Abstract: The present invention is an antenna comprising a microstrip having upper and lower layers for producing leaky wave radiation. Circularly shaped patches are located on the two layers for circularly polarizing the leaky wave radiation. The present invention provides a microstrip antenna that can produce wideband, circularly polarized radiation. The antenna, therefore, is a compact, low cost, rugged, conformal, planar, and circularly polarized microstrip antenna. The antenna combines the advantages of wideband circularly polarized radiation with the advantages of lightweight, low profile, low cost, and planar microstrip antennas.

Abstract: An array antenna capable of use with a single signal feed has a transmission line oriented substantially parallel to a ground plane, which transmission line has a multiplicity of sequential sections with each sequential section having a different spacing from the ground plane than each of its immediately adjacent sequential sections. This stepped or varied impedance transmission line forms an array in which the sections spaced further from the ground plane become active antenna elements. Controlling an electrical spacing between the ground plane and transmission line provides relative phase control between the active elements and thereby phased-array directional control of the antenna.

Abstract: A traveling array antenna which operates at microwave/millimeter frequencies is disclosed in which a like number of radiator elements are arranged in two mirror image branches, an RF signal feed is fed through a 180 degree compensating power splitter to each branch of the antenna array, each of the radiator elements includes an impedance matching transformer connected at its input side and in which a radiator terminating patch is connected to the end of each of the two mirror image branches.

Abstract: A plasma processing device (25) including a vacuum chamber (27) for processing a substrate (29) and a source chamber (26) for generating a plasma is disclosed where the source chamber (26) has a non-cylindrical geometry. Helicon waves of plasma are propagated from the source chamber into the vacuum chamber by a magnetic field having substantially parallel magnetic field lines extending from the source chamber into the vacuum chamber. A RF antenna (31 and 32) of a novel serpentine configuration is used to couple electromagnetic energy into the source chamber to create helicon plasma waves in the source chamber (26). The non-cylindrical geometry of the source chamber allows the processing of large area substrates due to the ability to scale the source chamber to the desired application while maintaining throughput efficiency and the ability to propagate helicon waves along the magnetic field lines present in the source chamber.

Abstract: A flat strip-like radiator is angled along the width of the strip to form radiating arms of predetermined length and angles to radiate a design radiation patter. The flat strip is secured to a ground plane such that the flat strip is perpendicular to the ground plane.

Abstract: A circular polarization microstrip line antenna transmits and receives right-handed and left-handed circularly polarized waves by one microstrip line antenna. A dielectric sheet 3 is laid on a metal base 4, and a flexible film 2 is laid on the dielectric sheet 3. Microstrip lines 5 are formed at the right and left sides of the surface of the flexible film 2. Rectangular waveguides 8 are arranged under the right and left ends of the metal base 4, a hole 9 is perforated at the upper surface of the rectangular waveguide 8, a hole 10 is perforated at the positoin opposed to the hole 9 of the metal base 4, and inverted L-shaped feeding pins 11 are inserted to the holes 9 and 10. The horizontal part 13 of the feeding pin 11 is interposed between the flexible film 2 and the dielectric sheet 3, and the horizontal part 13 is opposed to the right and left ends 5a of the microstrip line 5.

Abstract: An antenna having efficient operation over a wide bandwidth, a low standing wave ratio and constant radiation characteristics over a wide bandwidth includes in one embodiment a set of four linear elements of substantially the same length. Each linear element has a base end and a distal end. The base ends are coupled together and adapted to be connected to a transmission line which is adapted to be connected to a communication device. The linear elements are disposed about the median axis of the antenna and diverge outward from their base ends relative to the median axis. Each linear element has continuous tapered resistive loading along its length. In another version of the invention each linear element is made up of a plurality of conducting elements interconnected by discrete resistive devices.

Abstract: A high-frequency signal transmission system for use as a microwave antenna or filter has a plurality of cascaded conical or planar inner conductors each having a unitary exponential gradient, a pair of circular lines or impedance-matching lines having identical dimensions and connected respectively to opposite ends of the conical or planar inner conductor for providing a predetermined characteristic impedance, and a cylindrical or rectangular tubular outer conductor covering the conical or planar inner conductor and the circular or impedance-matching lines with a cavity defined between the conical or planar inner conductor and the cylindrical or rectangular tubular outer conductor.

