Rockwell Science Center, Inc.

Kenneth D Pedrotti

David R Pehlke

Jun Jason Yao

James L Bartlett

Charles W Seabury

Deepak Mehrotra

Henry O Marcy, 5th

Mau Chung Chang

J L Tham

J L Julian Tham

Mau Chung F Chang

J Aiden Higgins

Sangtae Park

Henry O Marcy, 5supth

Jl Julian Tham

Power amplifiers having reactive networks (such as classes C, C-E, E and F) employ tunable reactive devices in their reactive networks, with the reactive devices respective reactance values capable of being adjusted by means of respective control signals. The tunable reactive devices are made from micro-electromechanical (MEM) devices capable of being integrated with the control circuitry needed to produce the control signals and other amplifier components on a common substrate. The reactive components have high Q values across their adjustment range, enabling the amplifier to produce an output with a low harmonic content over a wide range of input signal frequencies, and a frequency agile, high quality output. The invention can be realized on a number of foundry technologies.

Integrated tunable high efficiency power amplifier

A high-Q precision integrated reversibly trimmable singleband oscillator and tunable multiband oscillator are presented that overcome the problems laser trimming and solid state switches. This is accomplished using micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) technology to integrate an amplifier and its tunable LC network on a common substrate. The LC network can be configured to provide a very narrow bandwidth frequency response which peaks at one or more very specific predetermined frequencies without de-Qing the oscillator.

Trimmable singleband and tunable multiband integrated oscillator using micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) technology

A frequency stabilizer circuit in the form of a charge-pump phase-lock loop utilizing a MEMS capacitance device, preferably a tunable MEMS capacitor or a MEMS capacitor bank, which more rapid and with a greater precision determine the phase and frequency of a carrier signal so that it can be extracted, providing an information signal of interest. Such MEMS devices have the added advantage of providing linear capacitance, low insertion losses, higher isolation and high reliability, they run on low power and permit the entire circuit to be fabricated on a common substrate. The use of the MEMS capacitance device reduces unwanted harmonics generated by the circuit's charge pump allowing the filtering requirements to be relaxed or perhaps eliminated.

Frequency synthesizer using micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS)

The passive components of a transceiver, such as transmit/receive switches, antennas, inductors, capacitors and resonators, are integrated together on a common substrate to form an integrated passive transceiver section, which, in combination with other components, provides a highly reliable, low-cost, high-performance transceiver. Micro-electromechanical (MEM) device fabrication techniques are used to provide low-loss, high-performance switches and low-loss, high-Q reactive components, and enable the passive transceiver section's high level of integration. The passive components are preferably integrated on a low-cost glass substrate, with transceiver circuits containing active components fabricated on a separate substrate; the separate substrates are interconnected to implement the RF/analog and analog/digital interface portions of a transceiver. Additional MEM switching devices permit multiple, parallel signal paths to be switched in and out of the transceiver circuitry as needed to optimize performance.

Integrated passive transceiver section

A high Q MEMS capacitor that can be continuously tuned with a large tuning ratio or reversibly trimmed using an electrostatic force. The tunable capacitor has a master/slave structure in which a control voltage is applied to the master (control) capacitor to set the capacitance of the slave (signal) capacitor to which an RF signal is applied via a suspended mechanical coupler. The master-slave structure reduces tuning error by reducing the signal capacitor's surface area and increasing its spring constant, and may eliminate the need for discrete blocking inductors by electrically isolating the control and signal capacitors. The trimmable capacitor provides an electrostatic actuator that selectively engages a stopper with teeth on a tunable capacitor structure to fix the trimmed capacitance.

Tunable-trimmable micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) capacitor

A monolithically integrated switched capacitor bank using MEMS technology that is capable of handling GHz signal frequencies in both the RF and millimeter bands while maintaining precise digital selection of capacitor levels over a wide tuning range. Each MEMS switch includes a cantilever arm that is affixed to the substrate and extends over a ground line and a gapped signal line. An electrical contact is formed on the bottom of the cantilever arm positioned above and facing the gap in the signal line. A top electrode atop the cantilever arm forms a control capacitor structure above the ground line. A capacitor structure, preferably a MEMS capacitor suspended above the substrate at approximately the same height as the cantilever arm, is anchored to the substrate and connected in series with a MEMS switch. The MEMS switch is actuated by applying a voltage to the top electrode, which produces an electrostatic force that attracts the control capacitor structure toward the ground line, thereby causing the electrical contact to close the gap in the signal line and connect the MEMS capacitor structure between a pair of output terminals. The integrated MEMS switch-capacitor pairs have a large range between their on-state and off-state impedance, and thus exhibit superior isolation and insertion loss characteristics.

Monolithically integrated switched capacitor bank using micro electro

An integrated, tunable inductance network features a number of fixed inductors fabricated on a common substrate along with a switching network made up of a number of micro-electromechanical (MEM) switches. The switches selectably interconnect the inductors to form an inductance network having a particular inductance value, which can be set with a high degree of precision when the inductors are configured appropriately. The preferred MEM switches introduce a very small amount of resistance, and the inductance network can thus have a high Q. The MEM switches and inductors can be integrated using common processing steps, reducing parasitic capacitance problems associated with wire bonds and prior art switches, increasing reliability, and reducing the space, weight and power requirements of prior art designs. The precisely tunable high-Q inductance network has wide applicability, such as in a resonant circuit which provides a narrow bandwidth frequency response which peaks at a specific predetermined frequency, making possible a highly selective performance low noise amplifier (LNA), or in an oscillator circuit so that a precise frequency of oscillation can be generated and changed as needed.

Integrated tunable inductance network and method

An integrated, variable gain microwave frequency power amplifier comprises a number of individual amplifier stages which contain microwave frequency active devices. Each stage is fed with a common input signal, and the individual stage outputs are connected to respective micro-electromechanical (MEM) switches which, when closed, connect the individual outputs together to form the power amplifier's output. The power amplifier's gain is determined by the number of outputs connected together. The preferred switch provides low insertion loss and excellent electrical isolation, enabling a number of amplifier stages to be efficiently interconnected to provide a wide dynamic range power amplifier. The switches are preferably integrated on a common substrate with the active devices, eliminating the need for wire bonds and reducing parasitic capacitances. A variable impedance network comprising a number of impedance matching networks selected using MEM switches can be connected to and integrated with a variable gain power amplifier to provide impedance matching that is appropriate for each of the power amplifier's possible output power levels.

Growing community of inventors

Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America

Kenneth D Pedrotti