Radio frequency (RF) devices for high frequency applications such as satellite communication and mobile and ground uplinks have brought about the demand for higher power handling capabilities and increased efficiency in these devices. Technologies for creating low cost, advanced millimeter wave electronics devices without sacrificing quality or performance has thus grown. Direct metal additive manufacturing techniques, such as electron beam melting, has been projected to be capable of fabricating such devices. Key concerns regarding these techniques are the requirements for high purity materials (99.6%), small feature sizes (~2um) and low surface roughness (less than 200 nm for 95 GHz devices and above) for high frequency applications. This project will demonstrate that direct metal additive manufacturing combined with magnetic field assisted abrasive polishing techniques can be used to provide a rapid manufacturing process for fully enclosed and cooled complex interaction structures to be used in high frequency applications.
Project end date: 08/10/18