Monolithic microwave integrated circuit receiving device having a space between antenna element and substrate

• US 5,381,157 A
• Filed: 04/28/1992
• Issued: 01/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Shiga, Nobuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, Tan
• Application Number:
  US07/875,015
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700 MS, 343/795, 343/895, 333/246, 333/247, 455/276, 455/281, 455/313, 455/333
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/247 with frequency mixer, e.g. for direct satellite reception or Doppler radar
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0093 Monolithic arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array

Abstract

The receiving device according to this invention includes one or more patch or helical antennas and one or more receiving units formed monolithically on a single substrate. In order to widen the receiving frequency band, antenna elements are formed not directly on a compound semiconductor substrate but with a space between the antenna element and the substrate. In the patch antenna embodiment, patch elements are supported by dielectric posts, whereby there is provided a void between most of the patch antenna and the underlying semiconductor substrate.

Claims

1. A microwave receiving device comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a plurality of first-layer lines formed on said semiconductor substrate in parallel with each other, each of said first-layer lines having a first end and a second end;

an insulating film formed on said semiconductor substrate and on said first-layer lines except at regions of said first end and said second end;

a plurality of second-layer lines provided above said insulating film in parallel with each other, each of said second-layer lines connecting said first end of one of said first-layer lines with a said second end of an adjacent one of said first-layer lines whereby said first-layer lines and said second-layer lines form a helical antenna;

a transmission line; and

a receiving unit formed on said semiconductor substrate and connected to said helical antenna by said transmission line.

2. A microwave receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said second-layer lines and said insulating film form spaces therebetween.

3. A microwave receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said second-layer lines and said insulating film define spaces therebetween.

4. A microwave receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said substrate includes a semi-insulating compound semiconductor substrate and a semiconductor layer epitaxially grown on said semi-insulating compound semiconductor substrate.

5. A microwave receiving device according to claim 4, wherein said semi-insulating semiconductor substrate is a semi-insulating GaAs substrate.

6. A microwave receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said first-layer lines and said second-layer lines are electrically conductive films.

7. A microwave receiving device according to claim 6, wherein said electrically conductive film is a metal film.

8. A microwave receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said insulating film is formed of SiO₂ or SiN.

9. A microwave receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said receiving unit includes a low noise amplifying circuit for amplifying a signal received by said helical antenna.

10. A microwave receiving device according to claim 9, wherein said receiving unit further includes a frequency converting circuit for converting a high-frequency signal amplified by said low noise amplifying circuit into an intermediate-frequency signal.

11. A microwave receiving device according to claim 10, wherein said receiving unit further includes an amplifying circuit for amplifying an intermediate-frequency signal from said frequency converting circuit.

12. A microwave receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said receiving includes a phase shifting circuit for phase shifting a signal received by said helical antenna.

13. A microwave receiving device according to claim 1, further comprising a parabolic antenna, electromagnetic waves received by said parabolic antenna being collected and supplied to said helical antenna.

14. A microwave receiving apparatus comprising:

a dielectric substrate;

a plurality of microwave receiving devices, each of said microwave receiving devices comprising

a semiconductor substrate arranged on said dielectric substrate;

a plurality of first-layer lines formed on said semiconductor substrate in parallel with each other, each of said first-layer lines having a first end and a second end,

an insulating film formed on said semiconductor substrate and on said first-layer lines except at regions of said first end and said second end,

a plurality of second-layer lines provided above said insulating film in parallel with each other, each of said second-layer lines connecting said first end of one of said first-layer lines with said second end of an adjacent one of said first-layer lines whereby said first-layer lines and said second-layer lines form a helical antenna,

a transmission line, and

a receiving unit formed on said semiconductor substrate and connected to said helical antenna by said transmission line; and

a microstrip line formed on said dielectric substrate for connecting a plurality of said microwave receiving devices.

15. A microwave receiving apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said second-layer lines and said insulating film define spaces therebetween.

16. A microwave receiving apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said dielectric substrate has a smaller dielectric constant and tan δ

than GaAs.

17. A microwave receiving apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said electric substrate is foam polyethylene.