Millimeter wave resonator apparatuses and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12438251-B1
Application number	US-202318346151-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 30, 2023
Priority date	Jun 30, 2023
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

Electrically tunable millimeter wave resonators and methods for fabricating and operating the same are disclosed. Embodiments include tunable millimeter wave resonators utilizing rare-earth nickelates, such as samarium nickelate. Embodiments tune the resonating member to frequencies between 30 and 100 GHz by varying the electric field across a resonating member. Further embodiments include a resonating member mounted to (and optionally embedded in) a substrate with conductive material connected to the resonating member and the substrate, and the total thickness can be 0.2 millimeters or less, or 0.1 millimeters or less. Additional embodiments include resonating members with a maximum dimension of 0.3 millimeters. Some embodiments include a gap between the conductive material contacting the substrate and the conductive material contacting the resonating member. Additional embodiments include resonating members with a loss tangent of less than 0.001, a dielectric constant of at least 100, and/or a quality factor greater than 500.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tunable millimeter wave resonator, comprising:
a resonating member consisting essentially of a rare-earth nickelate and defining a first side and a second side;
a first electrode contacting the first side of the resonating member; and
a second electrode contacting the second side of the resonating member;
wherein a resonant frequency of the resonating member is changed when an electrical potential between the first and second electrodes is changed;
the resonator further comprising:
a substrate defining a first side and a second side;
a first electrical trace on the first side of the substrate; and
a second electrical trace on the second side of the substrate;
wherein the first electrical trace is in electrical communication with the first electrode; and
wherein the second electrical trace forms the second electrode contacting the second side of the resonating member.

2. The tunable millimeter wave resonator of claim 1 , wherein the rare-earth nickelate is samarium nickelate (SmNiO3).

3. The tunable millimeter wave resonator of claim 1 , wherein:
a loss tangent (tan δ) of the rare-earth nickelate is less than 0.001;
a dielectric constant (ε r ) of the rare-earth nickelate is at least 200; and
a quality (Q) factor of the rare-earth nickelate is greater than 500.

4. The tunable millimeter wave resonator of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical trace physically contacts the first electrode.

5. The tunable millimeter wave resonator of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical trace and the first electrode are configured to define a gap between the first electrical trace and the first electrode.

6. The tunable millimeter wave resonator of claim 1 , wherein an overall thickness of the resonating member, the first electrode, the second electrode, the substrate, the first electrical trace and the second electrical trace when connected together is at most 0.2 millimeters.

7. The tunable millimeter wave resonator of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the resonating member is at most 1 millimeter.

8. The tunable millimeter wave resonator of claim 1 , wherein varying the electrical potential between the first and second electrodes varies the resonant frequency between 30 GHz and 100 GHz inclusive.

9. The tunable millimeter wave resonator of claim 1 , wherein:
the resonating member is embedded in the substrate, wherein
the first side of the resonating member is coplanar with the first side of the substrate, and
the second side of the resonating member is coplanar with the second side of the substrate.

10. The tunable millimeter wave resonator of claim 9 , wherein the first electrical trace physically contacts the first electrode.

11. The tunable millimeter wave resonator of claim 9 , wherein the first electrical trace and the first electrode are configured to define a gap between the first electrical trace and the first electrode.

12. The tunable millimeter wave resonator of claim 9 , wherein an overall thickness of the resonating member, the first electrode, the second electrode, the substrate, the first electrical trace and the second electrical trace when connected together is at most 0.1 millimeters.

13. A transmitter, filter or antenna including the tunable millimeter wave resonator of claim 1 .

14. A tunable millimeter wave resonator, comprising:
a resonating member consisting essentially of a rare-earth nickelate and defining a first side and a second side;
a first electrode contacting the first side of the resonating member; and
a second electrode contacting the second side of the resonating member;
wherein a resonant frequency of the resonating member is changed when an electrical potential between the first and second electrodes is changed;
thetunable millimeter wave resonator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a substrate defining a first side and a second side;
a first electrical trace on the first side of the substrate;
wherein
the first electrical trace is in electrical communication with the first electrode,
an overall thickness of the resonating member, the first electrode, the second electrode, the substrate and the first electrical trace when connected together is at most 0.2 millimeters,
a diameter of the resonating member is at most 1 millimeter, varying the electrical potential between the first and second electrodes varies the resonant frequency between 45 GHZ and 80 GHZ,
a loss tangent (tan δ) of the rare-earth nickelate is less than 0.001,
a dielectric constant (ε r ) of the rare-earth nickelate is at least 200, and
a quality (Q) factor of the rare-earth nickelate is greater than 500.

15. A method of operating a tunable millimeter wave resonator, comprising:
applying a voltage across first and second sides of a resonating member consisting essentially of a rare-earth nickelate;
generating a first resonance frequency of at least 30 GHz with the resonating member by said applying a voltage;
varying the voltage applied across the first and second sides of the resonating member; and
varying the first resonance frequency of the resonating member to a second resonance frequency of at least 30 GHz by said varying the voltage, wherein the second resonance frequency is different from the first resonance frequency;
wherein:
a first electrode is connected to the first side of the resonating member and a second electrode is connected to the second side of the resonating member; and
said applying a voltage includes
electrically communicating a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, and
said electrically communicating uses a capacitive coupling for electrically communicating with the first electrode and an inductive coupling for electrically communicating with the second electrode.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the rare-earth nickelate is samarium nickelate (SmNiO3).

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first resonance frequency is at most 80 GHz and the second resonance frequency is at most 80 GHz.

18. A millimeter wave resonator, comprising:
a substrate defining a first side and a second side;
a resonating member consisting essentially of a rare-earth nickelate and defining a first side and a second side, wherein the first side of the resonating member is coplanar with the first side of the substrate, and wherein the second side of the resonating member is coplanar with the second side of the substrate;
a first electrically conductive material mounted to the first side of the substrate and the first side of the resonating member; and
a second electrically conductive material mounted to the second side of the substrate and the second side of the resonating member; wherein a resonant frequency of the resonating member is changed when an electrical potential between the first electrically conductive material and the second electrically conductive material changed.

Assignees

• Hrl Lab Llc

Inventors

• Lee Hanseung
• Son Kyung-Ah
• Moon Jeong-Sun
• Quarfoth Ryan

Classifications

• H01P7/10 Primary

  Dielectric resonators · CPC title

• H01P7/088 Primary

  Tunable resonators · CPC title