Monolithic microwave integrated circuit with integral array antenna

• US RE32,369 E
• Filed: 10/07/1985
• Issued: 03/10/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation (Ball Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ball Corporation
• Inventors: Stockton, Ronald J., Munson, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buczinski, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US06/785,304
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 343/368, 343/417, 343/700 MS, 333/246
• US Class Current: 342/368
• 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 21/0093 Monolithic arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/385 Scan control logics

Abstract

A monolithic microwave integrated circuit including an integral array antenna. The system includes radiating elements, feed network, phasing network, active and/or passive semiconductor devices, digital logic interface circuits and a microcomputer controller simultaneously incorporated on a single semi-insulating GaAs substrate by means of a controlled fabrication process sequence.

The resulting integrated circuit structure built upon a semi-insulating GaAs substrate provides a unique monolithic structure capable not only of phase-shifting, amplifying or otherwise controlling and conducting r.f. electrical signals but also capable of directly radiating/receiving r.f. electromagnetic emanations propagated to/from the integral antenna elements of the monolithic structure.

Claims

1. A monolithic integrated circuit antenna system, comprising:

at least two receiving array antenna elements, each of which includes a metallized resonant radiation element of approximately one-half wavelength dimension at an intended antenna operating frequency;

a phasing and r.f. feeding network connected to said antenna elements and including one or more FET devices associated with at least some some of said antenna elements for combining r.f. signals received by said antenna elements and for controlling an electrical phase shift associated with the r.f. signals coming from each of said receiving array elements; and

an integrated circuit controller means connected to each of said Fet devices for controlling said phasing and r.f. feeding network.

said array elements, phasing and r.f. feeding network and controller means all being integrated onto a single substrate of semi-insulating GaAs semiconductor material having a resistivity of about 10⁷ to 10⁹ ohm-cm.

2. A monolithic integrated circuit antenna system according to claim 1 further including:

a low noise amplifier, associated with one or more of the array elements and electrically coupled thereto via a phase shifter of said phasing network, for amplifying r.f. signals from its associated array element, the gain of said amplifiers being controlled by said controller means;

a receiver for detecting signals from said amplifiers and

said phasing and r.f. feeding network coupling r.f. signals output from said amplifiers to said receiver, said amplifiers and receiver also being integrated onto said single substrate together with said array elements, phasing and r.f. feeding network and controller.

3. A monolithic integrated circuit antenna system according to claim 1 or 2 further including latch means for causing the phase shifts of said phasing network to shift simultaneously, said latch means also being integrated onto said single substrate.

4. An integrated-circuit monolithic antenna system, comprising:

at least two transmitting array antenna elements, each of which includes a metallized resonant radiating element of approximately one-half wavelength dimension at an intended antenna operating frequency;

a phasing and r.f. feeding network connected to said antenna elements and including one or more FET devices associated with at least some of said antenna elements for controlling an electrical phase shift associated with r.f. signals being fed to these transmitting array elements; and

an integrated circuit controller means connected to each of said FET devices for controlling said phasing and r.f. feeding network,

said array elements, phasing network and controller means all being integrated onto a single substrate of semi-insulating GaAs semiconductor material having resistivity of about 10⁷ to 10⁹ ohm-cm.

5. A monolithic integrated-circuit antenna system according to claim 4 further including:

a low noise power amplifier, associated with one or more of said array elements, and electrically coupled thereto via a phase shifter of said phasing and r.f. feeding network, for providing r.f. signals to its associated array elements, the gain of said amplifiers being controlled by said controller means;

a signal source for providing signals to said amplifiers; and

said phasing and r.f. feeding network coupling r.f. signals intput from said signal source to said amplifiers,

said amplifiers and signal source also being integrated onto said single substrate together with said array elements, phasing and r.f. feeding network and controller.

6. A monolithic integrated-circuit antenna system according to claim 4 or 5 further including latch means for causing the phase shifts of said phasing network to shift simultaneously, said latch means also being integrated onto said signale substrate.

7. A monolithic integrated circuit antenna system comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements .Iadd.each .Iaddend.having a one-half wavelength resonant dimension and arranged in an array for transmitting/receiving electromagnetic waves; and

a phasing and r.f. feeding network including plural FET integrated circuit structures electrically connected to control the electrical phase shift of electrical currents flowing to/from each said element,

said antenna elements and said phasing network being integrated on a single substrate of semi-insulating GaAs semiconductor material having a resistivity of about 10⁷ to 10⁹ ohm-cm.

8. A monolithic integrated circuit antenna system as in claim:

7 further comprising;

an integrated circuit digital controller means electrically connected to the FET integrated circuit structures of said phasing network for controlling their operations and said controller means also being monolithically integrated onto said single substrate of semi-insulating GaAs.

