Low-Cost Additive Manufacturing Techniques Applied to the Design of Planar Microwave Circuits by Fused Deposition Modeling

This work presents a study on the implementation and manufacturing of low-cost microwave electronic circuits, made with additive manufacturing techniques using fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology. First, the manufacturing process of substrates with different filaments, using various options offered by additive techniques in the manufacture of 3D printing parts, is described. The implemented substrates are structurally analyzed by ultrasound techniques to verify the correct metallization and fabrication of the substrate, and the characterization of the electrical properties in the microwave frequency range of each filament is performed. Finally, standard and novel microwave filters in microstrip and stripline technology are implemented, making use of the possibilities offered by additive techniques in the manufacturing process. The designed devices were manufactured and measured with good results, which demonstrates the possibility of using low-cost 3D printers in the design process of planar microwave circuits.