Additive manufacturing-oriented designs for space RF/microwave applications and high-power considerations

This thesis delves into the intricate relationship between additive manufacturing and high-power operation within the field of RF/microwave components. Two fundamental themes guide this research: advancements in materials and a deep understanding of material characterization, particularly focusing on the impact of properties like surface roughness on Secondary Electron Emission (SEE) and high-frequency performance. These themes are deeply intertwined, with a comprehensive grasp of one significantly influencing the others. For instance, a thorough understanding of a specific additive manufacturing process and its inherent characteristics is crucial for optimizing the design of components that fully exploit the process’s unique capabilities, streamlining the design and analysis phases, and ultimately pushing the boundaries of RF performance by increasing power handling or miniaturizing components. This understanding serves as the foundation for selecting the most suitable additive manufacturing process for a given application. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 provide concrete examples of this interplay, demonstrating how surface roughness can be strategically manipulated to minimize multipactor risk and enhance peak power handling, intentionally increased to create effective metal loads with good impedance matching, or carefully reduced to optimize performance at high power levels. Furthermore, this thesis introduces a novel material with exceptional thermal stability, promising significant advancements in high-power device performance by offering a compelling pathway towards improved thermal conductivity and enhanced operational stability.