Phased array antenna having phase shifters with laterally spaced phase shift bodies

• US 6,611,230 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2000
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Phelan, Harry Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benny T.
• Application Number:
  US09/735,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20020070896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 333/161, 333/156, 342/372, 342/373
• US Class Current: 342/373
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/181 using ferroelectric devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/184 Strip line phase-shifters H01P1/181, H01P1/185, H01P1/19 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/32 by mechanical means

Abstract

A phased array antenna includes a plurality of antenna elements and a phase shifting device connected to the plurality of antenna elements. The phase shifting device includes a substrate, and a plurality of phase shifters on the substrate. Each phase shifter includes a first conductive portion adjacent the substrate and defining a signal path, and a body adjacent the first conductive portion and comprising a phase shifting material having a controllable dielectric constant for causing a phase shift of a signal being conducted through the signal path. The bodies are laterally spaced apart from one another, and may have a thickness equal to or greater than about 0.002 inches. In forming the phased array antenna, each body is bonded to respective signal paths using production surface mount or similar machines.

Claims

1. A phase shifting device comprising:

a substrate; and

a plurality of phase shifters on said substrate, each phase shifter comprising

a first conductive portion above said substrate and defining a signal path, and

a body above said signal path and comprising a phase shifting material having a controllable dielectric constant for causing a phase shift of a signal being conducted through said signal path;

all respective bodies of adjacent phase shifters being laterally spaced apart from one another.

2. A phase shifting device according to claim 1 wherein each body comprises a body substrate with a layer of said phase shifting material thereon.

3. A phase shifting device according to claim 1 wherein each body comprises a bulk phase shifting material body.

4. A phase shifting device according to claim 1 wherein each body has a thickness equal to or greater than about 0.002 inches.

5. A phase shifting device according to claim 1 wherein each phase shifter further comprises a pair of laterally spaced apart second conductive portions along opposing sides of a respective signal path for defining a ground structure.

6. A phase shifting device according to claim 5 wherein each body is further above a respective pair of second conductive portions.

7. A phase shifting device according to claim 1 wherein each phase shifter further comprises a second conductive portion vertically spaced from a respective signal path for defining a ground structure.

8. A phase shifting device according to claim 1 wherein each phase shifting material comprises a ferroelectric material.

9. A phase shifting device according to claim 8 wherein each ferroelectric material comprises at least one of BaTiO₃, LiNbO₃ and Pb(Sr,Ti)O₃.

10. A phase shifting device according to claim 1 wherein each phase shifting material comprises a ferromagnetic material.

11. A phase shifting device according to claim 1 wherein each phase shifting material comprises barium strontium titanate.

12. A phase shifting device according to claim 1 wherein each phase shifting material has a dielectric constant equal to or greater than about 100.

13. A phase shifting device according to claim 1 wherein each signal path has an operating frequency equal to or greater than about 1 GHz.

14. A phase shifting device according to claim 1 wherein each phase shifter further comprises at least one conductive element on a respective phase shifting material.

15. A phased array antenna comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements;

a phase shifting device connected to said plurality of antenna elements, said phase shifting device comprising

a substrate, and

a plurality of phase shifters on said substrate, each phase shifter comprising

a first conductive portion above said substrate and defining a signal path, and

a body above said signal path and comprising a phase shifting material having a controllable dielectric constant for causing a phase shift of a signal being conducted through said signal path,

all respective bodies of adjacent phase shifters being laterally spaced apart from one another.

16. A phased array antenna according to claim 15 wherein each body comprises a body substrate with a layer of said phase shifting material thereon.

17. A phased array antenna according to claim 15 wherein each body comprises a bulk phase shifting material body.

18. A phased array antenna according to claim 15 wherein each body has a thickness equal to or greater than about 0.002 inches.

19. A phased array antenna according to claim 15 further comprising a summing network connected to said phase shifting device for adding together signals received by said plurality of antenna elements.

20. A phased array antenna according to claim 15 further comprising a beam forming network connected to said phase shifting device for controlling a voltage applied to each phase shifting material for controlling a respective dielectric constant thereof.

21. A phased array antenna according to claim 15 wherein each phase shifter further comprises a pair of laterally spaced apart second conductive portions along opposing sides of a respective said signal path for defining a ground structure.

22. A phased array antenna according to claim 21 each body is further above a respective pair of second conductive portions.

23. A phased array antenna according to claim 15 wherein each phase shifter further comprises a second conductive portion vertically spaced from a respective signal path for defining a ground structure.

24. A phased array antenna according to claim 15 wherein each phase shifting material comprises a ferroelectric material.

25. A phased array antenna according to claim 24 wherein each ferroelectric material comprises at least one of BaTiO₃, LiNbO₃ and Pb(Sr,Ti)O₃.

26. A phased array antenna according to claim 15 wherein each phase shifting material comprises a ferromagnetic material.

27. A phased array antenna according to claim 15 wherein each phase shifting material comprises barium strontium titanate.

28. A phased array antenna according to claim 15 wherein each phase shifting material has a dielectric constant equal to or greater than about 100.

29. A phased array antenna according to claim 15 wherein each signal path has an operating frequency equal to or greater than about 1 GHz.

30. A phased array antenna according to claim 15 wherein each phase shifter further comprises at least one conductive element on a respective phase shifting material.

31. A method for making a phase shifting device comprising a substrate and a plurality of phase shifters on the substrate, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of first conductive portions above the substrate for defining a plurality of signal paths; and

positioning a plurality of bodies above the plurality of signal paths, all respective bodies of adjacent phase shifters being laterally spaced apart from one another and comprising a phase shifting material having a controllable dielectric constant for causing a phase shift of a signal being conducted through a respective signal path.

32. A method according to claim 31 further comprising forming a second conductive portion vertically spaced from each respective signal path for defining a ground structure.

33. A method according to claim 31 wherein each phase shifting material comprises a ferroelectric material.

34. A method according to claim 33 wherein each ferroelectric material comprises at least one of BaTiO₃, LiNbO₃ and Pb(Sr,Ti)O₃.

35. A method according to claim 31 wherein each phase shifting material comprises a ferromagnetic material.

36. A method according to claim 31 wherein each phase shifting material comprises barium strontium titanate.

37. A method according to claim 31 wherein each phase shifting material has a dielectric constant equal to or greater than about 100.

38. A method according to claim 31 wherein each signal path has an operating frequency equal to or greater than about 1 GHz.

39. A method according to claim 31 further comprising at least one conductive element on a respective phase shifting material.

40. A method according to claim 31 further comprising forming a respective pair of laterally spaced apart second conductive portions along opposing sides of each respective path for defining a ground structure.

41. A method according to claim 31 wherein positioning the plurality of bodies further comprises positioning the positioning of bodies adjacent the respective pair of second conductive portions.

42. A method according to claim 31, wherein positioning each body is performed using a surface mount machine.

43. A method according to claim 31 wherein each body comprises a body substrate with a layer of the phase shifting material thereon.

44. A method according to claim 31 wherein each body comprises a bulk phase shifting material body.

45. A method according to claim 31 wherein each body has a thickness equal to or greater than about 0.002 inches.