US3678401A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Solid-state traveling-wave amplification system
Assignee: Zenith Electronics LLC
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Filing: 1970-10-05
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Granted: 1972-07-18
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Expires: 1990-10-05
Abstract
Abstract An input transducer launches acoustic surface waves along a piezoelectric propagating medium to an output transducer. An iterative series of solid-state amplifiers is disposed alongside the propagating medium. Associated with each amplifier is a signal delay device. A corresponding iterative series of electrodes, also spaced successively along the propagating medium, individually couple successive portions of that medium to respective ones of the amplifiers. Each electrode responds to wave energy in the medium for feeding an input signal to its associated amplifier and an adjacent electrode responds to the delayed output of that amplifier for producing a field in the medium that re-enforces the wave energy. The principle of operation extends at higher frequencies to the use of an electrical delay line with the electrodes, or simply conductors, individually tapped to respective different portions of that line. In any case, all of the different elements are deposited in solid-state form over the surface of a substrate, resulting in a completely integrated amplification system.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Adler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 04:04
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03F; H03F13/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A solid-state traveling-wave amplification system comprising a piezoelectric medium propagative of acoustic waves; means responsive to an input signal for launching acoustic waves along said medium; means responsive to said acoustic waves for developing an output signal; an iterative series of electrodes spaced successively along said medium in the direction of acoustic wave travel; an iterative series of solid-state amplifiers spaced successively alongside said medium; and an iterative series of signal delay devices, said amplifiers and delay devices being cross-coupled with said electrodes so that each electrode in said series responds to a wave for feeding an input signal to a particular amplifier and an adjacent electrode responds to the output of that amplifier for producing a field that re-enforces the wave energy.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
123 words
A solid-state traveling-wave amplification system comprising a piezoelectric medium propagative of acoustic waves; means responsive to an input signal for launching acoustic waves along said medium; means responsive to said acoustic waves for developing an output signal; an iterative series of electrodes spaced successively along said medium in the direction of acoustic wave travel; an iterative series of solid-state amplifiers spaced successively alongside said medium; and an iterative series of signal delay devices, said amplifiers and delay devices being cross-coupled with said electrodes so that each electrode in said series responds to a wave for feeding an input signal to a particular amplifier and an adjacent electrode responds to the output of that amplifier for producing a field that re-enforces the wave energy.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
138 words
A solid-state traveling-wave amplification system comprising: a solid-state delay line propagative of signal energy along a path with a predetermined phase velocity; a plurality of solid-state amplifiers spaced successively alongside said delay line; a plurality of taps spaced successively along said delay line in the direction of signal energy flow, individually coupled to an assigned one of said amplifiers and responsive to said signal energy for individually feeding signals to its assigned one of said amplifiers; and signal delay means coupling each of said amplifiers to different ones of said taps adjacent to the respective one of the taps from which the signal is fed to that amplifier, the time delay of said signals through each amplifier and its coupling means corresponding to the spatial delay of said signal energy propagating between each adjacent pair of said taps.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
138 words
A solid-state traveling-wave amplification system comprising: a solid-state delay line propagative of signal energy along a path with a predetermined phase velocity; a plurality of solid-state amplifiers spaced successively alongside said delay line; a plurality of taps spaced successively along said delay line in the direction of signal energy flow, individually coupled to an assigned one of said amplifiers and responsive to said signal energy for individually feeding signals to its assigned one of said amplifiers; and signal delay means coupling each of said amplifiers to different ones of said taps adjacent to the respective one of the taps from which the signal is fed to that amplifier, the time delay of said signals through each amplifier and its coupling means corresponding to the spatial delay of said signal energy propagating between each adjacent pair of said taps.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
172 words
A solid-state traveling-wave amplification system comprising: a piezoelectric medium propagative of acoustic waves; means responsive to an input signal for launching acoustic waves along said medium; means responsive to said acoustic waves for developing an output signal; a plurality of solid-state amplifiers spaced successively alongside said medium; a plurality of electrodes individually coupled to an assigned one of said amplifiers, spaced successively along said medium in the direction of acoustic wave travel and constituting therewith elemental acoustic-wave transducers responsive to said acoustic waves for individually feeding a signal to its assigned one of said amplifIers, said amplifiers, in turn, being coupled to respective ones of said electrodes adjacent to the ones of said electrodes from which the signal is fed to that amplifier; and signal delay means included in the coupling of said amplifiers to said respective ones of said electrodes, the time delay of said signal through each amplifier and its coupling means corresponding to the spatial delay of said acoustic waves propagating between the corresponding adjacent pair of said electrodes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
172 words
A solid-state traveling-wave amplification system comprising: a piezoelectric medium propagative of acoustic waves; means responsive to an input signal for launching acoustic waves along said medium; means responsive to said acoustic waves for developing an output signal; a plurality of solid-state amplifiers spaced successively alongside said medium; a plurality of electrodes individually coupled to an assigned one of said amplifiers, spaced successively along said medium in the direction of acoustic wave travel and constituting therewith elemental acoustic-wave transducers responsive to said acoustic waves for individually feeding a signal to its assigned one of said amplifIers, said amplifiers, in turn, being coupled to respective ones of said electrodes adjacent to the ones of said electrodes from which the signal is fed to that amplifier; and signal delay means included in the coupling of said amplifiers to said respective ones of said electrodes, the time delay of said signal through each amplifier and its coupling means corresponding to the spatial delay of said acoustic waves propagating between the corresponding adjacent pair of said electrodes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
An amplification system as defined in claim 3 in which said medium, said amplifiers and said delay means are all disposed on a substrate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
An amplification system as defined in claim 3 in which said amplifiers are thin-film transistors having common source electrodes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
An amplification system as defined in claim 3 in which said amplifiers are field-effect transistors and in which a portion of the one of said electrodes coupled to any one of said amplifiers constitutes a gate for its transistor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
An amplification system as defined in claim 3 in which said amplifiers are field-effect transistors and in which a portion of the one of said electrodes coupled to any one of said amplifiers constitutes a drain for its transistor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
57 words
An amplification system as defined in claim 3 in which each output terminal is effectively coupled individually through a first resistive element to the next preceding amplifier and through a second resistive element to a common potential source, the capacitances presented by said input and output terminals together with said resistive elements forming the associated delay means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
54 words
An amplification system as defined in claim 3 in which said electrodes are spaced successively apart by a distance of at least substantially one-fourth acoustic wavelength in said medium at the frequency of said signal and in which the time delay in each of said delay means is substantially one-fourth cycle at said frequency.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
An amplification system as defined in claim 3 in which the impedances presented by said input and output terminals are high compared to the impedance presented to said electrodes by said medium.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
52 words
An amplification system as defined in claim 3 in which each of said amplifiers has input and output terminals and in which each of said electrodes is connected to the input terminal of its respective amplifier while the output terminal thereof is coupled through said signal delay means to an adjacent electrode.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
52 words
An amplification system as defined in claim 3 in which each of said amplifiers has input and output terminals and in which each of said electrodes is connected to an output terminal of its respective amplifier while the input terminal thereof is coupled through said signal delay means to an adjacent electrode.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
An amplification system as defined in claim 3 in which said amplifiers comprise bipolar or MOS transistors on a common semiconductor substrate.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3096485A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-07-18 | 1976-01-17 | 1976-07-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-07-18 | 1980-01-17 | 1980-07-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-07-18 | 1984-01-17 | 1984-07-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |