On the technological approach to microfabrication of a meander-line slow-wave structure for millimeter-band traveling-wave tubes with multiple sheet electron beams
Andrei Starodubov, 1) Saratov Branch, V.A. Kotel’nikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS; 2) Saratov State University
Vladislav Atkin, Saratov State University
Igor Navrotsky, 1) Saratov Branch, V.A. Kotel’nikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS; 2) RPE "Almaz"
Roman Torgashov, 1) Saratov Branch, V.A. Kotel’nikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS; 2) Saratov State University
Nikita Ryskin, 1) Saratov Branch, V.A. Kotel’nikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS; 2) Saratov State University
Abstract
Millimeter-band traveling-wave tubes with sheet electron beams are highly attractive for near-future telecommunication and radar systems due to their compact design, broad bandwidth, and high power. Slow-wave structures (SWS) of the meander-line type are well suited for use in such vacuum electron devices, due to rather simple design compatible with microfabrication technologies, low operating voltage, and ability to accommodate a sheet electron beam. In our previous work, a multiple-tunnel, meander-line SWS for using multiple sheet electron beams was proposed in order to increase output power. In this work, we propose and verify an approach to microfabrication of such SWS. The proposed approach includes the following steps. At the first stage, a straight strip with holes is fabricated by laser ablation from the copper foil of 50 um thickness. At the second stage, the fabricated strip is folded in the form of a meander line so that the fabricated holes in the strip become tunnels for several electron beams. Several SWS samples consisting of 50 meander periods were fabricated. Dimensions of the microfabricated samples were studied by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The preliminary analysis shows that the proposed approach is suitable for the fabrication of such multiple-tunnel SWSs.
This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation under Grant 17-12-01160.
Speaker
Andrei Starodubov
1) Saratov Branch, V.A. Kotel’nikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS; 2) Saratov State University
Russia
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