权利要求：
CLAIMS
1. A stereolithography method of manufacture of a polymer structure for an electronic device, the method comprising:
providing a volume of a liquid, radiation-curable composition,
irradiating a portion of the liquid, radiation-curable composition with activating radiation in a pattern to form a layer of the polymer structure;
contacting the layer with the liquid, radiation-curable composition;
irradiating the liquid, radiation-curable composition with activating radiation in a pattern to form a second layer on the first layer; and
repeating the contacting and irradiating to form the polymer structure,
wherein the polymer structure comprises a plurality of unit cells, wherein each unit cell is integrally connected with an adjacent unit cell, and each unit cell is defined by a plurality of trusses formed by the irradiation, wherein the trusses are integrally connected with each other at their respective ends, and
the trusses of each unit cell have a continuously varying cross-section from one end to an other end thereof to provide a spatially gradient dielectric constant, having endpoints in a range from 20 to greater than 1, measured at 10 GHz, 23°C, and 50% relative humidity.
2 The method of claim 1, wherein the gradient is a continuous gradient.
3. The method of any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the gradient has endpoints in a range from 10 to greater than 1, measured at 10 GHz, 23°C, and 50% relative humidity.
4. The method of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising impregnating the polymer structure with a dielectric material other than air.
S. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid, radiation- curable composition comprises a thermally curable component, and the method further comprises thermally curing the polymer structure.
6. The method of claim 5, comprising contacting the polymer structure with an electrically conductive substrate and thermally curing the polymer structure.
7. The method of claim 5, further comprising contacting at least two alternating layers of the polymer structure or at least two layers of the electrically conductive substrate to form a stack, and thermally curing the polymer structure in the stack.
8. An electronic device, comprising a polymer structure, wherein the polymer structure comprises:
a unified body of dielectric material comprising a plurality of unit cells, wherein each unit cell is integrally connected with an adjacent one of the unit cells, and each unit cell is defined by a plurality of trusses, wherein the trusses are integrally connected with each other at their respective ends;
wherein an average dielectric constant of the unified body of dielectric material varies from a portion of the body to another portion of the body,
wherein the trusses of each unit cell have a continuously varying cross-section from one end to an other end thereof to provide a spatially gradient dielectric constant having endpoints in a range from 20 to greater than 1, measured at 10 GHz, 23°C, and 50% relative humidity.
9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the average dielectric constant of the unified body of dielectric material decreases in a direction from an internal portion of the body to an outer portion of the body.
10. The electronic device of any one of claims 8 or 9, wherein the average dielectric constant of the unified body of dielectric material varies periodically from a first portion of the body to a second portion of the body.
11. The electronic device of any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the spatially gradient dielectric constant of the unified body of dielectric material is from 10 to greater than 1, measured at 10 GHz, 23°C, and 50% relative humidity.
12. The electronic device of any one of claims 8 to 11, further comprising at least one electrical conductor disposed in contact with the unified body of dielectric material.
13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the at least one electrical conductor is adhered to the unified body of dielectric material via an adhesive material.
14. The electronic device of any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the unified body of dielectric material forms at least part of an impedance-matching layer, a dielectric waveguide, a lens, a reflect array, an antenna matching structure, a superstrate, a coupler, a divider, or a dielectric antenna.
13 The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the unified body of dielectric material is a first dielectric portion, 1DP, of the electronic device, and further comprising a second dielectric portion, 2DP, wherein:
the 1DP has a proximal end and a distal end;
the 2DP has a proximal end and a distal end; and
the proximal end of the 2DP is disposed proximate the distal end of the 1DP.
16. The electronic device of claim 15, further comprising an electrical ground plane surface upon which the 1DP is disposed.
17. The electronic device of any one of claims 15 or 16, wherein a height H2 of the 2DP is greater than a height H1 of the 1DP.
18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein:
the 1DP comprises a dielectric resonator antenna, DRA; and
the 2DP comprises an EM far field beam shaper, or an EM near field radiation conduit.