Substrate integrated waveguide switch

• US 9,985,331 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2015
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Boutayeb, Halim
• Primary Examiner(s): TAKAOKA, DEAN O
• Application Number:
  US14/793,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20170012335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 333101-105, 333108
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/15 by semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/121 integrated in a substrate

Abstract

A substrate integrated waveguide switch and a method of operating the substrate integrated waveguide switch are disclosed. In an embodiment a system includes a dielectric substrate and a switch supported by the dielectric substrate, the switch comprising at least one first transmission path, at least one first switching element in each of the at least one first transmission path, a second transmission path, and at least one second switching element in the second transmission path.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a dielectric substrate comprising an upper surface and a lower surface;

an upper conductive layer disposed at the upper surface;

a lower conductive layer disposed at the lower surface; and

a single-throw switch supported by the dielectric substrate, wherein the single-throw switch includes a transmission path and at least one tunable switching element in the transmission path, wherein the at least one tunable switching element comprises a diode, a via, and a connective line electrically connecting the via and the diode, wherein the connective line comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion embedded in the upper conductive layer without being in direct physical contact with the upper conductive layer, the second portion being wider than the first portion and located outside the upper conductive layer, wherein the single-throw switch is configured to direct propagation of an electromagnetic signal along the transmission path when the at least one tunable switching element passes the electromagnetic signal, wherein the single-throw switch is configured to block the propagation of the electromagnetic signal along the transmission path when the at least one tunable switching element blocks the electromagnetic signal, and wherein the system is a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW).

2. A system comprising:

a dielectric substrate comprising an upper surface and a lower surface;

an upper conductive layer disposed at the upper surface;

a lower conductive layer disposed at the lower surface; and

a multi-throw switch supported by the dielectric substrate, the multi-throw switch comprising;

at least one first transmission path;

at least one first tunable switching element in each of the at least one first transmission path;

a second transmission path; and

at least one second tunable switching element in the second transmission path,

wherein each of the at least one first tunable switching element and the at least one second tunable switching element comprises a diode, a via, and a connective line electrically connecting the via and the diode,

wherein the connective line comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion embedded in the upper conductive layer without being, in direct physical contact with the upper conductive layer, the second portion being wider than the first portion and located outside the upper conductive layer,

wherein the multi-throw switch is configured to direct propagation of an electromagnetic signal along the at least one first transmission path when the at least one first tunable switching element passes the electromagnetic signal and the at least one second tunable switching element blocks the electromagnetic signal,

wherein the multi-throw switch is configured to direct the propagation of the electromagnetic signal along the second transmission path when the at least one second tunable switching element passes the electromagnetic signal and the at least one first tunable switching element blocks the electromagnetic signal, and

wherein the system is a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW).

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein each of the at least one first and second tunable switching elements is configured to pass the electromagnetic signal when the diode applies a load to the via, wherein each of the at least one first and second tunable switching elements is configured to block the electromagnetic signal when the diode applies a different load to the via, and wherein different states of each diode are controlled by a dc voltage.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein each of the at least one first and second tunable switching elements comprises at least two vias, two diodes and two conductive lines electrically connecting the vias and the diodes, wherein the conductive connection lines do not have the same length, and wherein each of the at least one first and second tunable switching elements is a reconfigurable electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structure.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein each of the at least one first and second tunable switching elements comprises at least three vias, three diode and three conductive lines electrically connecting the vias and the diodes, wherein a distance d₁ between a first conductive connection line and a second conductive connection line is different to a distance d₂ between the second conductive connection line and a third conductive connection line, and wherein each of the at least one first and second tunable switching elements is a reconfigurable electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structure.

6. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a third transmission path, wherein the multi-throw switch is configured to direct propagation of an electromagnetic signal along a third transmission path when at least one third switching element passes the electromagnetic signal and the at least one first and second tunable switching elements block the electromagnetic signal.

7. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a coaxial cable connected to the multi-throw switch.

8. The system according to claim 2, wherein the connective line is of variable width.

9. The system according to claim 2, wherein the via is connected to the lower conductive layer, and the connective line is indirectly connected to the upper conductive layer through the via, the lower conductive layer, and at least one vertical conductive element connecting the lower conductive layer and the upper conductive layer.

10. The system according to claim 2, wherein the connective line comprises a section located outside the at least one slot of the upper conductive layer.

11. A system comprising:

a dielectric substrate comprising an upper surface and a lower surface;

an upper conductive layer disposed at the upper surface, the upper conductive layer comprising transmission arms;

a lower conductive layer disposed at the lower surface;

vertical conductive elements located at edges of the transmission arms of the upper conductive layer, the vertical conductive elements electrically connecting the upper conductive layer with the lower conductive layer; and

reconfigurable electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structures located at least at some transmission arms, the reconfigurable EBG structures configured to pass or block an electromagnetic signal through the respective transmission arms,

wherein the system is a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW).

