Packaging method for metamaterial based microwave devices

Abstract

In this work we describe the fabrication method used for packaging a 15cm × 15cm × 3cm polymer based beam splitter, a metamaterial device designed for operating at 17GHz. An injection molding technique was used to allow a low viscosity resin, curing at room temperature, to package ten FR4 substrate layers with metamaterial patterns on them. The metamaterial elements present on each layer were designed and their distribution optimized in order to achieve the splitting in two parts of an electromagnetic wave impinging on the front face of the component. A low dielectric, low loss epoxy resin for casting and suitable for packaging was selected as the injection polymer. The design of the electromagnetic behavior of the component took into consideration the full integration of the metamaterial elements and substrates into the polymeric host material. The measurements performed to verify the performance of the as-fabricated device are finally discussed.