Interference and Guiding Effects in the Heating of Ceramic Slabs and Joints with Millimeter-Wave Radiation

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of some of the electromagnetic wave effects that occur when millimeter-wave beams are used for processing ceramic slabs and joints. These include interference effects on the couplings of the beam into a dielectric slab, guiding of the millimeter-wave beam through a ceramic joint, and standing-wave effects on the uniformity of energy deposition within the slab or joint. It also calculates the extent of the mitigation of the nonuniform energy deposition by thermal smoothing via heat conduction.