High Frequency Waveguides, Resonators, Electrical Networks, Or Other Devices Of The Waveguide Type (e.g., Phase Shifters, Cavity Filters, Etc.) Patents (Class 505/210)
  • Publication number: 20040183622
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tunable resonating arrangement comprising a resonator apparatus (10), input/output coupling (4) means for coupling electromagnetic energy into/out of the resonator apparatus, and a tuning device (3) for application of a biasing voltage/electric field to the resonator apparatus. The resonator apparatus comprises a first resonator (1) and a second resonator (2). Said first resonator is non-tunable and said second resonator is tunable and comprises a ferroelectric substrate (21). Said first and second resonators are separated by a ground plane (13) which is common for said first and second resonators, and coupling means (5) are provided for providing coupling between said first and second resonators. For tuning of the resonator apparatus, the biasing voltage/electric field is applied to the second resonator (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Applicant: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Spartak Gevorgian, Anatoly Deleniv, Orest Vendik, Erik Kollberg, Erland Wikborg
  • Patent number: 6791430
    Abstract: A device and method for tuning a planar filter through a wide range of center frequencies are disclosed. The tuning assembly includes a superconductive tuning tip and an actuator configured and adapted to move the tuning tip through a sufficient range of distances from a resonator or a portion thereof to vary the resonant frequency of the resonator by at least about 10% of the untuned frequency in at least one increment of 0.01% or smaller. An actuator and a position-sensor can be employed in a closed loop feedback system to control the position of the tuning tips. The present invention also provides a method of tuning a filter that includes moving a tuning tip through a sufficient range of distances from a resonator to vary the resonant frequency of the resonator by at least about 10% in at least one increment of 0.01% or smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Conductus, Inc.
    Inventors: Valery Borzenets, Stuart Jay Berkowitz, Philip E. Blumenfeld, Nikolai Maltsev
  • Patent number: 6792299
    Abstract: A closed conductive loop for use in planar circuits to realize shunt capacitors instead of conductive patches is disclosed. The closed conductive loop may be formed on a planar substrate or extend to multiple conductive layers in a multi-layer circuit. The use of closed conductive loops as shunt capacitors offers possibilities of more flexible circuit layout, reduced circuit footprint and comparable or improved performance as compared to using conductive patches as shunt capacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Conductus, Inc.
    Inventor: Shen Ye
  • Patent number: 6778042
    Abstract: A high-frequency device comprises a dielectric substrate, a filter element which has a plurality of resonating elements made of a first superconductor film on the dielectric substrate, a dielectric plate which faces the dielectric substrate substantially in parallel with the substrate and covers the plurality of resonating elements, and a spacing adjusting member configured to control the spacing between the dielectric plate and the dielectric substrate. The high-frequency device enables the pass-band frequency of the filter to be adjusted with high accuracy without variations in the skirt characteristic or ripple characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Terashima, Fumihiko Aiga, Mutsuki Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Fuke, Hiroyuki Kayano, Riichi Katoh
  • Publication number: 20040140861
    Abstract: High temperature superconductor mini-filters and mini-multiplexers are comprised of improved self-resonant spiral resonators and have very small size, very low cross-talk between adjacent channels and low sensitivity to variations in substrate thickness and resonator patterning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Inventor: Robby L. Alvarez
  • Patent number: 6751489
    Abstract: High temperature superconductor mini-filters and mini-multiplexers utilize self-resonant spiral resonators and have very small size and very low cross-talk between adjacent channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventor: Zhi-Yuan Shen
  • Patent number: 6731960
    Abstract: A dual operation mode all temperature filter is provided. The dual operation mode filter is provided with a housing defining at least two cavities, an input port and an output port. It is also provided with a non-superconducting resonator disposed in a first one of the cavities and a superconducting resonator disposed in a second one of the cavities. The second resonator comprises a superconducting material containing 8-15% silver. The dual operation mode filter filters at a relatively high level at temperatures below a threshold temperature and at a lower, conventional level, at temperatures below the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: ISCO International, Inc.
