MILLIMETER WAVE SEEKER APPLICATION

THE GUIDANCE OF SMALL MUNITIONS AND MISSILES USING SEEKER FRONT ENDS AT MILLIMETER WAVE LENGTHS HAS GAINES INCREASING DEVELOPMENT ATTENTION. MILLIMETER SEEKERS HAVE ADVANTAGES IN TERMS OF GROUND CLUTTER REJECTION AND OTHER BATTLE FIELD CONDITIONS (SMOKE AND DUST). THE MAJOR PROBLEM PLAGUEING THESE SYSTEMS TO DATE HAS BEEN THE HIGH COST DRIVEN BY THE INABILITY TO INTEGRATE AND MASS PRODUCE. MICROSTRIP CIRCUITRY ON SOFT BOARD SUBSTRATE HAS RELIEVED THE PROBLEM TO SOME EXTENT, BUT ONLY BELOW 40GHZ. THE SCALING OF CIRCUITS ABOVE 40GHZ HAS POSED PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THE SOFT BOARD MATERIAL USED. Z-CUT QUARTZ CRYSTAL MICROSTRIP TECHNOLOGY, AT PRESENT OFFERS COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE COMPONENTS UP TO 110GHZ. FOR MOST INTEGRATED SEEKER APPLICATIONS COMPONENTS ARE AVAILABLE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SUITABLE ATENNAS, PARTICULARLY AN ELECTRONICALLY STEERED ANTENNA WITH APPLICATION FOR USE OVER THE 40 TO 110GHZ MILLIMETER BAND.