Knowles Cazenovia, Inc.

General Electric Company

Dielectric Laboratories, Inc.

Martin Marietta Corporation

Dover Capital Formation Group

David A Bates

William P Kornrumpf

Steven Randall

Wolfgang Daum

Charles S Korman

William Hull Bicknell

David P Smith

Constantine A Neugebauer, Deceased

Eric D Arnold

Mesut Gokten

Mark W Ingalls

Robert J Street

Bruce F Semans

Stephen J Oot

Ronald B Browne

Brian L Rowden

Methods for manufacturing a microwave or radio frequency (RF) device include mounting a printed circuit board (PCB) on a flexible PCB having at least one ground plane and a signal terminal. The PCB can include a through-hole the sidewalls of which are coated with a conductive material. The methods can include placing a microwave component within the through-hole. The methods can include disposing a conductive cover on the PCB such that the cover is in electrical contact with the ground plane of the flexible PCB through the conductive material, forming shielding around the microwave component. The flexible PCB can be folded along a respective bend portion.

RF devices and methods thereof involving a vertical switched filter bank

A microwave or radio frequency (RF) device includes stacked printed circuit boards (PCBs) mounted on a flexible PCB having at least one ground plane and a signal terminal. Each of the stacked PCBs includes through-holes the sidewalls of which are coated with a conductive material. Microwave components are mounted on the flexible PCB within the through-holes, such that signal terminals of the components bond to signal terminals of respective through-holes. A conductive cover is mounted on the PCBs such that the cover is in electrical contact with the ground plane of the flexible PCB through the conductive material, forming shielding cavities around the components. The flexible PCB is folded such that the cover of one PCB faces the cover of the second PCB. The flexible PCB includes striplines or microstrips that carry RF or microwave signals to the signal terminals.

Vertical switched filter bank

Methods, systems, and apparatuses, for a millimeter wave filter array are discussed. The filter array includes an array of unit cells formed using a dielectric layer of a dielectric material, the dielectric layer having a first surface and an opposing second surface. Each unit cell includes conductive sidewall layers extending at least partially between the first surface and the second surface of the dielectric layer and defining a resonant space within the dielectric layer. Each unit cell also includes a metallized layer formed on the first surface, covering at least a portion of the resonant space of the dielectric layer and electrically connected to the conductive sidewall layers. Each unit cell includes a radio-frequency input-output (RF I/O) contact formed on the first surface of the dielectric layer.

Millimeter wave filter array

Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for a microwave cavity resonator stabilized oscillator, are described. The oscillator can include a cavity resonator configured to resonate at least at one predetermined resonant frequency in a GHz frequency range. The oscillator can include circuitry including a microwave amplifier, a low pass filter and a phase shifter. The circuitry may be arranged in a feedback loop configuration, and may be at least partially mounted above a first surface of the cavity resonator. The circuitry may be electrically coupled to the cavity resonator to form an oscillator. The circuitry can include a first delay line segment that is selected instead of at least one other delay line segments for wire-bond connection to complete the feedback loop configuration at zero degree phase.

Microwave cavity resonator stabilized oscillator

A high frequency band pass filter with a coupled surface mount transition is provided, including a filter substrate, circuit connection elements defining input and an output elements provided on a surface of the filter substrate, electronic filter components provided on the first surface of the filter substrate, and impedance matching structures provided on the first surface of the filter substrate between the electronic filter components and the respective input and output elements. Signal connection structures are provided on an opposed surface of the filter substrate, in locations that positionally correspond to respective positions of the input and output elements. The respective signal connection elements are capacitively coupled, through a thickness direction of the filter substrate, to a respective one of the input and output elements on the opposed surface of the filter substrate without the presence of any vertical conductive structures within the filter substrate at the input and the output elements.

High frequency band pass filter with coupled surface mount transition

A waveguide-type dielectric filter suitable for wideband filter applications made of a metallized dielectric material is provided. The filter includes two or more mutually coupled resonators disposed in a longitudinal manner. The coupling between adjacent resonators is provided and adjusted by slots or through holes. The dielectric block is covered with metal ground coating with the exception of an uncoated area at the input and output that creates two contact pads on one surface of the dielectric block that are electrically isolated from the metal ground coating. Metallized blind holes are formed on the opposing surface of the dielectric block with respect to the contact pads. These blind holes effectively move the ground plane closer to the contact pad, which, in turn increases the coupling between the input and output resonators and external circuitry, which is essential for building wide bandwidth band pass filters.