    Inventor: Amr Abdelmonem
  • Publication number: 20040041655
    Abstract: Disclosed is a superconducting filter apparatus having a refrigerator for cooling the superconducting filter to cryogenic temperatures, a pilot signal generator for generating a pilot signal that is outside the pass band and inputting the pilot signal to the superconducting filter together with an antenna receive signal, and a discriminating unit for discriminating abnormality in the refrigerator. If the refrigerator malfunctions and temperature of the superconducting filter rises, the pass band of the superconducting filter shifts to the low-frequency side and crosses the frequency of the pilot signal. The pilot signal passes through the superconducting filter at this time. The discriminating unit discriminates abnormality in the refrigerator based upon the pilot signal contained in the output of the superconducting filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Inventors: Manabu Kai, Toru Maniwa
  • Patent number: 6700459
    Abstract: A dual-mode resonator comprises a dielectric substrate having a region divided into four quadrants, and a ring resonator forming quadrangularly symmetrical configurations within the four quadrants of the region. The symmetrical configurations may be formed from folded sections of the resonator, so that parallel lines with opposite currents that cancel to minimize the far-field radiation of the filter structures. The symmetrical configuration can also be meandered, so that opposite currents in parallel line segments within each meander and the line segments that interconnect the meanders cancel to minimize the far-field radiation of the filter structures. One resonator can be used in a two-pole dual-mode filter structures, or multiple resonators can be used in more complex dual-mode filter structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Superconductor Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt F. Raihn, Gregory L. Hey-Shipton, Matthew Hernandez
  • Publication number: 20040027211
    Abstract: A thin film resonator which combines a microstrip resonator structure and a coplanar resonator structure to form an integrated resonator structure. The resonant frequency of this resonator structure is independent of the substrate thickness within a certain thickness range. This resonator structure also has a very economical size, as compared to other existing resonator designs. Different coupling configurations between the resonators are shown with the resulting coupling coefficients. Also a two-pole, four-pole and an eight-pole filter are designed using the thin film resonator and the insertion loss and return loss characteristics for various filters are shown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2002
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Inventor: Huai Ren Yi
  • Patent number: 6686811
    Abstract: A filter network designed for providing high frequency selectivity with a high degree of reliability and availability. The filter network comprises a superconducting filter and a non-superconducting filter, or a combination thereof to form multiplexers. A receive side of the non-superconducting filter pre-filters received RF signals before inputting them to the superconducting filter. The non-superconducting filter is constructed and arranged to pass RF signals having a frequency within a first pass band to the superconducting filter. The superconducting device is constructed and arranged to exhibit a high-degree of frequency selectivity in further narrowing the received RF signals. Other aspects are directed to the arrangement, construction, and uses of the same structures to accomplish different but similar goals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Superconductor Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory L. Hey-Shipton
  • Patent number: 6678540
    Abstract: A superconductor on-chip microstrip line (2, 4) to off-chip microstrip line (7) transition of low characteristic impedance (15, 20, 22) is realized that obtains a bandwidth of 200 GHz for MCM application while employing solder bump (15, 17) technology to connect the chips (3, 5) to the off-chip microstrip and substrate (6). Circular openings (20, 22) through the respective ground plane layers (10 & 16) of the off-chip and on-chip microstrips are provided in positions respectively underlying and overlying the solder bump (15) for the signal. The openings may be sized to provide a desired ratio of inductance to capacitance, the larger the size, the greater the ratio value. This technique may be used to match characteristic impedance to give broad bandwidth low impedance interconnections needed for direct SFQ chip-to-chip communication on a passive MCM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventors: Michael S. Wire, Quentin P. Herr
  • Publication number: 20030227349
    Abstract: A microstrip resonator including a dielectric substrate, a resonance electrode on a first main surface of the dielectric substrate, and a ground electrode over an entire second main surface of the dielectric substrate. The resonance electrode includes a superconducting film and a metal film deposited in that order. The ground electrode includes a superconducting film and a metal film deposited in that order. The superconducting film functions as an electrode in low-temperature operation below a critical temperature, and the metal film functions as an electrode in high-temperature operation at or above the critical temperature. The length of the superconducting film of the resonance electrode is set to be longer than that of the metal film of the resonance electrode, so that the resonance frequency in low-temperature operation is substantially equal to the resonance frequency in high-temperature operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2003
