EP0829923B1 - Device with radiating elements - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates generally to a radiating element device, such as antenna, as well than a method of manufacturing such a device. The antenna is for example intended to be integrated into a satellite.

American patent US-A-4,987,425 describes an antenna active with supporting structure including circuits electronics and radiant elements, or patches. The supporting structure is made of a fiber material of carbon which is metallized on its surface. This structure carrier defines a plurality of elementary cells closed matrically arranged like a "nest bees. "Electronic circuits are arranged at inside these cells. On its upper surface, the supporting structure supports an antenna body on which radiating elements are attached. Each radiating element radiates in response to receiving an output signal produced by an electronic circuit. The lower surface of the supporting structure defines a bottom supporting conductive connecting elements suitable for applying input signals to electronic circuits.

The antenna described in this technical document anterior has the main disadvantage of a structure complex that requires many manufacturing steps.

In order to remedy these drawbacks, a first objective of the invention is to provide a device for radiant elements whose structure is considerably simplified compared to the prior art. A another object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacture of such a device, the method not comprising a reduced number of steps compared to the technique earlier.

• une structure porteuse définissant une pluralité de cellules élémentaires;
• au moins un circuit électronique;
• des moyens de liaison pour fournir audit circuit électronique au moins un signal d'entrée, et
• au moins un élément rayonnant qui est connecté à une sortie dudit circuit électronique, pour rayonner en réponse à la réception d'un signal produit en sortie dudit circuit électronique ,

   est caractérisé en ce que ledit circuit électronique est enrobé dans un matériau diélectrique, pour former un module électronique de typé hyperfréquence comportant une pluralité de structures élémentaires empilées formant bloc, chaque structure comportant une couche diélectrique inférieure sur la surface supérieure de laquelle est disposé un circuit intégré, et en ce que ledit élément rayonnant est disposé directement sur une première face dudit module .To this end, a device with radiating elements comprising:

• a support structure defining a plurality of elementary cells;
• at least one electronic circuit;
• connecting means for supplying said electronic circuit with at least one input signal, and
• at least one radiating element which is connected to an output of said electronic circuit, to radiate in response to the reception of a signal produced at the output of said electronic circuit,

is characterized in that said electronic circuit is coated in a dielectric material, to form an electronic module of microwave type comprising a plurality of elementary structures stacked forming a block, each structure comprising a lower dielectric layer on the upper surface of which is arranged a circuit integrated, and in that said radiating element is disposed directly on a first face of said module.

Thus, the constitution of the device is considerably simplified in that it does not understand including an antenna body to support the elements Radiant.

Advantageously, the connecting means comprise point-to-point contact means distributed over a second face of said module which is opposite to said first face and on a support, of the printed circuit type, on which is added the supporting structure.

In addition, resin can be used to keep the module inside the cell.

A method of manufacturing a device according to the invention provides that at least one module is introduced electronic, on the first side of which is arranged a radiating element, in a respective cell of a supporting structure including a plurality of cells elementary, and we report the second side of the module bearing first means of contact on the support bearing second contact means so as to establish point-to-point contacts between said first and second means of contact.

It can also be planned to inject a resin in the volume of the cell not occupied by the module, to keep the module inside the cell.

• la figure 1 montre un module électronique utilisé pour la mise en oeuvre de l'invention;
• la figure 2 montre une vue partielle en coupe transversale d'une antenne selon la présente invention; et
• la figure 3 est une vue du dessus d'une portion d'antenne selon l'invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the description which follows, with reference to the corresponding appended drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 shows an electronic module used for the implementation of the invention;
• Figure 2 shows a partial cross-sectional view of an antenna according to the present invention; and
• Figure 3 is a top view of an antenna portion according to the invention.

The invention will be described below in the context particular of the realization of an antenna although it can be applied to the realization of any device electronics based on an assembly of modules rectangular by means of a supporting structure.

Referring to Figure 1, the invention uses electronic modules 1, of microwave type. So general, each module 1 includes at least one circuit microwave electronics embedded in a material dielectric and together forming a block.

According to a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment, the module is as described in the French patent application n ° 96-04249 filed April 4, 1996 on behalf of the present Applicant, and included by reference herein request. In this embodiment, a module 1 comprises a plurality of stacked elementary structures forming a block coated in a dielectric material. Each structure elementary includes a lower dielectric layer on an upper surface of which is arranged a circuit integrated, and an upper dielectric layer covering the circuit. A connection to connect a first circuit integrated mounted on a dielectric layer of a first structure among the plurality of structures at a second integrated circuit mounted on a dielectric layer of a second structure among the plurality of structures, is consisting of (a) - an input coplanar line arranged on the upper surface of the dielectric layer lower of the first structure, (b) - a line coplanar outlet arranged on the upper surface of the lower dielectric layer of the second structure, and (c) - a coplanar connecting line connecting a end of the input coplanar line and one end of the output coplanar line.

