OSCILLATION ELEMENT, OSCILLATOR, AND IMAGING APPARATUS USING THE SAME

• US 20130187721A1
• Filed: 01/18/2013
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sekiguchi, Ryota, Okuda, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,197,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 331/96
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3581 using far infrared light; using Terahertz radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/39 for parametric generation or amplification of light, infrared or ultraviolet waves
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 11/08 Helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/18 with frequency-determining element comprising distributed inductance and capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 7/08 being a tunnel diode
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 7/14 active element being semiconductor device
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/00 Automatic control of frequency or phase; Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 39/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive element covered by groups H10N30/00 – H10N35/00

Abstract

An oscillation element includes an antenna for oscillation configured to oscillate electromagnetic waves, and multiple negative resistance elements electrically connected to the antenna in parallel, and the multiple negative resistance elements are disposed in only a place where the phases of electromagnetic waves oscillated therefrom are the common phase or opposite phase.

Claims

1. An oscillation element configured to oscillate electromagnetic waves, comprising:

an antenna configured to guide electromagnetic waves; and

a plurality of negative resistance elements electrically serially connected to the antenna, and also connected to each other in parallel;

wherein the plurality of negative resistance elements are disposed in a position alone where the phases of electromagnetic waves which the corresponding negative resistance elements oscillate mutually are the same phase in a substantial manner or become the opposite phase in a substantial manner.

2. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein the position where the phases of electromagnetic waves which the corresponding negative resistance elements oscillate mutually are the same phase in a substantial manner or become the opposite phase in a substantial manner is a position where the oscillation frequencies which the corresponding negative resistance elements oscillate are equal.

3. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein at least one conductor which makes up the antenna is electrically serially connected to the negative resistance elements via a semiconductor layer.

4. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is made up of a pair of conductors, and the plurality of negative resistance elements are apposed in contact with one conductor of this pair.

5. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of negative resistance elements are disposed in an arc shape.

6. The oscillation element according to claim 5, wherein the arc makes up line symmetry with an axis parallel to the resonance direction of the electromagnetic waves as a boundary.

7. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of negative resistance elements are mutually equal in the area of a cross section perpendicular to a direction where current of a junction portion making up the corresponding negative resistance element flows.

8. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of negative resistance elements are linearly disposed.

9. The oscillation element according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of negative resistance elements mutually differ in the area of a cross section perpendicular to a direction where current of a junction portion making up the corresponding negative resistance element flows.

10. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein electromagnetic waves including a part of frequency bands of 30 GHz to 30 THz are able to be oscillated.

11. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of negative resistance elements are disposed in a position where the absolute values of phase differences of electromagnetic waves which the plurality of negative resistance elements oscillate are 0 or greater and π

/8 or less.

12. The oscillation element according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of negative resistance elements are disposed in a position where the absolute values of phase differences of electromagnetic waves which the plurality of negative resistance elements oscillate are 0 or greater and π

/16 or less.

13. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of negative resistance elements are disposed in both of a position where the phases of electromagnetic waves which the negative resistance elements oscillate mutually are the same phase in a substantial manner, and a position where the phases of electromagnetic waves which the negative resistance elements oscillate mutually become the opposite phase in a substantial manner.

14. The oscillation element according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of negative resistance elements are disposed in a position where the absolute values of phase differences of electromagnetic waves which the plurality of negative resistance elements oscillate are 7π

/8 or greater and 9π

/8 or less.

15. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is a patch antenna.

16. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of negative resistance elements has a cross section perpendicular to a direction where the current of a junction portion which makes up this negative resistance element flows, of which the area is 10 μ

m² or less.

17. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of negative resistance elements are configured of silicon.

18. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of negative resistance elements are configured of a compound semiconductor material.

19. The oscillation element according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of negative resistance elements are configured of a Group III-V semiconductor material.

20. The oscillation element according to claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of negative resistance elements has a cross section perpendicular to a direction where the current of a junction portion which makes up this negative resistance element flows, of which the area is 1 μ

m² or less.

21. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of negative resistance elements are resonant tunneling diodes.

22. The oscillation element according to claim 1, further comprising:

a waveguide which is electrically connected to the antenna to transmit electromagnetic waves;

wherein the plurality of negative resistance elements are connected to the waveguide.

23. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein the antenna has a protrusion, and is disposed so that the protrusion is positioned between the plurality of negative resistance elements.

24. An oscillator configured to oscillate electromagnetic waves, comprising:

the oscillation element according to claim 1; and

a power source unit configured to apply DC voltage to the oscillation element.

25. An imaging apparatus configured to image an object to be measured using electromagnetic waves, comprising:

the oscillator according to claim 24 configured to oscillate electromagnetic waves to an object to be measured;

a detector configured to detect electromagnetic waves transmitted through or reflected at the object to be measured; and

an image constructing unit configured to construct an image regarding the object to be measured from information relating to electromagnetic waves detected by the detector.