Patent ID: 6622370
Filing Date: 2003-09-23
Classification: H01P,H05K,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for fabricating a suspended transmission line, comprising:forming a first conductive trace on a first side of a dielectric support layer; forming a second conductive trace on a second side of the support layer; connecting the first and second conductive traces at spaced intervals, the interval established to include a selected number of connections per wavelength of a transmitted signal frequency at substantially equal distances along the conductive traces to maintain a substantially constant phase and amplitude for the transmitted signal on the conductive traces; forming a first spacer outwardly of the first side of the support layer, the geometry of the first spacer depending on the transmitted signal frequency, and the size, geometry and materials of the support layer, and the conductive traces; forming a second spacer outwardly of the second side of the support layer, the geometry of the second spacer depending on the transmitted signal frequency, and the size, geometry and materials of the support layer, and the conductive traces; disposing a first plate outwardly of the first spacer, the first plate comprising a first ground plane displaced from the first conductive trace, the spacing between the first plate and the first side of the dielectric support layer selected to form a first part of a propagation structure to substantially contain the electromagnetic field generated by a transmitted signal on the first and second conductive traces in the propagation structure; and disposing a second plate outwardly of the second spacer, the second plate comprising a second ground plane displaced from the second conductive trace, the spacing between the second plate and the second side of the support layer selected to form a second part of the propagation structure to substantially contain the electromagnetic field generated by a transmitted signal on the first and second conductive traces in the propagation structure.