Trw Limited

D Ian Stones

Alfred Euinam Lee

Steven S Chan

Roger A Davidheiser

William D Bjorndahl

Kenneth C Selk

A high frequency coaxial interconnection solder ball grid array produces a low loss, reproducible electrical interconnection at the circuit board level for mounting one or more high frequency components, such as high frequency IMA modules. Since the coaxial interconnection ball grid array can be and is generally implemented as part of a larger ball grid array, high frequency signal generation, signal reception and digital processing can be combined in a single electronic component, such as a circuit board. A coaxial-like interconnection is formed from a plurality of solder balls configured in a three-by-three square array. The coaxial interconnection solder ball grid array includes a single centrally disposed solder ball for interconnecting with a centrally disposed conductor of a coaxial line and a plurality of solder balls surrounding the single centrally disposed solder ball, some balls of which interconnect with a coaxial ground shield of the coaxial line. When soldered together, the centrally disposed solder ball and the central conductor of the coaxial line have the appearance of a rod with a diameter having a standard 50 ohm impedance. The outer conductive shield or ground signal path of the coaxial line is connected with multiple solder balls, to achieve a lower inductance ground-to-ground connection.

Solder ball grid array for connecting multiple millimeter wave assemblies

A waveguide structure (10) that provides a transition from a polymeric waveguide (26) to a coaxial connection (48). The coaxial connection (48) includes an outer conductor (50) electrically connected to a top ground plate (36) of the waveguide (26) and an inner conductor (52) that extends into the polymeric material within the waveguide (26). The inner conductor (52) is electrically connected to a capacitive plate (56), and the capacitive plate (56) is electrically connected to an elongated conductive probe (58). The conductive probe (58) is electrically connected to a conductive post (60), which is electrically connected to a bottom ground plate (38) opposite to the top ground plate (36). The conductive probe (58) extends in a direction transverse to the propagation direction of electromagnetic waves, and acts to pick up the energy in the electromagnetic radiation. The capacitive plate (56) provides a shunt capacitance that resonates out the inductance caused by the conductive probe (58) and the inner conductor (52). The conductive probe (58) is positioned relative to a backshort surface (44) of the waveguide (26) a distance that is less than a quarter wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation of interest.

Millimeter wave polymeric waveguide-to-coax transition

A module package for unpackaged millimeter wave or microwave devices allows the device to be dropped into a cavity formed in a housing and then hermetically sealed therein. Employing dielectric probe members which pass through corresponding slots in the housing to electrically interconnect the device within an application circuit allow for effective hermetic sealing and minimize electrical discontinuities and transmission losses.

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Torrance, CA, United States of America

D Ian Stones