processor in communication with a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store instructions that when executed by the at least one processor causing the CAM to control the inkjet printing system by performing steps comprising: receiving a 3D visualization file representing a frequency pass filter (FPF); and generating a file library having a plurality of files, each representing a FPF for printing Substantially 2D layer and meta-file representing at least the printing order; providing a dielectric ink composition and a conductive ink composition; obtaining a first file representing a first layer for printing a FPF from a library using a CAM module; the first file containing Instructions for printing a pattern representing at least one of: dielectric ink and conductive ink; forming a pattern corresponding to the dielectric ink using a first print head; making a pattern corresponding to the dielectric ink in a 2D layer of a multilayer PCB The pattern represented is cured; a second print head is used to form a pattern corresponding to the conductive ink; the pattern corresponding to the conductive ink is sintered; a follow-up file representing a subsequent layer for printing the FPF is obtained from the library using a CAM module; the follow-up file contains In a printing instruction representing a pattern of at least one of the following: dielectric ink and conductive ink; repeating the following steps: using the first print head to form a pattern corresponding to the dielectric ink, until using the CAM module from the 2D archive The step of obtaining a subsequent substantially 2D layer, wherein after sintering the conductive ink pattern in the final layer, the passive RC FPF comprises: a plurality of resistors disposed in an intermediate layer configured in series with at least one transmission load trace; a plurality of capacitors disposed in an intermediate layer configured in parallel with at least one transmission load trace, the plurality of capacitors being sized and operable to provide a predetermined cutoff frequency; and at least one transmission load trace sized and configured to be operatively coupled to each of the plurality of capacitors and each of the plurality of resistors; and removing the substrate, wherein (i) the FPF is a first low pass filter (LPF1), and wherein at least one transmit load trace and capacitor are operable to deliver a frequency cutoff at 2.4 GHz, (ii) wherein the frequency roll-off of LPF1 is not less than about -20 dB with either an unshielded or shielded transmit load trace /GHz, (iii) the stopband of LPF1 is lower than -25dB between 3.4GHz and 20GHz, where (iv) where the FPF is A second low-pass filter (LPF2), with at least one transmit load trace and capacitor operable to deliver a frequency cutoff at 5.0 GHz, (v) the rate of frequency roll-off in at least one of LPF1 and LPF2 is not less than -25dB/GHz, the _S12 isolation parameter of at least one of (vi) LPF1 and LPF2 does not exceed -25dB between 3.4GHz and 20GHz, wherein (vii) the passive RC frequency pass filter (FPF) comprises at least 4 passive capacitors, where (viii) at least one transmit load trace included in the passive RC FPF is shielded after printing the final layer, where (ix) each of the plurality of capacitors is passed through after printing the final layer At least one of the following is coupled to at least one ground plane layer: blind vias and buried vias, (x) at least one ground plane layer is a mesh covering between about 40% and about 99% of the interlayer area (in other words, DGS), wherein (xi) each capacitor comprises two conductive layers, each conductive layer is adapted to have a thickness between about 15 μm and about 60 μm, (xii) and consists of a thickness between about 25 μm and Dielectric ink layer separation of between about 60 μm, (xiii) at least one transmission load trace coupled to adjacent capacitors has a width (W) of between about 600 μm and about 2000 μm, and between about 2000 μm and about 10,000 μm length (L), at least one transmission load trace is sized and configured to have an aspect ratio L/W >1, wherein (xiv) after printing the final layer, the passive RC FPF comprises a plurality of transmission traces, and (xv) a plurality of meshed ground planes, each meshed ground plane aligned with at least one transmit load trace sized and adapted to form a resonant layer with a corresponding transmit trace, wherein the (xvi) archive has A plurality of files, meaning that each file for printing the substantially 2D layer of the RC FPF contains at least one of the following: at least one file containing only conductive ink (CI) patterns for printing, containing only the at least one file of printed dielectric ink (DI) patterns, and at least one file containing both conductive ink patterns for printing and dielectric ink patterns for printing (CI+DI in the same raster file), And wherein (xvii) each metadata associated with each file representing at least a printing order further comprises data representing a position of a printed layer relative to an adjacent printed layer.

Further provided herein is a shielded phase locked loop (PLL) comprising a passive RC FPF formed using the described method and (xviii) having a length less than 5.5 cm, a width less than 1.0 cm, and a thickness less than 0.8 cm, and (xix) it forms at least one of the DDS systems.

While the use of additive manufacturing has been described according to some exemplary implementations to fabricate RC frequency pass filters (FPF) with predetermined cutoff frequencies and wide stopband frequencies using inkjet printing based on converted 3D visualization CAD/CAM data packages The foregoing disclosure, but other exemplary implementations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the disclosure herein. Furthermore, the described exemplary implementations are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In fact, the novel methods, programs, libraries, and systems described herein may be embodied in many other forms without departing from their spirit. Therefore, other combinations, omissions, substitutions and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure herein.