A link between the exit (or entry) of one or the single electronic circuit in module 1 and one element radiating 2 is provided for example by a microstrip line (not shown). According to the invention, for at least one of antenna modules 1, the radiating element 2 is arranged directly on the first side of this module, on the surface of the coating dielectric material, and is fixed by example by gluing on this face of the module. So the manufacturing of the antenna uses elementary modules each carrying a radiating element on one of its faces 2.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the antenna uses a supporting structure 4 defining a plurality of cells through hole elementaries 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, and 48 inside at least one of which cells an electronic module 1 and its element are introduced associated radiant 2. The supporting structure is for example in Magnesium and advantageously has the function of ensuring that both a function of heat dissipation and electromagnetic shielding between modules 1 which are introduced into neighboring cells.

Elementary cells 40-48 are arranged matrix like a "honeycomb", each cell being delimited by four walls of the structure carrier 4 and taking a general shape of a parallelepiped.

When manufacturing an antenna according to the invention, each module 1, carrying a radiating element 2 on one of these faces, is introduced into a cell respective of the supporting structure 4. If the module has a volume lower than the volume of the cell in which it is introduced, a resin, typically made of material dielectric, 10 is introduced into the volume of the cell 40-48 not occupied by module 1, to keep the module at inside cell 40-48. It can nevertheless be planned to machine each module 1 so that its volume coincides with that of a cell. In this case, no resin addition is not required.

Each module 1 relates to a face opposite the face on which the radiating element 2 is arranged, elements contact 11, 12 and 13. Electronic circuits, typically microwave, included in a module 1, receive low frequency LF power signals as well as useful high frequency HF signals. The supply of HF signals to an electronic circuit in a module 1 is carried out for example by means of lines coplanar, metallized vias, microstrip lines, etc ... while the LF signal supply of such circuit is carried out by means of a wire connection. of the ends, or points of contact, 11, 12 and 13 of these lines coplanar, metallized vias, wire connections, protruding on one side, called the second side, of the module 1 which is opposite on the face on which the radiating element 2 is arranged.

The antenna also includes a support, of the type printed circuit, 3 on a main surface of which protrude from the ends, or points of contact, 31-33 intended to be put in contact with the contact points protruding correspondents 11-13 of module 1. The points of protruding contact on the main surface of the support are coplanar line ends, wire connection connected to signal generation sources, such as power signal or HF signal.

To establish connections between the points of protruding contact 11-13 on the second face of module 1 and the contact points 31-33 projecting from the main face of the support 3, the supporting structure 4 is reported, in cells 40-48 of which were previously introduced the modules 1, on the support 3 carrying the contact points 31-33 so as to establish contacts point by point respectively between the contact points 11-13 and contact points 31-33.

Claims (6)

1. A device with radiating elements, including:

   a support structure (4) defining a plurality of unit cells (40-48);

   at least one electronic circuit (1);

   connection means for supplying at least one input signal to said electronic circuit, and

   at least one radiating element (2) which is connected to an output of said electronic circuit (1) to radiate in response to the reception of a signal produced at the output of said electronic circuit (1),

   characterized in that said electronic circuit is encapsulated in a dielectric material to form a microwave electronic module including a plurality of stacked unit structures forming a block, each structure including a lower dielectric layer on whose upper surface is disposed an integrated circuit, and in that said radiating element (2) is disposed directly on a first face of said module (1).
2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said connection means include point-to-point contact means (11-13; 31-33) distributed over a second face of said module (1) which is opposite said first face and on a printed circuit support (3) to which the support structure (4) is attached.
3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it further includes resin (10) in a volume of said cell not occupied by said at least one module to retain said at least one module (1) inside said cell (40-48).
4. A device according to any preceding claim, characterized in that it constitutes an antenna.
5. A method of fabricating a device according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one electronic module (1), whose first face carries a radiating element (2), is introduced into a respective cell (40-48) of a support structure (4) including a plurality of unit cells, and the second face of said at least one module carrying first contact means (1.1-13) is attached to the support carrying second contact means (31-33) so as to establish point-by-point contacts between said first and second contact means.
6. A method according to claim 5, for fabricating a device according to claim 3, characterized in that a resin (10) is injected into the volume of said cell not occupied by said at least one module, to retain said at least one module inside the cell.

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