Motorola Corporation

U.S. Monolithics, L.l.c.

Deborah Sue Dendy

Kenneth V Buer

David W Corman

Dean Lawrence Cook

Hugh Robert Malone

James R Phillips

Richard S Kommrusch

Keith Vaclav Warble

Gaurav Menon

Richard Scott Torkington

Archer David Munger

Donald W Forst

James Roger Clark, Ii

Stephen Chihhung Ma

Stephen Chih-hung Ma

A David Munger

A MMIC (microwave monolithic integrated circuit) driver amplifier having a zig-zag RF signal flow and method for the same is provided. A smaller die size and higher output gain are realized with the improved amplification stage geometry provided herein. In particular, the stages are configured in a 'stacked' topology permitting a zig-zag RF signal flow through the stages. Additionally, the DC bias circuitry may be centralized and adjacent stages may share vias. In particular, transistors, such as FETs (field effect transistors) are displaced from a conventional FET geometry with alternating FETs being rotated in opposite directions. The inputs (gate pads) and outputs (drain pads) of two adjacent FETs may be 'shared.' In a shared input configuration, a compensation network may be coupled to the input. The improved amplifier configuration provides a multi-sectional configuration wherein one section may be the mirrored image of another. In a two section amplifier, the amplifier appears to be &#x201c;folded.&#x201d;

MMIC driver amplifier having zig-zag RF signal flow

A MMIC (microwave monolithic integrated circuit) driver amplifier having a zig-zag RF signal flow and method for the same is provided. A smaller die size and higher output gain are realized with the improved amplification stage geometry provided herein. In particular, the stages are configured in a &ldquo;stacked&rdquo; topology permitting a zig-zag RF signal flow through the stages. Additionally, the DC bias circuitry may be is centralized and adjacent stages may share vias. The die area for a typical K-band driver amplifier may be reduced by about 56% over a conventional amplifier design.

Waveguide phase shifter (,FIG.,and,FIG.,) uses piezoelectric ceramics to implement a voltage variable actuator (,) for moving at least one dielectric vane (,) relative to a reference surface (,) in a waveguide cavity (,). In this manner, the phase shift in waveguide phase shifters (,) is controlled. In one embodiment, actuator (,) comprises first piezoelectric wafer (,), second piezoelectric wafer (,), first metallic layer (,), second metallic layer (,), third metallic layer (,), mating surface (,) and spacer (,). Actuator (,) uses a stack of piezoelectric materials to establish a lever arm mechanism to establish vertical movement (,) and move dielectric vane (,). Actuator (,) uses a stack of piezoelectric materials to establish vertical movement (,) and move dielectric vane (,). Waveguide phase shifters (,) are used in phased array antenna (,) operating at microwave frequencies.

Stacked piezoelectric actuators to control waveguide phase shifters and method of manufacture thereof

A planar array antenna for use with an earth-based subscriber unit generates receive or transmit communications beams through the use of digital beamforming networks (,) which provide beam steering in a first dimension. In another dimension, the communications beams are synthesized by way of a waveguide structure (,, FIG.,) which is repeated for each row of the antenna array. The waveguide outputs are weighted due to the positioning of coupling slots (,) or coupling probes (,) which transfer carrier signals to and from each waveguide. The slots or coupling probes from the waveguides are coupled to a group of barium strontium titanate (BST) (,, FIG.,) or micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) switch (,, FIG.,) phase shift elements which are under the control of a control network (,, FIG.,). The resulting signals are radiated by the antenna elements of the planar antenna array (,, FIG.,) to form a communications beam.

Low cost beam steering planar array antenna

A mechanical scanning and digital beamforming antenna (,FIG.,) uses a receive and transmit digital beamforming network (FIG.,) to provide communications beam scanning in a first plane. In a second plane, a reflective surface (FIG.,) is used to focus and scan the communications beam. Through proper orientation of the reflective surface (,), a communications satellite (FIG.,) can be tracked by way of electronic scanning by way of the transmit or receive digital beamforming network (FIG.,). Thus, the complexity of the digital beamforming network is reduced as is the wear on the mechanical components of the antenna. The mechanical scanning and digital beamforming antenna (,FIG.,) makes use of a second digital beamforming network (FIG. 3,,) and reflective surface (FIG.,) to ensure that two communications satellites can be simultaneously tracked.

