Integrated micro-plasma limiter

摘要

A plasma power limiter fabricated using wafer-level fabrication techniques with other circuit elements. The plasma limiter includes a signal substrate and a trigger substrate defining a hermetically sealed cavity therebetween in which is encapsulated an ionizable gas. The signal substrate includes a signal line within the cavity and the trigger substrate includes at least one trigger probe extending from the trigger substrate towards the transmission line. If a signal propagating on the transmission line exceeds a power threshold, the gas within the cavity is ionized creating a conduction path between the transmission line and the trigger probe that draws off the high power current.

主权项

1. A plasma power limiter comprising:
a signal substrate having a first side and a second side, said signal substrate including a signal-in line formed on the first side of the signal substrate, a signal-in via extending through the signal substrate and being electrically coupled to the signal-in line, a signal transmission line formed on the second side of the signal substrate and being electrically coupled to the signal-in via, a signal-out via extending through the signal substrate and being electrically coupled to the signal transmission line and a signal-out line formed on the first surface of the signal substrate and being electrically coupled to the signal-out via; and a trigger substrate having a first side and a second side, said trigger substrate being bonded to the signal substrate so as to form a hermetically sealed cavity where the second side of the signal substrate faces the second side of the trigger substrate within the cavity, said trigger substrate including at least one trigger probe extending from the second side of the trigger substrate into the cavity towards the signal line, said cavity being filled with an ionizable gas, said at least one trigger probe being covered by a trigger metal, wherein a signal propagating from the signal-in line to the signal-out line through the signal line having a power level greater than a threshold power level will ionize the gas within the cavity and create a short circuit between the signal transmission line and the trigger probe.