300: low-pass filter (LPF), circuit 301: input port P1 302: first transmission load trace 303: second transmission load trace 304: third transmission load trace 305: fourth transmission load trace 306: Fifth transmission load trace 307: Sixth transmission load trace 308: Magnetically coupled inductor 308': Magnetically coupled inductor 309: Magnetically coupled inductor 309': Magnetically coupled inductor 310: Magnetically coupled inductor 310': Magnetic Coupled inductor 311: magnetically coupled inductor 311': magnetically coupled inductor 312: first integrated printed capacitor C _p1 313: integrated printed capacitor C _p2 314: integrated printed capacitor C _p3 315: integrated printed capacitor C _p4 316: ground contact 317: ground contact 318: ground contact 319: ground contact 320: output port

Claims (20)

A method of making a passive resistor/capacitor (RC) frequency pass filter (FPF) comprising: a. providing an inkjet printing system comprising: i. a first print head sized and configured to dispense a dielectric ink composition; ii. a second printhead sized and configured to dispense a conductive ink composition; iii. a conveyor , which is operatively coupled to the first printhead and the second printhead, the conveyor configured to convey a substrate to each of the first printhead and the second printhead; and iv. A computer aided manufacturing ("CAM") module in communication with each of the first printhead and the second printhead, the CAM further comprising a central processing module (CPM) comprising at least one processor in communication with a non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the CAM to control the sprayer by performing steps comprising Ink printing system: receiving a 3D visualization file representing the frequency pass filter (FPF); and generating a repository having a plurality of files, each file representing a substantially 2D layer and unary file for printing the FPF (metafile) at least represents the printing order; b. provides the dielectric ink composition and the conductive ink composition; c. uses the CAM module to obtain a first file representing the first layer for printing the FPF from the library ; the first file includes printing instructions for representing a pattern of at least one of the following: the dielectric ink and the conductive ink; d. using the first print head to form the dielectric ink corresponding to the pattern; e. curing the pattern corresponding to the dielectric ink representation in the 2D layer of the multilayer PCB; f. using the second print head to form the pattern corresponding to the conductive ink; g. sintering the pattern corresponding to the conductive ink; h. using the CAM module to obtain a representation from the library for printing the a subsequent file of a subsequent layer of the FPF; the subsequent file includes printing instructions for representing a pattern of at least one of: the dielectric ink and the conductive ink; i. repeating the steps of: using the first A print head forms the pattern corresponding to the dielectric ink, up to the step of obtaining a subsequent substantially 2D layer from the archive using the CAM module, wherein after sintering the conductive ink pattern in the final layer, the passive RC FPF comprising: i. a plurality of resistors disposed in one of the intermediate layers in a series configuration with at least one transmission load trace; ii. a plurality of capacitors disposed in one of the parallel configurations with the at least one transmission load trace in the middle layer, the plurality of capacitors sized and operable to provide a predetermined cutoff frequency; and iii. the at least one transmit load trace sized and configured to be operably coupled to the plurality of each of the capacitors and each of the plurality of resistors; and j. removing the substrate. The method of claim 1, wherein the FPF is a first low pass filter (LPF1), and wherein the at least one transmit load trace and the capacitors are operable to deliver a frequency cutoff at 2.4 GHz. The method of claim 2, wherein the rate of frequency roll-off of LPF1 is not less than about -20 dB/GHz with an unshielded or shielded transmission load trace. The method of claim 3, wherein the stopband of LPF1 is lower than -25dB between 3.4GHz and 20GHz. The method of claim 1, wherein the FPF is a second low-pass filter (LPF2), and wherein the at least one transmission load trace and the capacitors are operable to deliver a frequency cutoff. The method of claim 5 or claim 2, wherein the rate of frequency roll-off in at least one of LPF1 and LPF2 is not less than -25dB/GHz. The method of claim 6, wherein the S ₁₂ isolation parameter of the at least one of LPF1 and LPF2 does not exceed -25dB between 3.4GHz and 20GHz. The method of claim 1, wherein the passive RC frequency pass filter (FPF) comprises at least 4 passive capacitors. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one transmission load trace included in the passive RC FPF is each shielded after printing the final layer. The method of claim 2, wherein after printing the final layer, each of the plurality of capacitors is coupled to at least one ground plane layer via at least one of: a blind via and a buried via hole. The method of claim 10, wherein after printing the final layer, the at least one ground plane layer is a mesh covering between about 40% and about 99% of an intermediate layer area. The method of claim 10, wherein after printing the final layer, each capacitor comprises two conductive layers, each conductive layer adapted to have a thickness between about 15 μm and about 60 μm. The method of claim 12, wherein the two conductive layers are separated by a dielectric ink layer having a thickness between about 25 μm and about 60 μm. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one transmission load trace coupled to the adjacent capacitor has a width (W) between about 600 μm and about 2000 μm, and a length (W) between about 2000 μm and about 10,000 μm ( L), the transmission line is sized and configured to have an aspect ratio L/W >1. The method of claim 14, wherein after printing the final layer, the passive RC FPF includes a plurality of transmission traces. The method of claim 15, wherein after printing the final layer, the passive RC FPF comprises a plurality of meshed ground layers, each meshed ground layer aligned with a transmission line sized and adapted to form with a corresponding transmission line a resonant layer. The method of claim 1, wherein the archive contains at least one of: at least one archive containing only a pattern of conductive ink for printing; at least one archive containing only a pattern of dielectric ink for printing files; and at least one file containing both a conductive ink pattern for printing and a dielectric ink pattern for printing. The method of claim 17, wherein each metadata associated with each file representing at least the printing order further comprises data representing a position of a printed layer relative to adjacent printed layers. A shielded phase locked loop (PLL) comprising a passive RC FPF formed using the method of any one of claims 1-18. The PLL of claim 19, which has a length less than 5.5 cm, a width less than 1.0 cm, and a thickness less than 0.8 cm.

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