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventors: Norifumi Matsui, Yuji Kintaka
  • Publication number: 20030227348
    Abstract: A circuit is provided wherein the electronic properties of the circuit are varied by a magnetic actuator. The circuit includes a fixed substrate and a movable substrate. The magnetic actuator comprises a magnetic driver on an upper surface of the fixed substrate that is substantially overlapped by an HTS reaction plate on the lower surface of the fixed substrate. A tuning current applied through a continuous strip of HTS material in the magnetic driver induces a repulsive magnetic force causing the movable substrate to move with respect to the fixed substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Applicant: Superconductor Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard C. Eden
  • Publication number: 20030227350
    Abstract: A dual operation mode all temperature filter is provided. The dual operation mode filter is provided with a housing defining at least two cavities, an input port and an output port. It is also provided with a non-superconducting resonator disposed in a first one of the cavities and a superconducting resonator disposed in a second one of the cavities. The second resonator comprises a superconducting material containing 8-15% silver. The dual operation mode filter filters at a relatively high level at temperatures below a threshold temperature and at a lower, conventional level, at temperatures below the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2003
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventor: Amr Abdelmonem
  • Patent number: 6662029
    Abstract: A tunable filter having a fixed substrate, a first and second plate comprising a high-temperature superconductor material on the fixed substrate, a movable substrate, a mechanical driver attached to the fixed substrate and the movable substrate, a floating plate comprising a high-temperature superconductor material on the fixed substrate wherein the floating plate, the first plate, and the second plate define a gap, and wherein the gap is varied by length changes in the mechanical driver is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Superconductor Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard C. Eden, Balam A. Willemsen, George L. Matthaei
  • Publication number: 20030222731
    Abstract: A dual-mode resonator comprises a dielectric substrate having a region divided into four quadrants, and a ring resonator forming quadrangularly symmetrical configurations within the four quadrants of the region. The symmetrical configurations may be formed from folded sections of the resonator, so that parallel lines with opposite currents that cancel to minimize the far-field radiation of the filter structures. The symmetrical configuration can also be meandered, so that opposite currents in parallel line segments within each meander and the line segments that interconnect the meanders cancel to minimize the far-field radiation of the filter structures. One resonator can be used in a two-pole dual-mode filter structures, or multiple resonators can be used in more complex dual-mode filter structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2002
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Applicant: SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kurt F. Raihn, Gregory L. Hey-Shipton, Matthew Hernandez
  • Publication number: 20030222732
    Abstract: A filter comprising a plurality of zig-zag hairpin-comb resonators that are separated by one or more coupling gaps is provided. The zig-zag hairpin-comb resonators may be fabricated using HTS or non-HTS planar structures, such as microstrip, stripline and suspended stripline. Each of the zig-zag hairpin-comb resonators comprises a pair of neighboring legs. The neighboring legs of adjacent resonators straddle a respective coupling gap. Each of the neighboring legs is formed with zig-zag sections. In this manner, the filters provide unusual compactness, as well as minimizing coupling between the resonators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2003
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Applicant: Superconductor Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: George L. Matthaei
  • Patent number: 6653917
    Abstract: Disclosed is a high-temperature superconductor low-pass filter for removing broadband harmonics in a wireless communication system. The high-temperature superconductor low-pass filter includes a coupled line section and a transmission line section, in which the coupled line section is connected in parallel with the transmission line section. The coupled line section has two microstrip open-stub type parallel stripe lines stacked on a high-temperature superconductor, and the transmission line section has one stripe line. Since the high-temperature superconductor low-pass filter has attenuation poles at a stopband, it has stopband characteristics to 7-8 times wider than a cutoff frequency. The high-temperature superconductor low-pass filter can easily remove sub-harmonics which are inevitably occurred in the wireless communication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignees: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Telwave, Inc.
