Custom Antennas

TE’s use of laser direct structuring (LDS) antenna and product technology can save valuable space in your application by integrating high frequency, mechanical and electrical functionality into one component. Laser structuring enables 3-dimensional (3D) design/routing capability, versus the limiting 2-dimensional (2D) capability on a printed circuit board (PCB). LDS technology also allows for improved antenna performance because antennas can be placed in the design where they have more room for better bandwidth and efficiency. LDS is a three-step process. First, the antenna is molded in a standard single shot mold using one of the LDS resins. Second, the desired pattern is directly structured onto the antenna by the 3D laser system. Finally, the pattern is plated using industry-standard methods where the plating adheres to the plastic only where the plastic has been activated by the laser, thus creating a conductive pattern.

Two-shot molding is a mature and well understood process that remains viable for cost effective and repeatable production of MIDs. The basic process has only two steps, injection molding of two distinct thermoplastic polymers and the electroless plating process, resulting in a selectively plated component. In order to achieve the selectivity during plating, a catalyst doped “plateable” resin is molded in conjunction with a standard non-plateable resin to define the desired area to be plated. This area is metalized initially with copper, followed by nickel and, optionally, gold plating. The following are just a few of the advantages MID two-shot technology delivers compared to alternative technologies: Design flexibility for complex 3D geometries, ability to integrate multiple functions into one component, tightest tolerance for pattern registration to carrier, fewest manufacturing steps and processes, higher yields, improved scaleability.

Printing is an emerging manufacturing process being used to produce antennas. The antenna carrier is molded of standard resin materials, then the antenna pattern is structured onto the carrier by applying a conductive, non-plate particulate in a tightly controlled manner with a 3D print system. This process uses no special resins; requires no plating; offers flexibility to make pattern changes easily; and is a simple, fast, low-cost, and environmentally friendly tooling method.

TE has in-house capability for designing, assembling, and testing speaker acoustic modules (SAMs). The antenna and acoustic chamber are designed together as one assembly. The acoustic chamber becomes the carrier for the antenna using one of two different technologies to manufacture MID antennas: 2-shot molding or laser direct structuring (LDS). SAMs are 100 percent radio frequency (RF) and acoustic tested in the production line prior to packaging. This antenna offers a space-saving combination of acoustic chamber and antenna, as well as RF testing after speaker integration to SAM.