design and reliability of 3D printed microwave components – CHYPS 3D

The field of information and communication science and technology is booming for several years and is emerging as one of the key sectors of the world economy. The evolution of the markets for active and passive electronic components shows growing needs in the fields of defense, space, medical, automotive, aeronautics, telecommunications, but also the Internet of Things.
The electrical performances of radiofrequency and microwave systems are more and more drastic given the recurring constraints of optimal use of spectral resources. As a result, the hardware implementation of communicating systems and in particular of the front-ends in the radiofrequency and microwave ranges, whether they are on-board or not, come up against very strong constraints in terms of electrical performances, size, cost, weight and power consumption. The difficulties associated with these conflicting criteria require designers of radiofrequency components to negotiate the best trade-offs. This involves in particular reviewing the value chains of industries and emphasizing design, originality, optimization of materials and optimization of shapes. The objective is no longer to design devices while limiting themselves by the constraints of realization, but to break down these barriers and to design with minimum concern for the latter. It then becomes necessary to initiate a change of approach and to rely on new technologies that will allow them to go beyond their limits.
In this context, the performances of 3D-printing increased considerably in recent years with precision and finish close to machining as well as a very wide variety of materials. The drastic increase in the accessibility of 3D printers, and more specifically those using plastics, shows the considerable development of these technologies over the past decade. The company SmarTech, leader in the analysis of industrial datas, specialized in additive manufacturing, published a report which is presents the past and predicted evolution of the global additive manufacturing market. It shows a world market (industrial only) amounting to more than 11 billion dollars or more than 9 billion euros in 2019. This amount is supposed to almost quadruple in 2027, according to their figures. forecasts.
The Chyps 3D project is part of this dynamic and the one of the joint Lateral laboratory (LAb-STICC ThalEs Research ALliance on Smart On-board Sensor) set up between Thales LAS OME and Lab-STICC. The goal is to continue the development of 3D-printing technologies for the design of microwave functions. The proposed approach will allow 3D-printing technologies to mature in terms of process and reliability as well as microwave functions, in particular compliant antennas and their power distribution networks. To carry out the project, the consortium also includes an SME (Elliptika) specializing in this field and carrying the CIFRE Defense thesis by Julien Haumant on which this project is based.