Abstract: Integrating a bracket with planarity adjustment holding a wafer probe securely, with a low-profile impedance tuner that is mounted on a 3-axis tuner positioner under an angle matching the angle of the wafer probe. The low-profile tuner has its tuning probe operating as close as physically possible within the distance of an RF adapter from the wafer-probe and is connected directly with the wafer-probe. This integration offers the maximum possible tuning range, while simultaneously offering planarity (THETA) control. It also eliminates the need for an extension RF cable between the instrument (tuner) and the wafer-probe, including a set of two coaxial adapters.

Abstract: A method for instantaneous load pull impedance pattern generation uses a phase-frequency-location equivalent of the natural behavior of slide screw tuners to skew the reflection factor phase with only small frequency changes. The method is generic and applies the same to all GHz range test frequencies. A simple calculation determines the tuning probe position and the impedance cloud is generated quasi instantaneously by switching between sidebands of the carrier test frequency without mechanically moving the tuning probe. Benign frequency behavior of the tuners allows for simple and accurate narrowband interpolation. Duration of load pull measurements is reduced from minutes to seconds.

Abstract: A slide screw tuner movement control mechanism uses two horizontal stepper motors driving the ACME lead screw, which controls the horizontal position of the mobile carriage moving the tuning probe along the slabline. Each motor is linked with the ACME using different gear ratio, designed for coarse and fine horizontal increment (step size). This allows making ultra-wideband tuners with Fmax:Fmin>10:1 for optimized tuning speed at low frequencies and high tuning resolution at high frequencies. Appropriate calibration and optimized movement algorithms extract the best compromise between speed and tuning resolution.

Abstract: A slide screw tuner control mechanism uses linear actuator movement with numerically controlled PITCH (number of threads per inch). The PITCH is adjustable using the concept of a differential screw, implemented by independent control of the rotation of the actuator built-in ACME screw, yielding a numerically controllable overall effective PITCH. Tuner calibration and tuning can use dynamically adjustable horizontal movement increments increasing tuning speed at low frequencies without loss of fine-tuning resolution at high frequencies.

Abstract: A load-pull test system uses controller, interface, calibration method and at least one low profile, two-probe, slide screw impedance tuner; the tuner probes share the same slabline; they are inserted anti-diametrical at fixed depth (distance from the center conductor) from both sides into the channel and move only horizontally along the slabline. The tuner does not have adjustable high precision vertical axes controlling the penetration of the probes and its low profile is optimized for on-wafer operations. The carriages holding the probes are moved at high speed along the slabline using linear electric actuators. An efficient de-embedding calibration method serves speeding up additionally the measurement procedure.

Abstract: A low-profile passive slide screw load pull tuner is used on-wafer, especially in millimeter-wave frequencies from 25 to 110 GHz and above. It uses special rotating tuning probes insertable in a short slabline mounted inside the tuner housing, which holds the control gear. The tuner is mounted at an angle matching the angle of the wafer-probe, is connected directly of the wafer-probe and ensures optimum reflection factor tuning range.

Abstract: A heterodyne, wideband active load pull tuner allows creating and controlling the reflection in a different frequency range than the operation frequency. It comprises an active feedback loop and a digital electronic tuner, wherein the electronic tuner operates at a single frequency while the active loop is wideband. This is achieved using a pair of down- and up-conversion stages, driven by an external signal source (local oscillator) which tracks the operation frequency and creates a fixed intermediate frequency, which is processed by the electronic tuner. This, two-frequency operation bypasses all circulator and electronic tuner bandwidth limitations and uses readily available large band components such as mixers and amplifiers.

Abstract: An integrated manual pre-matching module for on-wafer load pull tuner operation uses a mobile rack and a rotating reflective probe, mounted and sliding on the tuner slabline extension. Both the tuning probe position and immersion into the slabline are controlled using sidewise mounted easily accessible knobs. The low profile of the module does not conflict with the microscope and allows integrating on the extended slabline of the tuner in immediate proximity of the wafer probe, thus minimizing any additional insertion loss and maximizing tuning range. Manual handling of the pre-matching tuning module is easy and efficient without disturbing the on-wafer load pull operations.

Abstract: A slide screw tuner uses a tuning probe that penetrates into the slot of the slabline inclined towards the test port, in order to compensate for the capacitive skewing of the angle of the reflection factor ?. This anti-skewing effect is done by splitting the mobile combo carriage into a fixed and a rotating section, held together by a center pin that allows an adjustable inclination. The linearized trajectory of ? improves the accuracy of interpolation between calibration points.

Abstract: Wideband waveguide to coaxial low loss signal couplers use an electro-magnetic wire loop inserted perpendicularly in a slot in the top cover of the waveguide transmission line. In order to adapt also to various power levels and associated receiver sensitivity, the coupling factor can be modified by controlling the penetration of the wire loop inside the waveguide cavity. Coupling and Directivity are approximately constant and track over the WR bandwidth up to WR-10. A calibration method allows full characterization of a coupler-tuner assembly.

