RF Absorbers

Introduction

MAST Technologies is a leading designer and manufacturer of both RF and microwave absorbing materials (RF absorbers, microwave absorbers).  In industry, RF absorbing materials and microwave absorbing materials can take on many different names.  Some of the more common names include: RF absorber, microwave absorber, EMI absorber, Radar Absorbing Material or RAM, magnetically radar absorbing material or mag-RAM, EMI suppression material, or surface wave absorber.  All of these different nomenclatures point to a material who’s magnetic and/or electric properties have been altered, such that they absorb or attenuate energy.

Historically, worldwide military forces used microwave-absorbing materials to reduce reflections of high-frequency energy.  However, with the increase in clock speeds, there has been a trend toward the use of microwave absorbing materials in commercial applications.  Consumer electronics, notebook computers, wireless LAN devices, network servers and switches, wireless antenna systems, cellular phone base stations are just a few of the high-frequency device applications that have adopted this technology.  For more information surrounding specific applications, please visit the Applications pages of our website.

Material Types

Flexible and thin magnetically loaded rubber absorbers:

MR1 Tuned Frequency Absorbers Tuned Frequency Absorbers, or resonant frequency absorbers, provide great reflection loss at a discrete frequency, typically offering 20dB of attenuation. Tuned frequency absorbers offer narrowband absorption from 1 to 40 GHz. MR2 Cavity Resonance Absorbers Cavity Resonance Absorbers are designed to exhibit high loss within a microwave cavity.  The absorber will in effect lower the Q factor of the cavity by attenuating cavity oscillations, resonant frequencies, or harmonics.  Cavity Resonant Absorbers attenuate energy at normal and high angles of incidence at frequencies from 1 to 20 GHz.

MR3 Surface Wave Absorbers
Surface Wave Absorbers are the most heavily magnetically loaded elastomeric absorber.  Surface Wave absorbers are designed to exhibit the highest loss and are intended to be applied to a conductive or metal surface for traveling or surface wave attenuation.  Surface Wave Absorbers attenuate traveling or surface wave energy from 1 to 20 GHz.

MR5 Low Frequency Absorbers
Low Frequency Absorbers provide high loss at sub-microwave frequencies.  Low Frequency Absorbers are designed with shaped magnetic particles which exhibit high permeability at frequencies from 1 MHz to 3 GHz.

Flexible dielectric foam absorbers:

MF1 Reticulated Foam Absorbers Reticulated Foam Absorbers are very lightweight conductive carbon loaded sheet absorbers which provide high levels of loss at normal and off normal angles of incidence. Reticulated Foam Absorbers are manufactured with a continuous gradient coating, which produces broadband reflection loss performance from 1 to 20 GHz. MF2 Lossy Foam Absorbers Lossy Foam Absorbers are a lightweight, low cost carbon loaded sheet stock.  Lossy Foam Absorbers are manufactured with a constant coating to exhibit high insertion loss from 1 to 20 GHz.

MF3 Convoluted Foam Absorbers
Convoluted Foam Absorbers are lightweight carbon loaded sheet, which have the geometric shape similar to an “egg crate”.  The cones product high levels of reflection loss from 1 to 20 GHz.

Sprayable and Cast Absorbers:

Absorber Caulks, Inks, & Coatings
Absorber coatings can be manufactured for a variety of application techniques from spray, injection, or dip coating.  The materials can be manufactured using one or two part systems in a variety of viscosities.