Nec Corporation

Youichi Ara

Kenichiro Suzuki

Tsunehisa Marumoto

Ryuichi Iwata

Hideki Kusamitu

Yasunori Yoshino

Tomoaki Saryo

Shuguang Chen

Hideki Kusamitsu

A method of manufacturing a high-gain, high-frequency device, such as a phased-array antenna, which uses such a switch having movable parts as a micromachine switch. The high-frequency device comprises a dielectric substrate on which are formed a plurality of waveguides for carrying high-frequency signals, a phase control layer, and dielectric spacers arranged between the phase control layer and another layer to provide space in which a switch formed in the phase control layer is enclosed.

High-frequency device using switch having movable parts, and method of manufacture thereof

A micromachine includes a switch having a supporting member provided on a substrate. The supporting member is adjacent to a gap between a signal line and the substrate and has a predetermined height with respect to the substrate. A flexible beam member projects from the supporting member generally parallel to the substrate and extends so that part of the flexible member faces the gap. A contact electrode on the beam member faces the gap. A lower electrode on the substrate faces part of the beam member. Part of the beam member is conductive to function as an upper electrode. The thermal expansion coefficients of the beam member are almost symmetric in the thickness direction perpendicular to the substrate surface, at least from the portion at which the beam member is connected to the supporting member to the portion facing the lower electrode.

Micromachine switch and its production method

A relatively small phased array antenna is formed at a low cost even if the number of radiating elements increases in order to improve the gain. The phased array antenna has a multilayered structure in which a number of radiating elements ( ), a phase shift unit ( ) for changing the phase of an RF signal transmitted/received at each radiating element, and a distribution/synthesis unit ( ) are formed on different layers. Signal lines (X Xm) and scanning lines (Y Yn) are wired on a phase control layer ( ) to connect phase shift units to each other in a matrix. The signal lines and the scanning lines are matrix-driven by selection units ( X, Y) so that desired phase shift amounts are set to phase shift units located at the intersections of the signal and scanning lines. In addition, switches ( S) of a phase shifter ( ) are formed at once on the phase control layer.

Phased array antenna and method of manufacturing the same

A relatively small phased array antenna is formed at a low cost even if the number of radiating elements increases in order to improve the gain. The phased array antenna has a multilayered structure in which a number of radiating elements ( ), a phase shift unit ( ) for changing the phase of an RF signal transmitted/received at each radiating element, and a distribution/synthesis unit ( ) are formed on different layers. Signal lines (X -Xm) and scanning lines (Y -Yn) are wired on a phase control layer ( ) to connect phase shift units to each other in a matrix. The signal lines and the scanning lines are matrix-driven by selection units ( X, Y) so that desired phase shift amounts are set to phase shift units located at the intersections of the signal and scanning lines. In addition, circuit portions repeatedly arranged in a single phase shift unit are formed into single chips mounted on another substrate.

Phased array antenna and its manufacturing method

A relatively small and inexpensive phased array antenna provided even if the number of radiators is increased to enhance the gain. The phased array antenna has a multilayer structure including layers where a large number of radiators ( ), phase-shifting units ( ) each for shifting the phase of a high-frequency signal transmitted/received by the corresponding radiator, and a distributing/synthesizing unit ( ) are provided respectively. The phase-shifting circuits ( A to D) constituting the phase-shifting units ( ) are driven by the respective driver units ( ). A switch ( S) used for the phase-shifting unit is provided together with the other wiring pattern on the layer where the phase-shifting units ( ) are provided.

Phased array antenna and method of manufacturing method

A phased-array antenna apparatus used in a microwave or milliwave band and having a high gain includes a multilayer structure. The multilayer structure is constituted by M radiating elements, M phase shifters, phase shifting control circuits, and a feeding unit. The phase shifters are respectively coupled to the radiating elements to shift the phase of a feeding signal supplied to each of the radiating elements in units of N (M and N are integers equal to or larger than two) bits. The phase shifting control circuits control phase shifting of the phase shifters. The feeding unit is arranged to be coupled to each of the radiating elements.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Youichi Ara