Abstract: A parametrically amplifying traveling-wave antenna utilizing parametric amplification by strong coupling or resonance between an induced wave and an incident sky wave, the antenna including a base-plate or ground having electrical constants satisfying the resonance condition and a conducting wire or array installed above the base-plate or ground. Both ends of the wire are terminated by a surge impedance to prevent reflections.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a microwave waveguide component wherein a plurality of joinable thermoplastic members are first formed. The members, when joined, comprise a microwave waveguide component having an internal surface that is adapted to be plated. The thermoplastic members are then bonded together. Then, the internal surface is plated to form the finished microwave waveguide component. The present method forms microwave components from plated, injection molded thermoplastic and reaction injection molded thermosetting plastics. In particular, the plastic components made using the present invention exhibit comparable electrical performance, as measured by voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) and insertion loss, decreased device weight and cost, and reliable and repeatable manufacturability when compared with devices formed using metals, conventional thermosetting plastics that have been metallized, and molded, plated and soldered thermoplastics.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a micro-wave plate antenna, especially for Doppler radar for example, of the type with a Janus configuration, made up of a plurality of linear sub-networks parallel among themselves, or of a single linear sub-network, each sub-network being made up of a plurality of radiating elements placed on each side of a sub-network feed line, the sub-networks being fed in phase, the length of the sub-network feed line is, between two neighboring elements, a whole multiple of the length of the wave guided over the substratum of the printed circuit on which are printed the radiating elements, and that corresponds to the operational frequency of the antenna.

Abstract: A patch antenna array having multiple beam-forming capability is formed as a feed network (15) on a lower microstrip substrate with patches (13) overlaying these on an upper substrate. The patch array consists of a number of linear series-connected patch arrays (13a, 13b, 13c) each array being resonant and may have open circuits at each end. A travelling wave arrangement of feed lines (15a, 15b, 15c) is provided and in one embodiment the total number of beams which may be generated is twice the number of feed lines. The invention is useful in small satellite communication earth terminals and is suitable for operation in the region of 10 GHz.

Abstract: Disclosed is a source of microwave radiation, namely a source enabling the absorption of multiple reflections for the illuminating of a lens in order to form an electronic sweeping antenna. The source includes a layered arrangement of elementary illuminators in a direction substantially parallel to the electrical field of the microwave energy transmitted. In one embodiment, each elementary illuminator has the following successively, in the direction of propagation of the energy: a plane forming a short circuit; a plane forming an incidence filter, parallel to the above plane, located at a distance from the above plane of the order of half of a wavelength, including two tracks parallel to each other and perpendicular to the electrical field between which resistive elements are connected; and, a plane bearing a rdiating element of the snake line type, extending in a direction substantially normal to the electrical field.

Abstract: An antenna system particularly suited for wind profiling produces a radio beam which can be oriented in each of four directions and optionally in a fifth, vertical direction and four intermediate directions. The antenna has a single array of strings of coaxial-colinear antenna elements. The strings are formed into sections, with each section having a first string portion formed of cable elements which are longer than one-half wavelength of the radio frequency drive signal in the cable and a second string portion formed of cable elements which are shorter than one-half the wavelength of the drive signal, with the two strings being connected together and mounted parallel to and above and below one another. Power is directed to the strings so that the radio frequency power flows in opposite directions in each string portion. The beam radiated from each string portion in each section adds to produce a beams tilted from the normal to the string portions by the same angle for both string portions.

Abstract: A waveguide slotted array is disclosed, employing compound slots in a waveguide broad wall. The phase of the voltage excited in the slot is controlled by the slot offset and angle of inclination relative to the axis. Utilization of the additional phase control provided by the compound slots allows the beam of a traveling wave slot array to be placed far from broadside, without the need to operate the array at frequencies so close to the waveguide cutoff frequency that there is unacceptable frequency sensitivity. The beam may be placed at any angle independently of which end of the array contains the input and which end the load.

Abstract: A microstrip line antenna generally used for receiving an electric wave from an artificial satellite, which comprises a plane dielectric substrate and a plurality of crank-shaped microstrip lines arranged on the substrate. The improvement comprises a number of half wavelength waveguide elements arranged on a plane lying parallel to the substrate in front of the microstrip lines at a predetermined distance therefrom for improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the antenna and reducing the number of antenna elements.

Abstract: An antenna comprises a conductive helix (10) positioned parallel to a ground plane (12). One end (14) of the helix is coupled to the ground plane (12), while the other end (16) is left open. Radio frequency signals (20) are fed (18) into the open end of the helix to excite the antenna and radiate the radio frequency signal.

