Couplers are disclosed that include first and second mutually coupled conductors. The coupled conductors may be regular or irregular in configuration, and for example, may be linear, including rectilinear or with one or more curves, bends or turns, such as forming a ring, coil, spiral or other loop. One or more sections of a coupler may be on different levels and separated by a dielectric medium, such as air or a dielectric substrate. Coupled conductors may be facing each other on the same or spaced-apart dielectric surfaces, such as opposing surfaces of a common substrate, and each conductor may include one or more portions on each side or surface of a substrate. In some examples, a coupler may include plural coupled sections, with conductors in one section being only broadside coupled, and conductors in another section being edge-coupled.

Coupler with edge and broadside coupled sections

A circuit assembly may include one or more coupler sections, and may include a phase inverter and/or a phase shifter. A coupler section may include a phase inverter. A coupler may include first and second mutually coupled spirals disposed on opposite sides of a dielectric substrate. Conductors forming the spirals may be opposite each other on the substrate and each spiral may include one or more portions on each side of the substrate. Some circuit assemblies may include first and second multi-port coupler sections. A phase inverter or a phase shifter may be coupled between coupler sections. In some examples, a circuit assembly may include first and second conductors each having first and second ends and mutually inductively coupled turns, and a capacitive device coupling the first ends of the first and second conductors to a reference potential.

Phase inverter and coupler assembly

A capacitive structure and technique for allowing near-instantaneous charge transport and reliable, wide-band RF ground paths in integrated circuit devices such as integrated circuit dies, integrated circuit packages, printed circuit boards, and electronic circuit substrates is presented. Methods for introducing resistive loss, dielectric loss, magnetic loss, and/or radiation loss in a signal absorption ring implemented around a non-absorptive area of one or more conductive layers of an integrated circuit structure to dampen laterally flowing Electro-Magnetic (EM) waves between electrically adjacent conductive layers of the device are also presented.

Integral charge storage basement and wideband embedded decoupling structure for integrated circuit

A power amplifier circuit includes: a transformer receiving a first signal and generating a transformed signal from the first signal; and a transistor receiving a second signal having a direct current (DC) component, and generating an output signal. The second signal and the transformed signal are mixed, via a terminal connected with the transformed signal, wherein an envelope of the output signal is controlled by the first signal.

Power amplifier circuit and method for envelope modulation of high frequency signal

A multichannel communications device is disclosed. The multichannel communications device includes more than one transceiver. The multichannel communications device also includes a first switch configured for switching between transceivers. Further still, the multichannel communications device includes more than one cryptographic element. Yet further still, the mulitchannel communications device includes a second switch which is configured to switch between the cryptographic elements. A switch policy is configured to control communications between the cryptographic elements, including restricting communications between the cryptographic elements.

Software radio system and method

A balun and transformer system (201) is provided in which a balun (112) is cascaded between two 4:1 impedance transformers (102, 110) to form a 16:1 broadband impedance transformation for push-pull amplifier applications (200). The balun (112) is configured in a Marchand configuration. The balun and transformers (201) are formed with coupled lines realized with a very thin layer of ceramic. Additional coupling between the gap in the balun (112) is achieved by an embedded capacitor (260) built in the balun's ceramic. DC bias supply (294, 296) to the power amplifier (106) is achieved by using the hot plate of decoupling capacitors (298, 299), which serve as a floating ground plane to the whole application (200).

Broadband balun and impedance transformer for push-pull amplifiers

A hybrid low voltage distributed power amplifier structure (300) provides improved efficiency by forming drain transmission line inductors (323) on a substrate (306) while the rest of the amplifier is built in IC form (302). A wirebond interconnection (330) is made between the IC's drainline capacitors (324) and the substrate's drainline inductors (323) which are a higher impedance point in the circuit. As a result, the wirebond inductance becomes negligible and has little or no impact on the power amplifier's performance.

Hybrid structure for distributed power amplifiers

A multilayer ceramic structure (30) includes a first ceramic layer (32), a second ceramic layer (34) adjacent to the first ceramic layer, and a transmission line (38) formed between the first and second ceramic layers. The transmission line includes first and second portions (44, 46) having a first width, third and fourth portions (47, 48) formed between the first and second portions and having a second width that is narrower than the first width, and a fifth portion (49) formed between the third and fourth portions. A probe (40), comprising a conductively filled via, is attached at one end to the fifth portion, the probe passing through the second ceramic layer for providing a test point (42). The structure compensates for return loss induced by the probe.

Multilayer ceramic package transmission line probe

A high frequency semiconductor component (10) includes a first substrate (12) having a first surface (13) opposite a second surface (14), a first electrically conductive layer (16) supported by the first surface (13) of the first substrate (12), a second electrically conductive layer (17) supported by the second surface (14) of the first substrate (12) wherein the second electrically conductive layer (17) is electrically coupled to the first electrically conductive layer (16), a second substrate (19) having a first surface (20) and a second surface (21), a third electrically conductive layer (22) supported by the first surface (20) of the second substrate (19), and an electrically insulating layer (23) between the second and third electrically conductive layers (17, 22) wherein the second and third electrically conductive layers (17, 22) are electrically coupled together through the electrically insulating layer (23).

Anthony M. Pavio

Papers

Broadband balun and impedance transformer for push-pull amplifiers

Hybrid structure for distributed power amplifiers

Multilayer ceramic package transmission line probe

High frequency semiconductor component