    Inventors: Kwang Yong Kang, Seok Kil Han, Min Hwan Kwak, Dal Ahn
  • Patent number: 6650914
    Abstract: A high frequency filter having steep skirt characteristics using a sapphire R-plane substrate. The filter comprises a substrate having first and second faces. The first face is a sapphire R-plane. A grounded conductive layer is formed on the second face of the substrate. A pair of input/output terminals is formed on the first face. In embodiments, hairpin-shaped resonating portions are formed between the pair of input/output terminals. Each of the resonating portions has at least one long side. Each long side of the resonating portions makes an angle of &psgr; with <11-20> direction of a sapphire substrate. The angle &psgr; satisfies relations 0°≦&psgr;≦30°. In embodiments, the resonating portions are asymetric, J-shaped, or rectangular with an opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Fumihiko Aiga, Hiroyuki Fuke, Yoshiaki Terashima, Mutsuki Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Kayano, Tatsunori Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20030211947
    Abstract: A superconducting electromagnetic filter arrangement uses two filters, one of which is fabricated from thin film high temperature superconductor (HTS) material and one of which is fabricated from thick film HTS material. Using both thick and thin film technologies exploits the advantages of each technology. The thick film HTS filter may be fabricated from conventional thick film materials or may be fabricated from all temperature performance (ATP) materials that allow the thick film filter to work at super-critical temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2002
    Publication date: November 13, 2003
    Inventor: Amr Abdelmonem
  • Publication number: 20030197576
    Abstract: A device responsive to an electromagnetic signal includes a conductor for conducting the electromagnetic signal, a magnetic structure disposed proximate the conductor to enable gyromagnetic interaction between the electromagnetic signal and the magnetic structure and a transducer disposed on the magnetic structure for controlling a domain pattern in the magnetic structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2002
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Inventors: Gerald F. Dionne, Daniel E. Oates
  • Publication number: 20030179051
    Abstract: A low temperature high-frequency amplifying apparatus which includes an amplifying circuit and a cold stage for cooling the amplifying circuit. The amplifying circuit and the cold stage are accommodated in a thermally insulated container. An input connector of the thermally insulated container, which is exposed to the outside, is connected with an input portion of the amplifying circuit via an input cable, and an output portion of the amplifier is connected with an output connector of the thermally insulated container via an output cable. The signal transmission loss of the input cable is lower than the signal transmission loss of the output cable, and the amount of heat penetration from the output cable is less than the amount of heat penetration from the input cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2003
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Inventors: Jun Hattori, Norifumi Matsui
  • Publication number: 20030155990
    Abstract: A method and apparatus to control intermodulation in a circuit for filtering over the air signals by creating an asymmetric resonator is disclosed. By creating the asymmetric resonator, the intermodulation from out of band signals is reduced while keeping the filter size relatively unchanged. In general, the intermodulation is reduced by lowering the current density in the resonator (e.g., so as to maintain the linearity of the electrical characteristics of the resonator), and more specifically by utilizing the principle that the inductive elements in a resonator experience the largest current changes. Therefore, the size of the inductor is changed in order to accommodate the larger power. An additional feature of the present invention is that not every inductive element of the filter needs to be enlarged. Generally only the first (or alternatively the first and second) resonators need to be increased in size. Another feature of the present invention is the physical order in which the filters are laid out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Applicant: Conductus, Inc.
    Inventor: Shen Ye
  • Publication number: 20030151466
    Abstract: A resonator for use in a radio frequency filter including a substantially planar resonant portion that is substantially elliptical in plan. The resonant portion is mounted on a dielectric substrate. The resonator is configured to operate in at least a mode in which resonance occurs with a radial current and with substantially no current along the edge of the resonant portion. A filter comprising a plurality of the resonators is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventor: Michael John Lancaster
  • Publication number: 20030137362
    Abstract: In a dielectric block having a through-hole, an outer surface electrode is formed on the outer surface of the dielectric block excluding the outer surfaces having the openings of the through-hole, and an inner surface electrode is formed on the inner surface of the through-hole. The dielectric block is made of a dielectric of which the dielectric constant having a negative temperature coefficient, that is, the dielectric constant increases as the temperature decreases. The inner surface electrode is formed by lamination of a superconductor film and a metallic film, and similarly, the outer surface electrode is formed by lamination of a superconductor film and a metallic film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2003
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventors: Norifumi Matsui, Jun Hattori
  • Patent number: 6590471