9. A monolithic integrated circuit antenna system as in claim 7 or 8 further comprising:

at least one lower noise amplifier associated with one or more of said antenna elements for amplifying electrical r.f. currents passing to/from that element, said amplifiers also being monolithically integrated onto said single substrate of semi-insulating GaAs.

10. A monolithic integrated circuit antenna system as in claim 9 further comprising latch means for causing phase shifts within said phasing network to occur simultaneously, said latch means also being monolithically integrated onto said single substrate of semi-insulating GaAs.

11. A monolithic integrated circuit comprising:

a substrate of semi-insulating GaAs having a resistivity of about 10⁷ to 10⁹ ohm-cm;

an array of plural metallized r.f. microstrip antenna radiators formed and disposed on said substrate, each of said radiators having a resonant dimension and at least one radiation slot from/to which r.f. electromagnetic radiation propagates;

an array of metallized r.f. transmission feedlines also integrally formed in said substrate and connected to the edges of said antenna radiators for conducting r.f. electrical signals to/from said radiators;

an array of phase-shifting circuits including FET devices also integrally formed on said substrate, individual ones of said phase-shifting circuits being connected to respective ones of said feedlines for ocntrolling the relative r.f. phase shifts encountered by r.f. signals passing to/from said radiators; and

an array of controlled-gain amplifier circuits also integrally formed on said substrate, individual ones of said amplifier circuits being connected in circuit with said feedlines for controlling the amplitude of r.f. signals passing to/from said radiators. .Iadd.

13. about 0.6 mm at 10 GHz. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. A monolithic integrated circuit antenna system having a microstrip radiator aperture efficiency greater than 90% comprising a substrate of semi-insulating gallium arsenide having a resistivity of about 10⁷ to about 10⁹ ohm-cm and a dielectric constant of about 12.6 and at least two antenna elements integrated thereon, each element being a metallized resonant element of a predetermined wavelength resonant dimension at an intended antenna operating frequency. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. A monolithic system as recited in claim 26 wherein the metallized resonant radiation element has a dimension of approximately one-half wavelength. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. An antenna structure comprising a substrate of semi-insulating gallium arsenide having a resistivity of between about 10⁷ and 10⁹ ohm-cm, an antenna element being integrally formed on said substrate and arranged for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves, and a feedline integrally formed on said gallium arsenide and connected to an edge of said antenna element for conducting electrical signals to and from said radiator. .Iaddend.

12. A monolithic integrated circuit antenna system comprising a plurality of antenna elements arranged in an array for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves, and a phasing and r.f. feeding network including plural FET integrated circuit structures electrically connected to control the electrical phase shift of electrical currents flowing to or from each said element, said antenna elements and said phasing network being integrated on a single substrate of semi-insulating GaAs semiconductor material having a resistivity of about 10⁷ to 10⁹ ohm-cm. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. An antenna structure comprising a substrate of semi-insulating gallium arsenide having a resistivity of between about 10⁷ to 10⁹ ohm-cm, an antenna element being integrally formed on said substrate and arranged for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. An antenna structure as in claim 13 wherein the semi-insulating gallium arsenide is doped with chromium. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. An antenna structure as in claim 13 wherein the chromium concentration is about 5×

10¹⁵ cm^-3. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. An antenna structure as in claim 13 wherein the semi-insulating gallium arsenide is coated with a layer of titanium, followed by a layer of platinum and, thereafter, a layer of gold. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17. An antenna as in claim 13 wherein the element has a dimension of about one-half wavelength dimension. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. An integrated circuit network antenna comprising a substrate of semi-insulating gallium arsenide having a resistivity of between about 10⁷ to 10⁹ ohm-cm, a plurality of antenna elements being integrally formed on said substrate and arranged in an array for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19. An integrated circuit network antenna of claim 18 where the elements are deposited on the surface of the gallium arsenide substrate. .Iaddend. .Iadd.20. An integrated circuit network antenna as recited in claim 18 further including feedlines integrally formed on said gallium arsenide and connected to the edges of said antenna elements for conducting electrical signals to and from said elements. .Iaddend. .Iadd.21. A monolithic integrated circuit antenna system comprising a plurality of antenna elements each having a predetermined wavelength resonant dimension and arranged in an array for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves, said plurality of antenna elements being integrated on a single substrate of semi-insulating gallium arsenide semiconductor material having a resistivity of about 10⁷ to 10⁹ ohm-cm. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. An antenna system as in claim 21 wherein the semi-insulating gallium arsenide is doped with chromium. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. An antenna system as in claim 22 wherein the chromium concentration is about 5×

10¹⁵ cm^-3. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. An antenna system as in claim 21 wherein the semi-insulating gallium arsenide is coated with a layer of titanium, followed by a layer of platinum and, thereafter, a layer of gold. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. An antenna system as in claim 21 wherein said semi-insulating gallium arsenide has a thickness compatible with the propagation characteristics of the antenna elements of