Patent attributes
This document describes techniques and apparatuses for a plastic air-waveguide antenna with conductive particles. The described antenna includes an antenna body made from a resin embedded with conductive particles, a surface of the antenna body that includes a resin layer with no or fewer conductive particles, and a waveguide structure. The waveguide structure can be made from a portion of the surface on which the embedded conductive particles are exposed. The waveguide structure can be molded as part of the antenna body or cut into the antenna body using a laser, which also exposes the conductive particles. If the waveguide is molded as part of the antenna body, the conductive particles can be exposed by an etching process or by using the laser. In this way, the described apparatuses and techniques can reduce weight, improve gain and phase control, improve high-temperature performance, and avoid at least some vapor-deposition plating operations.