    Abstract: An electrical interconnect provides a path between cryogenic or cryocooled circuitry and ambient temperatures. As a system, a cryocable 10 is combined with a trough-line contact or transition 20. In the preferred embodiment, the cryocable 10 comprises a conductor 11 disposed adjacent an insulator 12 which is in turn disposed adjacent another conductor 13. The components are sized so as to balance heat load through the cryocable 10 with the insertion loss. In the most preferred embodiment, a coaxial cryocable 10 has a center conductor 11 surrounded by a dielectric 12 (e.g. Teflon™) surrounded by an outer conductor 13 which has a thickness between about 6 and 20 microns. The heat load is preferably less than one Watt, and most preferably less than one tenth of a Watt, with an insertion loss less than one decibel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Superconductor Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Scharen, Wallace Kunimoto, Angela May Ho
  • Publication number: 20030125214
    Abstract: A tunable filter having a fixed substrate, a first and second plate comprising a high-temperature superconductor material on the fixed substrate, a movable substrate, a mechanical driver attached to the fixed substrate and the movable substrate, a floating plate comprising a high-temperature superconductor material on the fixed substrate wherein the floating plate, the first plate, and the second plate define a gap, and wherein the gap is varied by length changes in the mechanical driver is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Applicant: SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Richard C. Eden, Balam A. Willemsen, George L. Matthaei
  • Publication number: 20030117229
    Abstract: Low loss tuners including a conductive tuning element and an electrical insulator may be used in conjunction with superconducting or any other resonant elements that form couplerions of RF filters. The low loss tuners prevent currents induced on the conductive tuning element from shorting to ground and causing heating and Q degradation in the RF filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventor: Stephen K. Remillard
  • Publication number: 20030119677
    Abstract: A tunable superconductor resonator including a superconductor resonator coil and a variable capacitance portion. The superconductor resonator is adjustable to a first resonant frequency and a second resonant frequency. A variable capacitance portion is electrically coupled to the superconductor resonator coil to vary electrical capacitance between a first capacitance and a second capacitance. The variable capacitance portion providing the first capacitance adjusts the superconductor resonator to its first resonant frequency. The variable capacitance portion providing the second capacitance adjusts the superconductor resonator to its second resonant frequency. Different aspects of the tunable superconductor resonator can be tuned using dynamic tuning and/or static tuning techniques.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2002
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Ma Qiyan, Erzhen Gao
  • Patent number: 6584332
    Abstract: An electronic equipment includes one or more electronic devices, a cold stage, and a cold insulation member. The one or more electronic devices perform a predetermined operation within a predetermined temperature range. The cold stage cools down the one or more electronic devices to a predetermined operational temperature at which the one or more electronic devices is operable. The phase transition temperature of the cold insulation member is in a range between the predetermined operational temperature and an upper limit of the predetermined temperature range. The cold insulation member is arranged adjacent to the one or more electronic devices, and retains the temperature of the one or more electronic devices within the predetermined temperature range. At least one electronic devices over which the cold insulation member is arranged is partially formed from a material which is in a superconductive state at the predetermined operational temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu Yoshitake, Wataru Hattori
  • Patent number: 6580933
    Abstract: A resonator for rf frequencies, especially microwave, in telecommunications systems, with an extremely stable resonant frequency over a desired operating temperature range, of predetermined width (Y) and thickness (X) and having a predetermined length (Z) in the direction of propagation for achieving a desired resonance, comprises a dielectric substrate of rutile, and first and second temperature compensating layers of sapphire on two opposite faces of the substrate and extending along the length of the substrate, these sapphire layers having a predetermined thickness, and first and second superconducting layers formed on the outer surfaces of the temperature compensating layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Farhat Abbas, Ran-Hong Yan
  • Patent number: 6580310
    Abstract: A rapid SFQ one-way buffer (13, 1, 4, 5, 15, 2 & 9), is combined with a Josephson transmission line (17,3, 19, 16, 21 & 4) that is lightly loaded (RL) to provide a superconductor driver capable of producing double flux quantum output pulses. Each SFQ pulse applied to the input of the one-way buffer propagates through the Josephson transmission line to generate a double flux quantum pulse at the transmission line output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventor: Quentin P. Herr
  • Patent number: 6573805
    Abstract: A resonator, a filter, and a duplexer are provided which are capable of very effectively suppressing the power loss caused by the edge effect, and which allow a great reduction in the overall size to be achieved. Also, a communication device including the above-mentioned filter or duplexer is provided. A ground electrode is formed over the bottom surface of a dielectric substrate, and a multiple spiral line pattern is formed on the top surface thereof. A radial line pattern is further formed on this surface with an insulation layer interposed therebetween. By thus disposing the radial pattern adjacently to the multiple spiral resonator constituted of the above-mentioned multiple spiral line, an electrostatic capacitance is added to the multiple spiral resonator. This reduces the occupation area of the resonator on the substrate, and improves the loss reduction effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Hidaka, Michiaki Ota, Yasuo Fujii, Shin Abe
  • Patent number: 6566146
