Fabrication method of frequency selective surface for communication system with 3-dimensional structure

Abstract

A new method to manufacture the FSS using an e-beam evaporator on the composite materials is introduced. The FSS can be designed and manufactured as a part of the real 3D communication system structure surface and it can be applied on the system. This concept of integrated FSS can provide the electrically and structurally effective system. The easy method to be applied on the various curved surface is one of the advantage of thee-beam evaporation. Multilayered FSS consists of copper layers of patch-grid-patch type as capacitive and inductive surface on the glass/epoxy pre-impregnated layer (GFRP, glass fiber reinforced plastic), and the copper layers are formed using e-beam deposition on the GFRP layer. We simulated and measured the transmission loss of the FSS layer and the measured bandwidth of the FSS was about three times that of simulated. The difference of the simulated and the measured results is from the evanescent wave interactions between the capacitive and inductive layers,and it occurred because of the local misalignment of the patch and grid, the specimen size, and the thickness change of the dielectric layer after the manufacturing process. The bandwidth could be successfully modified to correct the design parameters; the period and patch gap, grid width, and dielectric layer thickness. The modified FSS shows that the band-pass filtering and the skirt characteristic, and the results agreed with that of simulation. The FSS which is manufactured using the very simple deposition method can function as not only system structural skin but the FSS itself. It can be applied to manufacture for communication system in some specific frequency range.