Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Paul L Rodgers

Dah-Weih Duan

William R Goyette

Harry S Harberts

Matthew A Wetzel

A transformer balun fabricated in silicon and including a series of alternating metal layers and dielectric layers that define first and second outer conductors that are part of a coaxial structure. Each dielectric layer includes a plurality of conductive vias extending through the dielectric layer to provide electrical contact between opposing metal layers, where a top metal layer forms a top wall of each outer conductor and a bottom metal layer forms a bottom wall of each outer conductor and the other metal layers and the dielectric layers define sidewalls of the outer conductors. Inner conductors extends down both of the first and second outer conductors and a first output line is electrically coupled to a sidewall of the first outer conductor and a second output line is electrically coupled to a sidewall of the second outer conductor.

Silicon transformer balun

A circuit and corresponding method for doubling the frequency of an input signal, even when the input signal is of low frequency or a square wave. The input signal is applied to a phase-shifting circuit that produces a pair of output signals that are theoretically 90&#xb0; apart in phase, but may lack the desired form if the original input signal is of low frequency. The waveforms of the two output signals are enhanced in latching hysteresis buffers that produce more uniformly squared waves, with zero crossings corrected to be more exactly 90&#xb0; apart and with desirably steep state transitions. The enhanced-waveform output signals are coupled to an exclusive OR (XOR) gate to produce a double-frequency output.

Low frequency doubler

A circuit for supplying selected currents to a charge pump without harmful effects arising from operation of current switches in the charge pump. A charge pump current setting is applied in digital form to a set of two-position switches coupled to binary-weighted current sources. Currents from the sources selected by the switches are combined, and the total current is mirrored to the charge pump. Simultaneously, those of the binary-weighted current sources not selected by the switches to contribute to the charge pump current are separately combined, and this total current is mirrored to an electrical replica of the charge pump. Thus the currents supplied to the charge pump and to the replica charge pump are complementary in the sense that they always add to a constant total current drawn from a common power supply. Therefore, abrupt changes in current load are avoided and switching noise effects are minimized.

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Solana Beach, CA, United States of America

Paul L Rodgers