US3842360A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Parametric amplifier
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1973-11-30
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Granted: 1974-10-15
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Expires: 1993-11-30
Abstract
Abstract A balanced parametric amplifier, fabricated on a single dielectric substrate, having a pair of Schottky varactor diodes located at the junction of a co-planar transmission line impedance inverter and a slot transmission line formed on one side of the substrate with the pump signal coupled to the slot line. A microstrip transmission line circuit configured as a resonant impedance transformer is formed on the other side of the substrate to which the input signal is applied and from which the amplified output signal is also taken. The microstrip transmission line terminates in a capacitive impedance microstrip section. A microstrip to co-planar transmission line transition is formed at the capacitive impedance section through the dielectric substrate. The two varactor diodes are reactively matched, i.e., resonated, at the signal frequency by means of the co-planar and the microstrip transmission line configurations so that the two varactor diodes appear as a negative impedance to the input signal at the microstrip to co-planar transmission line transition. The combination of the co-planar and slot transmission line configurations additionally includes an idler filter to restrict the idler circuit current to the vicinity of the varactor diodes.
Inventors
- 👤 L Dickens
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 22:48
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03F; H03F7/00; H03F7/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
437 words
A balanced parametric amplifier including varactor diode means, comprising in combination: a planar substrate of dielectric material; an electrically conductive film on one side of said substrate; a pump circuit for supplying pump energy to said varactor diode means from an external source, formed on said one side of said substrate and being characterized by a slot transmission line of a selected length formed in said film and having a discontinuity intermediate said length for exhibiting an inductive reactance characteristic in said slot line to match the impedance of the external pump source coupled to said slot line to said varactor diode means; a signal circuit for commonly coupling a signal to and from said varactor diode means and transforming the impedance of an external signal circuit coupled thereto and said varactor diode means to a common point of relatively low impedance and for obtaining a double tuned gain-bandpass characteristic, being characterized by, (1) a co-planar transmission line formed in said conductive film on said one side of said substrate and having one end electrically coupled to said slot line to form a hybrid junction and having a length substantially equal to one quarter wavelength of the signal to be amplified for effecting an impedance inversion of impedance of said varactor diodes to said common point of relatively low impedance, (2) co-planar to microstrip transition means formed through said substrate to the opposite side thereof at the other end of said co-planar transmission line, said transition effectively embodying said common point, and (3) a microstrip transmission line formed on said opposite side of said substrate and including a first line portion of selected geometry for reducing the magnitude of the load impedance provided by said external signal circuit to a predetermined magnitude, a second line portion of selected geometry providing a resonator tuned to the input signal frequency, and a third line portion located at said transition means being of a selected geometry for providing a relatively low reactance that parallely resonates with the reactance of said varactor diode means as transformed by the impedance inverting action of said co-planar transmission line to said transition means; said varactor diode means comprising a pair of varactor diodes located at said hybrid junction in balanced circuit relationship; an idler circuit including an area of conductive film on said one side of said substrate coupling said pair of varactor diodes for permitting an idler current to flow therebetween; and an idler filter circuit comprising planar circuit means formed on said substrate adjacent said varactor diodes for preventing the idler current to flow to said pump circuit and said signal circuit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
437 words
A balanced parametric amplifier including varactor diode means, comprising in combination: a planar substrate of dielectric material; an electrically conductive film on one side of said substrate; a pump circuit for supplying pump energy to said varactor diode means from an external source, formed on said one side of said substrate and being characterized by a slot transmission line of a selected length formed in said film and having a discontinuity intermediate said length for exhibiting an inductive reactance characteristic in said slot line to match the impedance of the external pump source coupled to said slot line to said varactor diode means; a signal circuit for commonly coupling a signal to and from said varactor diode means and transforming the impedance of an external signal circuit coupled thereto and said varactor diode means to a common point of relatively low impedance and for obtaining a double tuned gain-bandpass characteristic, being characterized by, (1) a co-planar transmission line formed in said conductive film on said one side of said substrate and having one end electrically coupled to said slot line to form a hybrid junction and having a length substantially equal to one quarter wavelength of the signal to be amplified for effecting an impedance inversion of impedance of said varactor diodes to said common point of relatively low impedance, (2) co-planar to microstrip transition means formed through said substrate to the opposite side thereof at the other end of said co-planar transmission line, said transition effectively embodying said common point, and (3) a microstrip transmission line formed on said opposite side of said substrate and including a first line portion of selected geometry for reducing