Abstract: A hybrid harmonic slide screw tuner uses the forward injection technique, also called Gamma Boosting Unit (GBU) cascaded with two independent tuning probes in the same slabline and housing. The wave-probes used in the GBU sample a portion of the forward travelling signal, adjusts its phase, amplifies it, adjusts its amplitude (attenuation) and couples it back, in reverse direction into the main signal path. In the present active tuner technique as is herein implemented, the passive tuners and the signal couplers are mounted on the same double carriages which move each carriage horizontally and the wave- and tuning probes vertically, independently. Appropriate calibration and tuning algorithms ensure independent hybrid (active and passive) harmonic tuning.

Abstract: An active slide screw tuner uses the forward injection technique, also called Gamma Boosting Unit (GBU) cascaded with a passive impedance tuner in the same slabline and housing. The GBU samples a portion of the forward travelling signal, adjusts its phase, amplifies it, adjusts its amplitude (attenuation) and couples it back, in reverse direction into the main signal path. In the present active tuner technique as is herein implemented, the horizontal and vertical movement of the forward coupler through remote control in a tuner-type carriage and vertical axis, eliminates the need of a separated phase shifter and attenuator, which makes the solution better, simpler and more effective.

Abstract: A hybrid electro-mechanical tuner uses a modified version of the forward injection technique, also called Gamma Boosting Unit (GBU), integrated with a passive slide screw impedance tuner in the same slabline and housing. The modified GBU samples a phase-and-amplitude adjustable portion of the forward travelling signal at the fundamental frequency, amplifies it and injects it back, in reverse direction, into the main signal path through a circulator connected at the idle port of the tuner, after the mechanical tuning probe. The horizontal and vertical control of the forward coupler (wave-probe) of the modified GBU which is attached to the vertical axis in a mobile carriage, is manual or remote and eliminates the need for a dedicated phase shifter and attenuator, making the solution better, simpler and more effective.

Abstract: Compact, high Gamma, wideband, multi-carriage-multi-harmonic tuners use a meandering slabline structure and multiple probes and carriages. The meandering structure reduces the overall tuner length by more than half at 0.4 GHz. The required slabline bends are made using a vertical-to-horizontal slabline transition. Multiple probes are employed within the slabline segment closest to the test port, in order to minimize the insertion loss at higher frequencies, caused by the slabline bends. This tuner structure is mostly effective starting at fundamental frequencies below 1 GHz and operating at fundamental or harmonic frequencies as high as 18 GHz.

Abstract: Load Pull tuning pattern and probe movement algorithms allow creating a test pattern allowing to avoid instability regions and spurious oscillations of microwave transistors during testing using slide screw load and source tuners. The impedances are selected based on the stability circle and instability area on the Smith chart and the probe movement trajectory allows both avoiding the static and circumventing the transient crossing through the instability area. All tuning commands are saved in a pattern file.

Abstract: Microwave transistor test fixtures, both micro-strip and coaxial, include integrated wideband directional signal sensors/couplers and allow the detection of the main signal and its harmonic components, injected into and delivered by a transistor in high power operation mode, by using a phase-calibrated network or signal analyzer and allows this way the reproduction of real time signal waveforms. The fixtures are best calibrated using equivalent TRL calibrated fixtures allowing overcoming the incompatibility of the internal ports connecting to the transistor terminals with coaxial cables attached to VNA.

Abstract: A continuously manually or remotely adjustable microwave attenuator and linear phase shifter uses a mobile signal coupler (wave-probe) and a slabline structure terminated with 50 Ohms. The coupled port of the wave-probe is connected with the output port of the unit using flexible RF cable. The wave-probe is attached to the vertical axis of a mobile carriage, which is moved at variable distance from the input port, corresponding to the expected transmission phase, whereas the depth, at which the wave-probe is inserted into the slabline, determines the coupling factor and thus the value of the attenuation. Amplifier and low pass filters compensate for coupling loss and equalize for frequency slope.

Abstract: A method and test setup for reducing the RF power requirement m active load pull uses impedance tuners between the output of the test transistor and the active RF power injection network. The active network uses either a closed loop (active load) configuration or an open loop network employing split or synchronized signal sources. The impedance tuners are wideband (fundamental) tuners, harmonic rejection tuners or multi-harmonic tuners. A 7:1 transforming ratio of the tuners represents the best compromise between power matching and tuner loss, yielding a reduction of 11 dB in power requirements from the active load or the synchronized source(s); if only the fundamental signal is injected at the output of the DUT, a multi-harmonic tuner or a harmonic rejection tuner is used for independent harmonic tuning; if multiple harmonic signals are injected, a multi-harmonic tuner is used and creates passive harmonic loads while reducing at the same time the power requirements from the harmonic injection sources.

Abstract: A new multi-carriage slide screw impedance tuner uses a circular slabline, eccentrically rotating disc probes and rotating carriages allowing reducing the linear size of the tuner by a factor of 3 compared with linear tuners. The slabline lies flat on the bench table surface and the disc probes rotate at the end of rotating arms, which act as mobile carriages, forming a planetary configuration. The rotation of the arms control the phase of GAMMA and the rotation of the disc-probes controls its amplitude.