Wideband dielectric waveguide filter

A discrete resonator is provided, including a dielectric base having a dielectric constant. A metal contact formed on a major surface of the dielectric base has a predetermined area and is positioned at a predetermined location on the dielectric base to provide a predetermined loaded Q for the resonator. A metal ground coating is formed on the outer surface of the dielectric base with the exception of an isolation region surrounding the metal contact that is free of the metal ground coating. The area of the isolation region is sufficient to prevent significant coupling between the metal contact and the metal ground coating. The dielectric constant of the material used for the base, and the width and length of the dielectric base are each selected such that the resonator resonates at least at one predetermined resonant frequency in the GHz frequency range.

Discrete dielectric material cavity resonator and filter having isolated metal contacts

A voltage tunable resonator is provided, including a dielectric base made of a dielectric material having at least one of a voltage dependent dielectric constant and piezoelectric characteristics. A metal contact having a predetermined area is provided on an outer surface of the dielectric base at a predetermined location to provide a predetermined loaded Q for the resonator, and a metal ground coating is provided on the remaining exposed surfaces of the dielectric base, and an isolation region having a sufficient area to prevent significant coupling between the metal contact and the metal ground coating. A control voltage applied between the metal contact and the metal ground coating provides at least one of (i) a variable electric field to control the dielectric constant and a resonant frequency of the resonator and (ii) a piezoelectric response causing a dimensional change in the resonator to control the resonant frequency of the resonator.

Discrete voltage tunable resonator made of dielectric material

A surface mount ceramic package, e.g. for a microwave or millimeter wave integrated circuit device, has outer conductive pads that are available for direct connection with traces on the printed circuit board. A metal core or base has spaces at one or more sides, e.g., voids or cutouts, where the outer pads are located. There is a first ceramic layer disposed on the core, with a central cavity for the die, and an upper or second ceramic layer. Printed traces are buried between the two layers, and vias connect the traces with the outer pads. Inner pads are located on a ledge of the first layer adjacent the cavity for connection with electrodes of the die. Each of the first and second ceramic layers may be stacked ceramic tape. The package may be LTCC or HTCC. This construction avoids inductive losses, especially at higher frequencies.

Surface mount ceramic package

A standing axial-leaded surface mount capacitor is formed of a dielectric chip capacitor sandwiched between first and second blocks. The end blocks have profiles to match the profile of said chip capacitor. The end blocks are conductive at least on their outer surfaces and serve as leads to attaching to metallic surface traces of a printed circuit. In one preferred embodiment, the end blocks are ceramic cubes with metallic surfaces on its faces. The metallized cubes give the device rotational symmetry about its long axis, so that the capacitor will have identical performance in any orientation. This feature makes it possible to automatically pick and place the device onto a circuit board. Preferably, the dielectric chip has a square profile of the same dimension as the ceramic cubes. The profile of the cubes and the chip can be 20 to 25 mils to match the width of a typical printed circuit trace. The capacitors can be of any typical value, i.e., between 0.05 and 300 pf.

Standing axial-leaded surface mount capacitor

The electrical operating characteristics of a microwave circuit are modified by providing a dielectric layer on the circuit in a pattern which modifies the electrical characteristics of an overlay responsive portion of the circuit in a manner which results in the overall circuit having a desired electrical operating characteristic within a tolerance. Adjustment of the operating characteristics may be done in an iterative manner of measuring the characteristics, modifying the distribution of dielectric material and remeasuring the operating characteristics until satisfactory operating characteristics are obtained. Alternatively, the operating characteristics may be adjusted in an interactive manner in which the circuit is provided with power and appropriate signals and its operating characteristics are monitored during the process of selectively removing dielectric material with the removal process being controlled in accordance with the current electrical operating characteristics and being terminated when a desired set of operating characteristics is obtained.

Microwave component having tailored operating characteristics and method

By employing High Density Interconnect (HDI) multi-chip modules (MCMs) having elements of a distributed power supply embedded in the MCM itself, the functions of an MCM and a power converter are combined. The embedded power supply elements include DC-DC or AC-DC converters to convert an input voltage and input current to a relatively lower output voltage and relatively higher output current, thereby decreasing the current requirements of external power supply lines connected to the multi-chip module. The current and voltage outputs may be connected to chip power inputs through relatively short, low-impedance power distribution conductors comprising copper strips direct bonded to a ceramic substrate; alternatively, or in combination with direct bonded copper conductors, the low-impedance power distribution conductors may be situated within an HDI overcoat structure. The power supply elements may be placed within cavities formed in the substrate, or on a thinner portion of the substrate. The power supply may also provide multiple output voltages.

High density interconnect multi-chip modules including embedded

A test fixture for testing microwave components enables components to be tested with high correlation between the component's test results and its operation in a system. The test fixture provides for non-destructive mounting of and connection of the component to the test fixture in the same manner as it will be connected in the final system and also provides for tailoring of the test connections as may be desired.

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Fayetteville, NY, United States of America

David A Bates