the magnitude of the load impedance provided by said external signal circuit to a predetermined magnitude, a second line portion of selected geometry providing a resonator tuned to the input signal frequency, and a third line portion located at said transition means being of a selected geometry for providing a relatively low reactance that parallely resonates with the reactance of said varactor diode means as transformed by the impedance inverting action of said co-planar transmission line to said transition means; said varactor diode means comprising a pair of varactor diodes located at said hybrid junction in balanced circuit relationship; an idler circuit including an area of conductive film on said one side of said substrate coupling said pair of varactor diodes for permitting an idler current to flow therebetween; and an idler filter circuit comprising planar circuit means formed on said substrate adjacent said varactor diodes for preventing the idler current to flow to said pump circuit and said signal circuit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The parametric amplifier as Defined by claim 1 wherein said pair of varactor diodes are comprised of a pair of Schottky barrier diodes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The parametric amplifier as defined by claim 1 wherein said pair of varactor diodes are comprised of a pair of beam leaded Schottky barrier diodes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
74 words
The parametric amplifier as defined by claim 1 wherein said varactor diode means comprises a pair of Schottky barrier diodes fabricated on a ''''flip-chip'''' semiconductor chip, said chip having a relatively large ohmic contact area adjacent said pair of diodes, and wherein said ohmic contact area is electrically connected to said co-planar transmission line, said pair of diodes thereby being connected between metallization of said co-planar transmission line and metallization adjacent said slot line.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
The parametric amplifier as defined by claim 1 wherein said co-planar transmission line has a length substantially equal to one quarter wavelength of the signal to be amplified for effecting an impedance inversion of the varactor diode means to said common point of relatively low impedance.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
116 words
The parametric amplifier as defined by claim 1 wherein said idler filter circuit comprises: a first and second linearly aligned slot transmission line in said conductive film intersecting said co-planar transmission line in the region of said hybrid junction and said pair of varactor diodes and respectively having a slot length in the order of one quarter wavelength of the idler circuit frequency; and a relatively linear microstrip transmission line formed on said opposite side of said substrate substantially a quarter wavelength of said idler frequency away from said varactor diode means and running transversely to said pump circuit and extending substantially a quarter wavelength of said idler frequency on either side of said pump circuit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
The parametric amplifier as defined by claim 1 wherein said idler filter circuit comprises a first and a second angulated slot transmission line in said conductive film, each having a first slot portion intersecting said hybrid junction and a second slot portion extending substantially parallel to the slot transmission line of said pump circuit.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
The parametric amplifier as defined by claim 7 wherein said first slot portion of said angulated slot transmission line forming said idler filter circuit intersects said hybrid junction adjacent said pair of varactor diodes, and wherein said first and second slot portions extend substantially at right angles to one another.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
The parametric amplifier as defined by claim 8 wherein the combined length of the first and second slot portions of each of said angulated slot line transmission lines forming said idler filter circuit is in the order of 3/4 wavelength of the idler circuit frequency.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
81 words
A parametric amplifier as defined by claim 7 wherein said slot transmission line of said pump circuit additionally includes a capacitive loading element which is selectively movable to provide selective tuning of said pump circuit, and a microstrip transmission line formed on said opposite side of said substrate having a selectively decreasing geometry crossing said pump circuit on said one side of said substrate and acting as a microstrip to slot line transition for coupling pump energy to said pump circuit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
82 words
The parametric amplifier as defined by claim 1, wherein said first line portion of said microstrip transmission line of said signal circuit comprises transmission line means having a length in the order of a quarter wavelength of said signal frequency and having a width dimension greater than said second line portion, and wherein said second line portion comprises a relatively narrower microstrip transmission line having a length in the order of a predetermined multiple of one half wavelengths of the signal frequency.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
90 words
The parametric amplifier as defined by claim 1, wherein said first line portion of the microstrip transmission line of said signal circuit comprises a tranSmission line of relatively narrow width dimension and having a length in the order of one quarter wavelength of the signal frequency, and wherein said second line portion of said microstrip transmission line comrpises a transmission line having a width dimension greater than said first line portion and having a length in the order of a predetermined multiple of one half wavelengths of said signal frequency.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3596197A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-10-14 | 1978-04-15 | 1978-10-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-10-14 | 1982-04-15 | 1982-10-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-10-14 | 1986-04-15 | 1986-10-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |