Infrared-Transparent, Millimeter-Wave Bandpass, Missile Dome Design

This purpose of this project is to develop advanced coatings for use in tri-mode seeker domes for the next generation Joint Air-to-Ground Missile. The coatings will be deposited using innovative deposition techniques producing films of high optical and electrical quality that are very dense and highly adherent. The coatings simultaneously have high electrical conductivity and IR transparency of greater than 90% past 5ìm. The films will be characterized by optical transmission scans, electrical measurements, and EMI shielding from 10-50 GHz. Results of the EMI shielding measurements will be used to design band-selective millimeter-wave (MMW) filters. Furthermore, high temperature conductivity testing to 1000°C will be performed along with abrasion testing, and sand erosion testing. This data will assess the suitability of the different coatings for use in the tri-mode seeker domes. Optimized films will be deposited on IR substrates and incorporated into a coating structure to demonstrate the coatings ability to achieve a high transmission pass region in the MMW Ka-band (between 27 and 40 GHz) while achieving out of band rejection. This structure will be based upon computer modeling refined from the earlier testing of the EMI shielding performance.