    Abstract: In a process for patterning both sides of a double-sided HTS thin film wafer with the patterns in close registration, the first side is patterned with at least one reference mark and the second side is patterned with at least one aperture which permits alignment of the reference mark from the already applied pattern on the first side preferably to a similar reference mark on the yet to be applied patterns on the second side, such that the patterns can be aligned in close registration, using microcopic viewing techniques if necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Inventor: Philip Shek Wah Pang
  • Publication number: 20030092577
    Abstract: A filter network designed for providing high frequency selectivity with a high degree of reliability and availability. The filter network comprises a superconducting filter and a non-superconducting filter, or a combination thereof to form multiplexers. A receive side of the non-superconducting filter pre-filters received RF signals before inputting them to the superconducting filter. The non-superconducting filter is constructed and arranged to pass RF signals having a frequency within a first pass band to the superconducting filter. The superconducting device is constructed and arranged to exhibit a high-degree of frequency selectivity in further narrowing the received RF signals. Other aspects are directed to the arrangement, construction, and uses of the same structures to accomplish different but similar goals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Applicant: Superconductor Technologies, Inc
    Inventor: Gregory L. Hey-Shipton
  • Publication number: 20030087765
    Abstract: Novel structures and methods for forming useful high temperature superconducting devices, most particularly resonators, are provided. Structures resulting in reduced peak current densities relative to known structures achieve numerous desirable benefits, especially including the reduced intermodulation effects of earlier resonators. In one aspect of this invention, a spiral in, spiral out resonator is provided, characterized in that it has an odd number of long runs, at least equal to five long runs, where the long runs are connected by turns, and wherein there are at least two sequential turns of the same handedness, followed by at least two turns of the opposite handedness. In yet another aspect of this invention, it has been discovered that reducing the size of the input and output pads of HTS resonators increases the relative inductance compared to the capacitance. Yet another resonator structure is a spiral snake resonator having a terminal end disposed within the resonator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Applicant: SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Balam Quitze Andres Willemsen Cortes, Albert H. Cardona, Neal O. Fenzi, Roger J. Forse
  • Patent number: 6556849
    Abstract: An inductor for microwave frequencies has a substantially planar structure and is constructed of a transmission line designed as a linear microstrip element made of a central line comprising normal electrically conducting material, such as a suitable metal. The microstrip element has a width which is varied by making areas at sides of the central line superconducting. By changing the effective width of the microstrip, the inductance of the microstrip is changed accordingly. The areas at the sides of the microstrip element in the non-superconducting state may have some electrical conductivity. However, because they contact the central metal conductor only at a very narrow edge, instead of contacting it at a large surface, the side superconducting areas do not significantly affect the transmission characteristics of the transmission path when the superconducting areas are in the normal state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Shu-Ang Zhou, Erland Wikborg
  • Patent number: 6546266
    Abstract: A filter device includes a super-conducting type filters connected in series with each other and is accommodated in a vacuum chamber. Operating temperatures of the filters are controlled to different temperatures from the outside of the vacuum chamber independently of each other. Each filter varies its filtering characteristics, particularly its central frequency of pass-band, in correspondence with the operating temperature, while maintaining the same pass-band width. As the filters operated at the different operating temperatures provide different filtering characteristics, the combined or resulting filtering characteristics of the filtering device can be adjusted as desired even after the filtering device is installed at a mobile telecommunication base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Cryodevice Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsunari Okazaki, Nobuyoshi Sakakibara
  • Publication number: 20030058062
    Abstract: A resonator is provided comprising a conductive element, and a closed-slot in the conductive element, where the length of the closed slot dictates the resonating properties of the resonator. The closed slot generally confines the electromagnetic field resonated by the resonator in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the resonator, providing greater flexibility in the placement of the closed-slot resonator within the filter housing. Further, where three-dimensional resonators are used, compact resonator configuration such as spiral resonator configurations may be securely mounted within the filter without incurring severe filter losses due to the mounting mechanism, allowing filters designed with closed-slot resonators to be more compact in size than filters designed with prior art three-dimensional resonator configurations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventor: Steven K. Remillard
  • Publication number: 20030058061
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing dynamic and remote tuning of a cryo-cooled bandpass filter is disclosed. The device includes resonator element and a voltage sensitive element as part of the capacitance in a narrow band filter circuit. A varactor such as a GaAs varactor may be used. Alternatively, a capacitor having a voltage-sensitive dielectric such as SrTiO3 may be used. A computer may be connected to the varactor to provide for automated tuning. The voltage-sensitive capacitor may be integral with the resonator element. The invention provides for remote and dynamic tuning of a narrow bandpass filter while located within its sealed cryo-cooled environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Applicant: Conductus, Inc.
