Field-adjustable flex circuit transmission line filters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12355127-B2
Application number	US-202218060746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2022
Priority date	Dec 1, 2022
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

One or more devices and/or methods provided herein relate to a method for fabricating a filtering electronic device having a co-integrated impedance modification element and signal transmission line. An electronic structure can comprise a signal transmission line, and an impedance modification element adjacent to and external to the signal transmission line, wherein the impedance modification element comprises a structure having differentiated sections, along the signal transmission line, that provide corresponding differentiated impedances. In an embodiment, the impedance modification element can comprise a plurality of impedance sub-elements spaced apart from one another along and adjacent to the signal transmission line to facilitate the different impedances.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic structure comprising:
a signal transmission line;
an impedance modification element adjacent to and external to the signal transmission line, wherein the impedance modification element comprises a structure having differentiated sections, along the signal transmission line, that provide corresponding differentiated impedances, wherein the impedance modification element comprises a plurality of impedance sub-elements spaced apart from one another along or adjacent the signal transmission line,
wherein a first spacing between an outer periphery of the signal transmission line and a first impedance sub-element of the plurality of impedance sub-elements is greater than a second spacing between the outer periphery of the signal transmission line and a second impedance sub-element of the plurality of impedance sub-elements, or
wherein a first spacing between an outer periphery of the signal transmission line and a first impedance sub-element of the plurality of impedance sub-elements is greater than a second spacing between the outer periphery of the signal transmission line and a second impedance sub-element of the plurality of impedance sub-elements; and

a substrate, wherein the signal transmission line is disposed between the substrate and the impedance modification element.

2. The electronic structure of claim 1 , wherein equal spacing is applied between adjacent ones of the impedance sub-elements.

3. The electronic structure of claim 1 , wherein a dielectric unit is disposed adjacent the signal transmission line and between adjacent ones of the impedance sub-elements.

4. The electronic structure of claim 1 , wherein the impedance modification element surrounds the signal transmission line, and wherein the signal transmission line comprises a coaxial cable or a flex cable.

5. The electronic structure of claim 1 , wherein the impedance modification element comprises an outer shield adjacent the signal transmission line and an impedance sub-element aligned between the signal transmission line and the outer shield.

6. The electronic structure of claim 1 , wherein the impedance modification element comprises an outer shield member and a plurality of impedance sub-elements disposed between the signal transmission line and the outer shield, wherein the plurality of impedance sub-elements are spaced from one another along the signal transmission line, and wherein sections of the impedance modification element at spaces between the impedance sub-elements provide lower impedance sections of the impedance modification element along the signal transmission line.

7. A method for fabricating an electronic structure by a fabrication system, the method comprising:
coupling, by the fabrication system, an impedance modification element adjacent and external to a signal transmission line, wherein the impedance modification element comprises a structure having differentiated sections, along the signal transmission line, that provide corresponding differentiated impedances, and wherein the signal transmission line is coupled between a substrate and the impedance modification element, wherein a first impedance sub-element has a first length along the signal transmission line that is greater than a second length of a second impedance sub-element along the signal transmission line, and wherein the first impedance sub-element and the second impedance sub-element are disposed adjacent to but spaced apart from one another along or adjacent the signal transmission line.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
spacing, by the fabrication system, a plurality of impedance sub-elements of the impedance modification element apart from one another and adjacent to the signal transmission line to facilitate the different impedances.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
applying, by the fabrication system, equal spacing between adjacent ones of the impedance sub-elements.

10. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
arranging, by the fabrication system, a dielectric unit adjacent the signal transmission line and between adjacent ones of the impedance sub-elements.

11. An electronic structure comprising:
a signal transmission line;
an impedance modification element adjacent the signal transmission line, the impedance modification element comprising
a plurality of impedance sub-elements spaced apart from one another, along the signal transmission line, that provide corresponding differentiated impedances, and
an outer shield adjacent the impedance sub-elements and spaced farther from the signal transmission line than the impedance sub-elements; and

a substrate, wherein the signal transmission line is disposed between the substrate and the impedance modification element, and wherein the impedance sub-elements and the outer shield are adjustably coupled relative to one another or are adjustably coupled relative to the signal transmission line.

12. The electronic structure of claim 11 , wherein the impedance modification element further comprises a non-fully continuous ground plane.

13. The electronic structure of claim 11 , wherein the impedance modification element further comprises a dielectric ring disposed about the signal transmission line.

14. The electronic structure of claim 11 , wherein the impedance modification element further comprises a conductive ring disposed about the signal transmission line.

15. The electronic structure of claim 11 , wherein the impedance modification element further comprises a copper crossbar.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Berge Layne A
• Doyle Matthew
• Schoneck Kyle
• Liang Thomas W
• Dangler John R
• Walther Matthew A
• Bjorgaard Jason J
• Timpane Trevor

Classifications

• H01P3/06

  Coaxial lines · CPC title

• H01P11/005 Primary

  Manufacturing coaxial lines · CPC title

• H01P1/20 Primary

  Frequency-selective devices, e.g. filters · CPC title