Abstract: A microwave plane antenna including rows comprising pairs of parallel conductive line antenna elements configured as a pair of out-of-phase square waves and a signal feed circuit of strip lines arranged as a corporate feed network. The respective conducting paths which run from a main feed inlet end of the circuit to each signal receiving end of the respective elements being varied in length, so that the main beam direction can be set in a plane including that of the antenna and normal to lengthwise axis of the antenna elements for a remarkable increase in the reception gain.

Abstract: The arrangement is for cancelling unwanted sidelobes in travelling-wave arrays, especially the back lobe where the main beam approaches the end-fire direction; the array should have high symmetry, i.e., with the usual form of array (radiators spaced along a single feeder), the radiation patterns when fed from either end should be mirror images. Cancellation is obtained by having feed connections (2,2') at both ends of this form of array (1), the feed at one end being attenuated (8) relative to the other and effectively subtracted (6) therefrom. In RF form, for receiving or transmitting, the subtraction can be effected by phase-reversing (7) the signal in one of the feed connections. In baseband form, suitable for receiving only, diodes are included in both feed connections and subtraction performed at baseband frequency.

Abstract: Stripline antenna arrays of the type in which the strip turns through successive right-angle corners to form successive four-cornered cells, the lengths of the longitudinal and tranverse strip sections being such that the summed radiation in each cell has the same polarization direction, viz vertical, horizontal or circular, radiating in the broadside direction effect arbitrary polarization directions radiating in any direction in the plane (x-z) normal to the array which contains the array axis, by using cells having six potential right-angle corner sites and strip sections of appropriate lengths. The number of actual corners may reduce to four; e.g. where strip-section lengths reduce to zero.

Abstract: In a prior form of stripline antenna, the strip turns through successive right-angle corners to form successive multi-cornered cells in which the lengths of the longitudinal and transverse strip sections are such that the summed radiation from each cell radiates in the same direction and with the same polarization direction. In the present disclosure, the distribution of radiated power along the array is varied, e.g. to maximize it at the center, by varying the absolute lengths of these strip sections as between cells while maintaining their required relationships, e.g. by progressively increasing these lengths towards the center of the array in order to increase the radiated power accordingly. This compares with the previously known method, viz varying the strip width.

Abstract: A polarization-agile radar array employing at least one linear array having a periodic first meander line and a second meander line which is a close-spaced, mirror image of the first such line, these lines being separately driven so that when they are fed with equal amplitude and phase, the polarization will be in a first plane and when driven in anti-phase, orthogonal polarization is achieved. The meander lines extend in the same plane which is parallel to a ground from which it is spaced. Intermediate polarization angles are achieved by intermediate phase and amplitude relationships of the drive, equal amplitude and phase quadrature exitation providing circular polarization. A series of generally parallel, conductive vanes is affixed to the ground plane to compensate for the reactance of longitudinal sections of the meander line longitudinal feeder (connecting) sections as the wave passes therethrough when its polarization is essentially parallel to those feeder lines.

Abstract: A collinear series-fed antenna array formed from two spaced-apart electrical conductors extending parallel to one another in a longitudinal direction and having regularly spaced complementary changes in transverse dimensions along the longitudinal direction. These two shaped conductors are connected at one end to an RF transmitter or receiver and are substantially isolated from electromagnetic interaction with other unconnected electrical conductors in the immediate vicinity. The array is preferably fabricated by etching a copper laminate adhered to one side of a dielectric sheet which serves solely to support the shaped conductors etched thereon. There is no ground plane associated with these conductors and the dielectric merely serves to support the antenna elements. The whole assembly can therefore be made very thin and flexible and formed into a compact unit for storage when not in use.

Abstract: A travelling wave conductor antenna including a ground plane. The antenna consists of meander-structure conductors made of a conductive material, zigzagging at right angles or at almost right angles. The conductors are placed above an even or deformed ground plane and they alternately comprise portions parallel with the longitudinal axis of the antenna and portions perpendicular or almost perpendicular to said longitudinal axis so that the number of the conductors is even. The conductors are at their ends connected to an antenna feed point by means of electrically equally long or almost equally long conductors.

Abstract: A frequency-scan traveling wave antenna receives radio frequency (RF) energy at an input port, passes the energy through a quarter wave transformer to a first radiator element in an array of radiator elements, each pair of radiator elements being connected by a respective delay line. Each radiator element includes an input port of known characteristic impedance connected to an impedance matching section which compensates for that element's radiated power. Each radiator element has an output port with a section of transmission line disposed between a main radiator section of said radiator element and said output port, and impedance matched to the output port. In one embodiment, each delay line includes a plurality of delay line sections, with adjacent delay line sections being mutually perpendicular. In a second embodiment, each delay line includes a plurality of delay line sections disposed in meandering form.