Tunable microwave arrangements

摘要

The present invention relates to a tunable microwave arrangement (100) comprising a waveguide arrangement and tuning elements comprising a number of varactors for tuning an electromagnetic signal input to the waveguide arrangement. It comprises a substrate (1), a layered structure (20) comprising at least two conducting layers (2,3) and at least one dielectric layer (4) which are arranged in an alternating manner. The layered structure is arranged on the substrate (1) such that a first of said conducting layers (2) is closest to the substrate (1). It also comprises at least one surface mounted waveguide (5), a second of the conducting layers (3), most distant from the substrate, being adapted to form a wall of the surface mounted waveguide (5), which wall incorporates said tuning elements which are arranged to enable control of surface currents generated in said wall, hence loading the waveguide (5) with a tunable, controllable impedance.

主权项

1. A microwave arrangement comprising:
a substrate; a waveguide arrangement; and tuning elements comprising a number of varactors for tuning an electromagnetic signal input to the waveguide arrangement, wherein the waveguide arrangement comprises
(i) a layered structure comprising at least two conducting layers and at least one dielectric layer which are arranged in an alternating manner, and(ii) at least one surface mounted waveguide, wherein a second of said conducting layers being adapted to form a wall of the surface mounted waveguide which wall is adapted to incorporate said tuning elements which are arranged to enable control of surface currents generated in said waveguide wall, hence loading the waveguide with a tunable, controllable impedance,wherein said layered structure is arranged on the substrate such that a first of said conducting layers is closest to said substrate, that the second conducting layer that is adapted to form a wall of the surface mounted waveguide is most distant from the substrate and comprises slots located and shaped to cut or affect surface currents generated in said wall by the input electromagnetic signal, and that in said varactors are provided or connected in said slots, that the first conducting layer is pre-patterned and comprises a cross-shaped recess or an opening, in which two stripes are located, at a position corresponding to the position on the second, distant, conducting layer adapted to receive the surface mounted waveguide, and that the cross-shaped recess or opening has dimensions slightly smaller than the dimensions of the portion of the second conducting layer adapted to form the waveguide wall, that said two stripes are aligned and arranged at a slight distance from one another, and have respective enlarged outer end portions facing the outer borders of the first conducting layer and adapted to receive a biasing control or tuning voltage, that the second conducting layer consists of a main conductive portion, and stripes arranged in openings or recesses and T-shaped stripes arranged in T-shaped recesses that are arranged to act as microwave input/output coupling means, wherein the openings or recesses with the stripes are arranged orthogonally to the T-shaped recesses at locations substantially corresponding to the locations of the enlarged outer end portions of the stripes of the first conducting layer, and that the varactors are formed at overlapping areas between said stripes of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer at the interfaces of said current cutting slots, that said first and second conducting layers are interconnected by vias or similar, and that the dielectric layer includes a complex metal oxide at least in areas corresponding to pre-patterned areas adapted to form or include the varactors in the second most distant conducting layer.