Abstract: A digital high-speed load pull tuner comprises a slide screw automatic tuner in a traditional reflection configuration and an active forward injection loop using a digital tuner in a transmission configuration. The forward active injection loop comprises two compact signal couplers of which at least one is adjustable, a digital tuner, circulator, feedback power amplifier; the passive tuner comprises one or more remotely controlled mobile carriages sliding along the slabline and carrying metallic tuning probes, used to create passive reflection factors. The incoming signal is sampled, modulated in amplitude and phase by the digital tuner and fed back into the slabline synchronizing with the passive reflected signal, to create a partially virtual load presented to the DUT.

Abstract: A low frequency active load pull tuner allows creating and controlling the reflection factor in a different frequency range than the operation frequency. It includes an active feedback loop and a remotely controlled digital electronic tuner, wherein the electronic tuner operates at an ordinary octave wide (Fmax/Fmin=2) frequency range (i.e. as an example 1-2 GHz), which leads to a low intermediate frequency band of 6 octaves or more. All required MHz range components for the tuner, except the custom-made digital electronic tuner, are readily available.

Abstract: Low loss high directivity wire couplers use a wire over ground transmission airline structure and a low diameter coaxial cable ending in a wire loop sensor, which is inserted into ground wall of the transmission line leading into a coupled and an isolated port. Higher, capacitively induced, electrical current, because of the confined zone between signal conductor and ground wall, compares favorably with the antiphase magnetically induced current component in the wire loop sensor and leads to increased coupling and directivity over a frequency range up to at least 70 GHz.

Abstract: A waveguide low profile slide-screw impedance tuner for seamless on-wafer integration uses rotating metallic tuning probe. This ensures high resolution in the area where the probe penetration is maximum (high GAMMA), a smooth increase of depth (basic anti-electrical discharge—“Corona” form) and compensation for the negative phase trajectory at higher GAMMA, native to traditional vertically moving stub-probes in waveguide tuners. Also, using rotating disc-probes simplifies the tuner mechanics, eliminates the cumbersome precise vertical axis and gear and flattens the tuner profile for best direct connection with wafer-probes.

Abstract: A fast calibration method for slide-screw impedance tuners employs a reduced calibration algorithm, which creates appropriately distributed calibration points over the Smith chart compatible with already existing interpolation and tuning algorithms for high accuracy and high-speed impedance tuning. The method uses one vertical scaling of the tuning probe followed by a limited number of vertical positioning operations at pre-set horizontal intervals and applies this data to generate accurate interpolated high-density tuner calibration data points at a fraction of previously required calibration times.

Abstract: A digitally controlled hybrid (active-passive) tuning system includes a passive slide screw tuner using a slabline in which also fixed and adjustable signal couplers (wave-probes) are mounted, leading to and from an active feedback loop, digitally controlled using an electronic tuner. The wave-probes control the static amplitude and phase of the feedback signal and the electronic tuner controls the actual dynamic (high speed) amplitude and phase of the re-injected signal. The slide screw tuner serves as an additional static pre-matching for reducing the required feedback injection power. Appropriate passive and active calibration and search routines allow identifying tuner states satisfying DUT parameter targets.

Abstract: A TRL calibration kit including THRU, REFLECT and a set of DELAY line standards and associated thread extension and holding device, allowing for employing more than one DELAY line standard without modifying the configuration, for higher wideband calibration accuracy. The thread extension allows inserting and securing multiple DELAY lines without removing the device by just inserting and releasing set screws in-situ. This provides for best repeatability of the connections.

Abstract: A high speed active tuning system for wideband modulated signals comprises a slabline with an adjustable signal coupler (wave-probe) and an electronic tuner in a feedback signal injection loop. The wave-probe controls the static amplitude and phase of the feedback signal and the electronic tuner controls the actual amplitude and phase of the re-injected signal. High speed calibration and search routines allow identifying tuner states satisfying instantaneously impedance targets over the entire modulation bandwidth.

Abstract: A hermetically sealed adjustable link for low loss coaxial airline connection between the seamless connection of coaxial RF connector of external instruments with 30- or 45-degrees wafer probes allows continuous, micro-positioner controlled, 3-axis horizontal and vertical probe movement. A flexible sealing ring ensures airtight and/or RF-EMI shielded operation. A metallic or plastic collar ensures wafer testing under EMI shielded and high temperature conditions.

Abstract: A fast wideband four noise parameter measurement and extraction method uses randomly distributed source impedance states, which are generated using wideband electro-mechanical tuners, and noise figure data collected in fast frequency sweeps; because of the random nature of source impedances reliable noise parameter values are extracted using selected source admittance states generated by sweeping the frequency by small amounts around a set of center frequencies instead of moving the tuner probe, hereby using the natural tuner phase rotation instead of a (time consuming) mechanical tuner sweep at a fixed center frequency. The core of the method is swapping slow tuner mechanical sweep with fast frequency sweeps, allowed since the 4 noise parameters are benign frequency functions.