Tunable RF devices with metallized non-metallic bodies

Details Tunable RF devices with metallized non-metallic bodies Tunable RF devices with metallized non-metallic bodies

2002-03-14

2004-04-20

Pascal, Robert (Department: 2817)

Wave transmission lines and networks

Coupling networks

Wave filters including long line elements

C333S211000, C333S235000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06724280

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to tunable, radio frequency, waveguide devices for use in broadband wireless, and other telecommunications applications.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The use of broadband wireless communication systems has increased in the last decade, crowding the available radio frequency spectrum and creating a need for higher to rejection between adjacent channels. Higher rejection requires either more complex filters with higher loss and higher cost, or narrower bandwidth filters resulting in the need for more discreet filter designs to accommodate the full radio spectrum.
Radio manufacturers are forced to make trade-offs between performance requiring more complex designs or more inventory and lower cost requiring broader bandwidths and lower signal-to-noise ratios.
Electronically tunable filter designs are now possible through the advent tunable dielectric materials. These materials, that change dielectric properties through the application of a DC bias voltage, can be used in the resonator of a filter structure allowing the filter to be electronically tuned across broad frequency bands. This opens the possibility of replacing many narrow band, fixed frequency designs with a single tunable design, thereby reducing inventory and associated costs without sacrificing performance or increasing unit cost. Examples of filters including tunable dielectric materials are shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/734,969 (International Publication No. WO 00/35042 A1), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Tunable dielectric materials are materials whose permittivity (more commonly called dielectric constant) can be varied by varying the strength of an electric field to which the materials are subjected. Even though these materials work in their paraelectric phase above the Curie temperature, they are conveniently called “ferroelectric” because they exhibit spontaneous polarization at temperatures below the Curie temperature. Tunable ferroelectric materials including barium-strontium titanate (BSTO) or BSTO composites have been the subject of several patents.
Dielectric materials including barium strontium titanate are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,790 to Sengupta, et al. entitled “Ceramic Ferroelectric Material”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,988 to Sengupta, et al. entitled “Ceramic Ferroelectric Composite Material-BSTO-MgO”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,491 to Sengupta, et al. entitled “Ceramic Ferroelectric Composite Material-BSTO-ZrO
2
”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,635,434 to Sengupta, et al. entitled “Ceramic Ferroelectric Composite Material-BSTO-Magnesium Based Compound”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,591 to Sengupta, et al. entitled “Multilayered Ferroelectric Composite Waveguides”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,893 to Sengupta, et al. entitled “Thin Film Ferroelectric Composites and Method of Making”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,697 to Sengupta, et al. entitled “Method of Making Thin Film Composites”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,429 to Sengupta, et al. entitled “Electronically Graded Multilayer Ferroelectric Composites”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,635,433 to Sengupta, entitled “Ceramic Ferroelectric Composite Material-BSTO-ZnO”; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,971 by Chiu et al. entitled “Ceramic Ferroelectric Composite Materials with Enhanced Electronic Properties BSTO-Mg Based Compound-Rare Earth Oxide”. These patents are hereby incorporated by reference. The materials shown in these patents, especially BSTO-MgO composites, show low dielectric loss and high tunability. Tunability is defined as the fractional change in the dielectric constant with applied voltage.
In addition, the following U.S. Patent Applications, assigned to the assignee of this application, disclose additional examples of tunable dielectric materials: U.S. application Ser. No. 09/594,837 filed Jun. 15, 2000, entitled “Electronically Tunable Ceramic Materials Including Tunable Dielectric and Metal Silicate Phases” (International Publication No. WO 01/96258 A1); U.S. application Ser. No. 09/768,690 filed Jan. 24, 2001, entitled “Electronically Tunable, Low-Loss Ceramic Materials Including a Tunable Dielectric Phase and Multiple Metal Oxide Phases”; U.S. application Ser. No. 09/882,605 filed Jun. 15, 2001, entitled “Electronically Tunable Dielectric Composite Thick Films And Methods Of Making Same” (International Publication No. WO 01/99224 A1); U.S. application Ser. No. 09/834,327 filed Apr. 13, 2001, entitled “Strain-Relieved Tunable Dielectric Thin Films”; and U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/295,046 filed Jun. 1, 2001 entitled “Tunable Dielectric Compositions Including Low Loss Glass Frits”. These patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/838,483 (International Publication No. WO 01/82404 A1) discloses a waveguide-finline tunable phase shifter and is hereby incorporated by reference.
For maximum performance over broad operating temperature ranges the temperature of a radio frequency component using electronically tuned material must be controlled by passive temperature compensation and/or active thermal control. Active thermal control requires either injection or extraction of heat, which may be highly inefficient unless proper precautions are taken to isolate the filter from the thermal environment.
There is a need for tunable electronic devices that can operate in a variable temperature environment, while maintaining satisfactory electronic operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Electronic devices constructed in accordance with this invention include a non-metallic waveguide, a tunable component mounted within the waveguide, and a conductive layer on a surface of the waveguide. The tunable component can comprise a tunable filter. The non-metallic waveguide can comprise a plastic material. Connections for applying a tuning voltage to the tunable component can be provided. The conductive layer can comprise a metal. A temperature sensor can be connected to the waveguide to provide a signal representative of the temperature of the device. That signal can be used to control an associated temperature control unit.


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