2-bit phase quantization phased array element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11239555-B2
Application number	US-201916595961-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2019
Priority date	Oct 8, 2019
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A phase shift element includes a first dielectric layer, a conductive layer, a second dielectric layer, a conducting pattern layer, switches, and vertical interconnect accesses (vias). Each conductor of a plurality of conductors of the conducting pattern layer is orthogonal to two other conductors. Each switch is switchable between a conducting position and a non-conducting position. Each via is connected to a single conductor. The first conductive material reflects an electromagnetic wave incident on the conducting pattern layer and on the second dielectric layer. When a switch is in the conducting position, the switch electrically connects two conductors to each other through their respective vias. A plurality of different switch configurations of the switches provide a 2-bit phase quantization on the reflected electromagnetic wave relative to the electromagnetic wave incident on the conducting pattern layer when the electromagnetic wave is incident on the conducting pattern layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A phase shift element comprising:
a first dielectric layer including a top, first dielectric surface and a bottom, first dielectric surface, wherein the top, first dielectric surface is on an opposite side of the first dielectric layer relative to the bottom, first dielectric surface, wherein the first dielectric layer is formed of a first dielectric material;
a conductive layer including a top conductive surface and a bottom conductive surface, wherein the top conductive surface is on an opposite side of the conductive layer relative to the bottom conductive surface, wherein the bottom conductive surface is mounted to the top, first dielectric surface, wherein the conductive layer is formed of a first conductive material;
a second dielectric layer including a top, second dielectric surface and a bottom, second dielectric surface, wherein the top, second dielectric surface is on an opposite side of the second dielectric layer relative to the bottom, second dielectric surface, wherein the bottom, second dielectric surface is mounted to the top conductive surface, wherein the second dielectric layer is formed of a second dielectric material;
a conducting pattern layer including a plurality of conductors mounted to the top, second dielectric surface, wherein the conducting pattern layer is formed of a second conductive material, wherein each conductor of the plurality of conductors is orthogonal to two other conductors of the plurality of conductors;
a plurality of switches mounted to the bottom, first dielectric surface, wherein each switch of the plurality of switches is configured to be switchable between a conducting position and a non-conducting position; and
a plurality of vertical interconnect accesses (vias), wherein each vertical interconnect access (via) of the plurality of vias is formed of a third conductive material that extends through the first dielectric layer, through a third dielectric material formed in and through the conductive layer, and through the second dielectric layer, wherein each via of the plurality of vias is connected to a single conductor of the plurality of conductors;
wherein the first conductive material is configured to reflect an electromagnetic wave incident on the conducting pattern layer and on the second dielectric layer,
wherein, when a switch of the plurality of switches is in the conducting position, the switch electrically connects two conductors of the plurality of conductors to each other through their respective vias,
wherein a plurality of different switch configurations of the plurality of switches provide a 2-bit phase quantization on the reflected electromagnetic wave relative to the electromagnetic wave incident on the conducting pattern layer when the electromagnetic wave is incident on the conducting pattern layer.

2. The phase shift element of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first conductive material, the second conductive material, and the third conductive material is a different conductive material.

3. The phase shift element of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first dielectric material, the second dielectric material, and the third dielectric material is a different dielectric material.

4. The phase shift element of claim 1 , wherein the first dielectric layer is formed of a plurality of layers of different dielectric materials.

5. The phase shift element of claim 1 , wherein the first dielectric material is air.

6. The phase shift element of claim 1 , wherein a number of the plurality of conductors is four and a number of the vias is four.

7. The phase shift element of claim 6 , wherein each switch of the plurality of switches is a single pole, single throw switch, and a number of the plurality of switches is four.

8. The phase shift element of claim 1 , wherein a first switch of the plurality of switches is configured to electrically connect a first via to a second via, wherein a second switch of the plurality of switches is configured to electrically connect the second via to a third via, wherein a third switch of the plurality of switches is configured to the third via to a fourth via, and wherein a fourth switch of the plurality of switches is configured to electrically connect the fourth via to the first via.

9. The phase shift element of claim 8 , wherein each conductor of the plurality of conductors has an arrow shape comprised of a first arrow tip arm, a second arrow tip arm, and a shaft.

10. The phase shift element of claim 9 , wherein the first arrow tip arm is perpendicular to the second arrow tip arm.

11. The phase shift element of claim 9 , wherein the shaft of each arrow shape is rotated by 90 degrees relative to an adjacent shaft.

12. The phase shift element of claim 9 , wherein the shaft of each arrow shape is pointed outward from a center of the plurality of conductors.

13. The phase shift element of claim 9 , wherein the shaft electrically connects the first arrow tip arm and the second arrow tip arm to a respective via of the plurality of vias.

14. The phase shift element of claim 13 , wherein a first switch configuration includes the first switch electrically connecting the first via to the second via, the second switch electrically connecting the second via to the third via, the third switch in the non-conducting position, and the fourth switch in the non-conducting position.

15. The phase shift element of claim 14 , wherein a second switch configuration includes the first switch electrically connecting the first via to the second via, the fourth switch electrically connecting the fourth via to the first via, the second switch in the non-conducting position, and the third switch in the non-conducting position.

16. The phase shift element of claim 15 , wherein a third switch configuration includes the first switch electrically connecting the first via to the second via, the second switch electrically connecting the second via to the third via, the third switch electrically connecting the third via to the fourth via, and the fourth switch electrically connecting the fourth via to the first via.

17. The phase shift element of claim 16 , wherein a fourth switch configuration includes the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch in the non-conducting position.

18. The phase shift element of claim 1 , wherein a first electrical path length of each conductor of the plurality of conductors in combination with the respective via is approximately a quarter of a wavelength λ 0 /4, where λ 0 =c/f 0 , where c is a speed of light, and f 0 is a central operating frequency of the incident electromagnetic wave.

19. The phase shift element of claim 18 , wherein a second electrical path length of each switch in the conducting position is less than λ 0 /5.

20. A phased array antenna comprising:
a first dielectric layer including a top, first dielectric surface and a bottom, first dielectric surface, wherein the top, first dielectric surface is on an opposite side of the first dielectric layer relative to the bottom, first dielectric surface, wherein the first dielectric layer is formed of a first dielectric material;
a conductive layer including a top conductive surface and a bottom conductive surface, wherein the top conductive surface is on an opposite side of the conductive layer relative to the bottom conductive surface, wherein the bottom conductive surface is mounted to the top, first dielectric surface, wherein the conductive layer is formed of a first conductive material;
a second dielectr

Assignees

• Wisconsin Alumni Res Found

Inventors

• Behdad Nader
• Booske John H
• Luyen Hung Thanh

Classifications

• H01Q3/46 Primary

  Active lenses or reflecting arrays · CPC title

• H01Q3/38 Primary

  the phase-shifters being digital · CPC title

• H01Q15/002

  said selective devices being reconfigurable or tunable, e.g. using switches or diodes · CPC title

• H01Q3/247

  by switching different parts of a primary active element · CPC title