Telecommunications – Receiver or analog modulated signal frequency converter – Cabinet – housing – or chassis structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-28
2003-07-22
Trost, William (Department: 2683)
Telecommunications
Receiver or analog modulated signal frequency converter
Cabinet, housing, or chassis structure
C455S347000, C455S348000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06597902
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radio-frequency circuit module such as a microwave circuit module, and particularly to assembling method and apparatus for a radio-frequency circuit module.
2. Description of the Related Art
Radio-frequency circuit modules are modules constructed by storing a plurality of radio-frequency circuit units, or one or more radio-frequency circuit units and a related circuit such as a control circuit, in a casing. Various types of radio-frequency circuit units are known including a microwave circuit unit used for a microwave band and a millimeterwave circuit unit used for a millimeterwave band. For example, as a microwave circuit unit, a monolithic microwave IC (MMIC) having a structure constructed by forming an active element such as a FET (field effect transistor) and with a passive element, such as a capacitor, on the surface or inside a semiconductor substrate, is known. As another microwave circuit unit, for example, a microwave IC (MIC) is known which has a structure constructed by mounting a discrete component such as a semiconductor element on a dielectric substrate on which a circuit element is formed. A microwave circuit, especially an MMIC or MIC, typically has a rectangular shape, similar to a circuit board on which the circuit is to be mounted and the package for storing the circuit board. The microwave circuit is also designed to have as low a height as possible. A radio-frequency circuit module having a microwave circuit stored as one of the radio-frequency circuits is called a microwave circuit module. The microwave circuit module can be realized by laminating a plurality of dielectric layers in a multi-layered structure.
2-1. Conventional Module
An example a conventional microwave circuit module having a multi-layered structure is shown in FIG.
17
. The microwave circuit module having a cross section shown in the figure has a multi-layered structure constructed by laminating five dielectric layers
1
through
5
. The multi-layered structure further includes conducting lines
6
through
10
respectively provided above each of the dielectric layers
1
through
5
. The conducting lines
6
through
10
are not shown in the figure because they are thin layers compared to the dielectric layers
1
through
5
. The conducting line
6
,
8
, and
10
provide signal transmission lines and the conducting lines
7
and
9
provide a ground potential. The circuit connection for maintaining the potentials of the conducting lines
7
and
9
and of a metal conductor layer
13
at a ground potential is not shown, but can be constructed by using a method and apparatus well known to those skilled in the art. The multi-layered structure is covered by a top lid
11
for protection at its upper end and the connecting section between the top lid
11
and the multi-layered structure is sealed by a sealing member
12
. A metal conductor layer
13
is provided at the lower end of the multi-layered structure for providing a ground potential. A circuit to be stored in the microwave circuit module includes a microwave circuits, in the form of an MMIC, an MIC, etc., and a control circuit provided to control the microwave circuits in the form of an IC or the like. In the example shown in
FIG. 17
, a microwave circuit
14
for performing a predetermined process to a signal in a microwave band and a control circuit
15
for controlling the operation of the microwave circuit
14
are stored inside the multi-layered structure.
For the microwave circuit
14
and the control circuit
15
to be operated as intended, RF connectors for inputting a microwave signal to the microwave circuit
14
and for outputting a microwave signal from the microwave circuit
14
and control-signal pins for inputting a control signal to the control circuit
15
must be provided. In the microwave circuit module shown in
FIG. 17
, two RF connectors
16
, and six control-signal pins
17
are provided at the lower end of the multi-layered structure, as shown in FIG.
18
. The RF connectors
16
have a coaxial structure and their inner conductors
18
penetrate through the multi-layered structure to reach near the microwave circuit
14
, as shown in a partially enlarged FIG.
19
. The connection by a wire
16
between the inner conductor
18
and a conductor at a predetermined section of the microwave circuit
14
are formed by a method such as wire bonding or the like. An outer conductor of the RF connector
16
is connected to the metal conductor layer
13
and can be extended to the inside of the multi-layered structure if that is necessary. Dielectrics
20
are provided between the inner conductor
18
and members within the multi-layered structure, especially various conductors. Microwave signals supplied from an outside circuit are supplied to the microwave circuit
14
through one of the RF connectors
16
. One or more processes such as amplification, modulation, phase-shift, or the like is applied to the signals by the microwave circuit
14
and the signals are output through the other RF connector
16
to an outside circuit.
The control-signal pins
17
are placed at a cut portion provided within the metal conductor layer
13
to secure a gap to prevent the control-signal pins
17
from short-circuiting with the metal conductor layer
13
. One end of the group of control-signal pins
17
protrudes from the multi-layered structure at the bottom for connection to an outside circuit and the other end of the control-signal pins
17
is embedded within the multi-layered structure. A portion of the control-signal pins
17
embedded within the multi-layered structure is connected to the control circuit
15
through a wire
21
. It is, for example, possible to provide a through hole
22
on each layer, penetrating through the dielectric layers
1
through
5
, insert each of the control-signal pins
17
through the series of through holes
22
so that one end is above the dielectric layer
5
, and connect the end above the dielectric layer
5
to the conductor on the control circuit
15
through the wire
21
using a method such as wire bonding etc. Alternatively, it is also possible to embed or fill another conductor within the through hole
22
instead of penetrating the multi-layered structure by the control-signal pins
17
, and to use the conductor for connecting the control-signal pins
17
and the control circuit
15
.
The connection between the control circuit
15
and the microwave circuit
14
is provided by a conductor within a through hole
23
and wires
24
through
26
connected by a method such as wire bonding or the like. Specifically, the conductor at a predetermined section of the control circuit
15
is connected to a predetermined section of the conducting line
10
through a wire
24
and the conductor at a predetermined section of the microwave circuit
14
is connected to a predetermined section of the conducting line
8
through wires
25
or
26
. The conducting lines
10
and
8
are connected by a conductor embedded or filled in the through hole
23
.
2-2. Problems to be Solved
In the structure described above, it is possible to provide a microwave signal from an outside circuit to a microwave circuit
14
through the RF connector
16
and to provide a microwave signal processed at the microwave circuit
14
to an outside circuit through the RF connector
16
, provide a control signal from the control circuit
15
to the microwave circuit
14
through a conductor within the through hole
23
to control the operation of the microwave circuit
14
, and to provide a signal from an outside circuit to the control circuit
15
through the control-signal pins
17
to control the operation of the control circuit
15
. However, this structure presents a problem when reduction of the size of the apparatus and a further integration are desired.
First, because there is only one surface where the microwave circuit
14
can be mounted, when a plurality of microwave circuits
14
are stored in a microwave circuit modu
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Miller B
Trost William
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