Combined mechanical scanning and digital beamforming antenna

An antenna subsystem (120) which comprises an electronic scanning reflector antenna (400) is used for the formation of single and multiple beams. Reflecting surface (420) is covered with at least one dielectric layer (430) which is used to simultaneously and independently steer multiple beams. Electronic scanning reflector antenna (400) operates similar to a phased array antenna. ESRA (400) comprises a number of independent controllable reflecting surfaces (450) which are combined together in close proximity. Each one of the individual regions is covered by a dielectric layer, and the dielectric constant for each can be independently controlled. Electronic scanning reflector antennas (400, 600) are used in both space-based and terrestrial-based applications. Electronic scanning reflector antennas (400, 600) are used for both transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals.

Electronic scanning reflector antenna and method for using same

An array (100) of voltage variable capacitors (110) is provided in which voltage variable capacitors (110) are fabricated with piezoelectric displacement devices (150). Voltage variable capacitors (110) have first plates (120) which are coupled to displacement devices (150). First plates (120) are dielectrically coupled to second plates (130). Displacement device (150) has a stack of metallic layers (154), voltage variable material blocks (152), and voltage supply terminals (170) and (180). Voltage differences are established across voltage variable material blocks (152) using voltage supply terminals (170) and (180). A voltage difference causes a voltage variable material layer to change thickness, and this causes first plate (120) to move relative to second plate (130). Voltage variable material is selected from a group of piezoelectric ceramics, which can include lead-titanate (PbTiO.sub.3), lead-zirconate (PbZrO.sub.3), barium-titanate (BaTiO.sub.3), and lead-zirconate-titanate (PbZr.sub.x Ti.sub.1-x O.sub.3), where x varies from zero to one.

Voltage variable capacitor array and method of manufacture thereof

A user terminal (110) which comprises an electrically-controllable back-fed antenna (300, FIG. 3) is used for the formation of single and multiple beams. The electrically-controllable back-fed antenna comprises an RF power distribution/combination network (310), electrically-controllable phase-shifting elements (320), a control network (440, FIG. 4) and radiating/receiving elements (360). The control network is coupled to the electrically-controllable phase-shifting elements and is used for controlling the dielectric constant of dielectric material contained within the electrically-controllable phase-shifting elements. In a preferred embodiment, phase-shifting elements comprise waveguide sections containing at least one dielectric material, and the dielectric material includes a ferroelectric material, preferably comprising Barium Strontium Titanate (BST).

Electrically-controllable back-fed antenna and method for using same

A phased array antenna (1000) is formed using a number of independently controllable piezoelectric phase shifters (1300) which results in a low cost phased array antenna that is functional at microwave and/or millimeter wave frequencies. In addition, the independently controllable piezoelectric phase shifters (1300) have sufficient phase range to allow a single antenna to be steered over a wide angle field of view. Piezoelectric phase shifters (1300) comprise at least one-voltage variable capacitor (1310, 1320, FIG. 2). Typically, the piezoelectric material used in the voltage variable capacitors is selected from a group consisting of lead-titanate (PbTiO.sub.3), lead-zirconate (PbZrO.sub.3), barium-titanate (BaTiO.sub.3), and lead-zirconate-titanate (PbZr.sub.x Ti.sub.1-x O.sub.3), where x varies from zero to one.

Phased array antenna using piezoelectric actuators in variable

A MMIC for providing a suspended transmission medium, comprising a MMIC chip, an upper ground plane overlying and spaced from critical circuitry and a lower ground plane underlying and spaced from the critical circuitry. The upper and lower ground planes are spaced from the critical circuitry at electrically similar distances. The portion of the MMIC chip that has the critical circuitry is suspended over a recess in the housing floor.

Growing community of inventors

Tempe, AZ, United States of America

Deborah Sue Dendy