Abstract: A multi-band, electro-mechanical programmable impedance tuner for the frequency range between 10 and 200 MHz uses cascades of three or more continuously variable mechanical capacitors interconnected with sets of low loss flexible or semi-rigid cables; for each frequency band a different set of cables and capacitors are used. The cables and/or variable capacitors inside each tuning block are switchable manually or remotely. Multi-section variable capacitors are also used. Instantaneous impedance tuning is effectuated by changing the state of the capacitors using electrical stepper motors. The tuner is calibrated using a vector network analyzer and the data are saved in the memory of the control computer, which then allows tuning to any user defined impedance within the tuning range. Reflection factor values between 0 and higher than 0.9 can be obtained using this tuner at all frequency bands.

Abstract: High reliability impedance tuners used in high power measurements suffer fast heating and consequently thermal expansion of the central conductor, which has a very small mass and is thermally isolated from the tuner housing. This leads to false measurements or catastrophic tuner failure (short) of either the DUT or the tuner. A method is introduced for allowing the center conductor to expand linearly without deforming and risking loss of accuracy first and catastrophic failure later. Practical tests have shown significant thermal behavior improvement.

Abstract: A harmonic load pull system uses a number of synchronized signal sources to inject harmonic power into the output of a power transistor. The mismatch between the signal sources and the transistor internal impedance is reduced by using multi-harmonic tuners, which pre-match the impedance of the signal sources to the internal impedance of the transistor at each harmonic frequency independently. Actual tuning is electronic by changing the amplitude and phase of the injected signals. The transmitted and reflected waves are measured and optimized through bi-directional couplers connected between the transistor and the tuner and a wideband harmonic receiver.

Abstract: A multi-frequency programmable and remotely controllable variable attenuator and phase shifter (MF-VAPS) network utilizes wideband three port circulators, power combiners, high-low pass filters and a calibrated multi-harmonic tuner to control the amplitude and phase of the transmission factor (A21) at up to three user defined frequencies individually. The harmonic signal components are divided in frequency bands and injected into the circulator's port 1 and extracted from port 3, whereas the tuner is connected to port 2 and terminated with Zo. When the tuner is initialized (S11=0) the transmission factor of the network is zero; when the tuner is at maximum reflection at any frequency the transmission factor is also maximum. Changing the reflection phase of the tuner controls the transmission phase <A21 by the same amount, up to 360°.

Abstract: A multi-band, electro-mechanical programmable impedance tuner for the frequency range between 10 and 200 MHz uses cascades of three or more continuously variable mechanical capacitors interconnected with sets of low loss flexible or semi-rigid cables; for each frequency band a different set of cables and capacitors are used. The cables and/or variable capacitors inside each tuning block are switchable manually or remotely. Multi-section variable capacitors are also used. Instantaneous impedance tuning is effectuated by changing the state of the capacitors using electrical stepper motors. The tuner is calibrated using a vector network analyzer and the data are saved in the memory of the control computer, which then allows tuning to any user defined impedance within the tuning range. Reflection factor values between 0 and higher than 0.9 can be obtained using this tuner at all frequency bands.

Abstract: A new tuning probe for slide-screw impedance tuners uses a simplified semi-cylindrical tubular form. This ensures reduced manufacturing cost and high machining tolerance for probes using galvanic ground contact. RF performance matches or exceeds traditional cubical probes both using galvanic and capacitive ground contacts.

Abstract: Multi octave frequency-range electro-mechanical impedance tuners cover frequencies from the megahertz (FM range) to the high (millimeter-wave) gigahertz range, by combining a high frequency with one or two low frequency slide screw tuner modules. Special configurations allow for compact size. The low frequency module can be bypassed using SPDT remotely controlled millimeter wave switches. Appropriate calibration, control and tuning procedures allow for a fully integrated operation.

Abstract: A high speed tuning and measuring algorithm is used for production level testing on-wafer a large number of chips. It applies to a hybrid active injection load pull test system. Using a pre-calibration of the passive tuner and the amplitude and phase settings of the active power injection signal and employing fast harmonic receiver VNA the test system is capable of executing frequency and time domain load pull measurement sets including more than 50 impedance points in a total of 1 second for quantities such as delivered input and output power, PAE, power gain and other. Overall test time, including device hoping and biasing on the automatic probe station is less than 1.5 seconds. This enables production level load pull operations.

Abstract: Impedance tuners used in high power measurements suffer fast heating and consequently thermal expansion of the center conductor, which has a very small mass and is thermally isolated from the environment and tuner housing. This leads to false measurements or catastrophic tuner failure (short) of either the DUT or the tuner. Modified center conductors are made of two pieces and comprise a flexible joint between them that allows longitudinal center conductor expansion and contraction, thus preserving tuner accuracy and safety. Practical tests have shown significant improvement in thermal behavior.

Abstract: A compact device allows individual or combined correction of wafer probe planarity and orientation misalignment. The device is made as a metallic block or as a strong plastic block and contains three sections, which are held together by a steel blade or by a steel blade and a rotation pin; the sections are split apart for “Phi”—orientation alignment or rotated against each-other for “Theta” planarity alignment. The steel blade provides secure and anti-backlash flexibility both in lateral (“Phi”) and perpendicular (“Theta”) direction. Alternatively the “Theta” alignment can use a rotation shaft or a small part of the original block left over as a bridge joining both sections. The device is inserted between the fixed probe support and the probe itself.

Abstract: Automatic microwave pre-matching tuners with new zero positioning capability allowing for a minimum idle airline section between pre-matching and tuning section, thus minimizing insertion loss and enhancing high reflection tuning capability at high frequencies and tuner calibration algorithm of the pre-matching section over one half of a wavelength and of the tuning section over one full wavelength at each operation frequency and associated tuning and measurement operation algorithms.