Space Systems/loral, LLC

Jacket Micro Devices, Inc.

Lawrence Alan Carastro

George E White

Sidharth Dalmia

Stephen C Holme

Stephen D Berry

Semyon Lapushin

Winston Czakon

A multiplexer includes a microstrip manifold, and a filter bank having at least two output filters. The multiplexer channelizes an input radio frequency (RF) band of electromagnetic energy into a set of output channels by way of the filter bank. The microstrip manifold has an input port that receives an input RF signal, and at least two output ports. The microstrip manifold distributes the input RF signal to each output port, each said output port being coupled to a respective one of the at least two output filters. The multiplexer may be an input multiplexer for a spacecraft communications payload system.

Microstrip manifold coupled multiplexer

Embodiments of the present invention may provide for high-performing inductor structures utilizing multi-layer organic stackups. In particular, these high-performing inductor structures may be formed of one or more stitched metal layer building blocks, which are each formed of at least two inductor sections that are vertically or horizontally aligned, and then stitched or connected together. This stitching process significantly reduces the DC/RF losses while reducing the inductance value by a substantially lower factor, thereby significant increasing the Q-factor of the resulting inductor structure. Each stitched metal layer building block may be formed on an organic dielectric layer (e.g., liquid crystalline polymer (LCP)) having a first conductive layer on a first surface and perhaps a second conductive layer on a second surface opposite the first surface. The at least two inductor sections described above may be formed by patterning or circuitizing the first conductive layer and/or the second conductive layer. Additional stitched metal layer building blocks may be stacked with at least one organic laminate layer (e.g., LCP) disposed between each pair of stitched metal layer building blocks. Plated vias may be utilized to connect one stitched metal layer building block with another stitched metal layer building block to form a resulting high-performing inductor structure.

Methods and apparatuses for high-performing multi-layer inductors

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Marietta, GA, United States of America

Lawrence Alan Carastro