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the reconfigurable EBG structure comprises a via, a diode and a connective line electrically connecting the via and the diode, wherein the reconfigurable EBG structure is configured to pass the electromagnetic signal when the diode is in an OFF state, wherein the reconfigurable EBG structure is configured to block the electromagnetic signal when the diode in an ON state, and wherein the different states of each diode are controlled by a dc voltage.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the reconfigurable EBG structures located at least at some of the transmission arms comprises the reconfigurable EBG structures located at two output arms and not located at an input arm.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the reconfigurable EBG structures located at least at some of the transmission arms comprises the reconfigurable EBG structures located at three output arms and not located at an input arm.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the reconfigurable EBG structures located at least at some of the transmission arms comprises the reconfigurable EBG structures located at all output arms and further comprising a feed line connected to the lower conductive layer.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the feed line comprises a coaxial cable.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein each transmission arm that comprises the reconfigurable EBG structures comprises at least two vias, two diodes and two conductive lines electrically connecting the vias and the diodes, wherein each reconfigurable EBG structure is configured to pass the electromagnetic signal when the diode is in an OFF state, wherein each reconfigurable EBG structure is configured to block the electromagnetic signal when the diode is an ON state, and wherein the conductive connection lines do not have the same length.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein each transmission arm that comprises the reconfigurable EBG structures comprises at least three vias, three diodes and three conductive lines electrically connecting the vias and the diodes, wherein each reconfigurable EBG structure is configured to pass the electromagnetic signal when the diode is in an OFF state, wherein each reconfigurable EBG structure is configured to block the electromagnetic signal when the diode is an ON state, and wherein a distance d₁ between a first conductive connection line and a second conductive connection line is different to a distance d₂ between the second conductive connection line and a third conductive connection line.

19. A method for operating the system, the method comprising:

applying the electromagnetic signal to the system of claim 11;

blocking the electromagnetic signal to a first output port by switching the diodes of the reconfigurable EBG structures to ON states in a first transmission arm; and

passing the electromagnetic signal to a second output port by switching the diodes of the reconfigurable EBG structures to OFF states in a second transmission arm.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the vertical conductive elements comprise a plurality of distinct and independent vertical conductive connection elements connecting the upper conductive layer with the lower conductive layer, and wherein the vertical conductive connection elements are located in rows along edges of the transmission arms of the upper conductive layer.

21. The system according to claim 11, wherein each reconfigurable EBG structure comprises a via, a diode, and a conductive line electrically connecting the via and the diode, wherein the reconfigurable EBG structure is configured to pass the electromagnetic signal when the diode is in an ON state, wherein the reconfigurable EBG structure is configured to block the electromagnetic signal when the diode is in an OFF state, wherein the states of the diode is controlled by a dc voltage.

22. An arrangement comprising:

a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) comprising;

a dielectric substrate comprising an upper surface and a lower surface;

an upper conductive layer disposed at the upper surface;

a lower conductive layer disposed at the lower surface; and

a multi-throw switch supported by the dielectric substrate, the multi-throw switch comprising;

at least one first transmission path;

at least one first tunable switching element in each first transmission path;

a second transmission path; and

at least one second tunable switching element in each second transmission path,

wherein each of the at least one first tunable switching element and the at least one second tunable switching element comprises a diode, a via, and a connective line electrically connecting the via and the diode,

wherein the connective line comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion embedded in the upper conductive layer without being in direct physical contact with the upper conductive layer, the second portion being wider than the first portion and located outside the upper conductive layer,

wherein the multi-throw switch is configured to direct propagation of an electromagnetic signal along the at least one first transmission path when the at least one first tunable switching element passes the electromagnetic signal and the at least one second tunable switching element blocks the electromagnetic signal, and

wherein the multi-throw switch is configured to direct the propagation of the electromagnetic signal along the second transmission path when the at least one second tunable switching element passes the electromagnetic signal and the at least one first tunable switching element blocks the electromagnetic signal.

23. The arrangement according to claim 22, wherein each of the at least one first and second tunable switching elements is configured to pass the electromagnetic signal when the diode applies a load to the via, wherein each of the at least one first and second tunable switching elements is configured to block the electromagnetic signal when the diode applies a different load to the via, and wherein different states of each diode are controlled by a dc voltage.

24. The arrangement according to claim 22, wherein each of the at least one first and second tunable switching elements comprises at least two vias, two diodes and two conductive lines electrically connecting the vias and the diodes, wherein the conductive connection lines do not have the same length, and wherein each of the at least one first and second tunable switching elements is a reconfigurable EBG structure.

25. The arrangement according to claim 22, wherein each of the at least one first and second tunable switching elements comprises at least three vias, three diodes and three conductive lines electrically connecting the vias and the diodes, wherein a distance d₁ between a first conductive connection line and a second conductive connection line is different to a distance d₂ between the second conductive connection line and a third conductive connection line, and wherein each of the at least one first and second tunable switching elements is a reconfigurable EBG structure.

26. The arrangement according to claim 22, further comprising a third transmission path, wherein the multi-throw switch is configured to direct propagation of an electromagnetic signal along a third transmission path when at least one third switching element passes the electromagnetic signal and the at least one first and second tunable switching elements block the electromagnetic signal.

27. The arrangement according to claim 22, further comprising a coaxial cable connected to the multi-throw switch.