    Inventors: Chien-Fu Shih, Yongming Zhang, Brian H. Moeckly
  • Patent number: 6538527
    Abstract: A resonator includes a hollow dielectric element having a hole therein, a helical line unit including a plurality of helical lines formed in the hole, and a ground electrode formed on an outer surface of the dielectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Hidaka, Michiaki Ota, Shin Abe
  • Publication number: 20030048148
    Abstract: A method of tuning a microwave or RF circuit is given which comprises the steps of taking a microwave or RF circuit (20) located in a casing (57), said casing comprising a housing portion (32) and a window portion (50), said window portion (50) being substantially conducting at microwave/RF frequencies, and comprising at least one area that is substantially transparent at optical frequencies and, directing a laser beam (66) onto said microwave or RF circuit through said window portion (50) so as to alter the material properties of selected areas of said microwave or RF circuit (20). This permits microwave and RF circuits, including microwave filters, to be tuned without the need for tuning screws.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Inventors: Richard G. Humphreys, Julian S. Satchell, Simon W. Goodyear
  • Patent number: 6532377
    Abstract: There is disclosed a planar filter which can variably control a pass frequency band with a high precision and which is superior in skirt property and little in ripple. A planar filter member and tuning member are disposed opposite to each other via a predetermined gap. The filter member is structured in such a manner that an input/output portion formed of a superconductor and a plurality of resonance elements are formed on a substrate. The tuning member is structured in such a manner that on the surface of a magnetic plate with a permeability changing by an applied magnetic field, a plurality of dielectric thin films, and a plurality of electrodes for applying electric fields to the dielectric thin films are arranged. Each of the dielectric thin films is disposed in a position opposite to a gap between the resonance elements of the filter member, or a gap between the filter member and the input/output portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Terashima, Hiroyuki Fuke, Hiroyuki Kayano, Hisashi Yoshino
  • Patent number: 6532376
    Abstract: A low-pass or band-rejection filter for microwave frequencies has a substantially planar structure and is constructed of a transmission line having inductor portions and wider capacitance portions. The inductor portions are designed as linear microstrip elements having widths being varied by making areas at the sides of the linear elements superconducting. In changing the widths of the transmission line also the inductances thereof are changed accordingly. The areas at the sides of the microstrip elements include rather narrow areas located directly at the central, normal metal conductor. These narrow areas have in the non-superconducting state some electrical conductivity which can be small but still not quite insignificant in relation to that of the metal conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventor: Shu-Ang Zhou
  • Patent number: 6529750
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a method and apparatus to control non-adjacent cross-coupling in a micro-strip filter. In instances of weak cross-coupling, such as a filter circuit on a high dielectric constant substrate material (e.g., LaAIO3 with dielectric constant of 24), a closed loop is used to inductively enhance the cross-coupling. The closed loop increases the transmission zero levels. For strong cross-coupling cases, such as a filter circuit on a lower dielectric constant substrate material (e.g., MgO with dielectric constant of 9.6), a capacitive cross-coupling cancellation mechanism is introduced to reduce the cross-coupling. In the latter instance, the transmission zero levels are moved down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Conductus, Inc.
    Inventors: Dawei Zhang, Ji-Fuh Liang, Chien-Fu Shih
  • Patent number: 6529092
    Abstract: A superconductor filter includes a superconductor receiver filter of a planar transmission line structure including a signal input line, a resonator element and a signal output line and configured to select a signal received from an antenna, a superconductor transmitter filter of a planar transmission line structure including a signal input line, a resonator element and a signal output line and configured to select a signal transmitted to the antenna, the transmitter filter being arranged non-parallel to the receiver filter, and a heat-insulating container housing the superconductor receiver filter and the superconductor transmitter filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Fuke, Yoshiaki Terashima, Mutsuki Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Kayano, Fumihiko Aiga, Riichi Kato
  • Publication number: 20030040440
    Abstract: A superconductor on-chip microstrip line (2, 4) to off-chip microstrip line (7) transition of low characteristic impedance (15, 20, 22) is realized that obtains a bandwidth of 200 GHz for MCM application while employing solder bump (15, 17) technology to connect the chips (3, 5) to the off-chip microstrip and substrate (6). Circular openings (20, 22) through the respective ground plane layers (10 & 16) of the off-chip and on-chip microstrips are provided in positions respectively underlying and overlying the solder bump (15) for the signal. The openings may be sized to provide a desired ratio of inductance to capacitance, the larger the size, the greater the ratio value. This technique may be used to match characteristic impedance to give broad bandwidth low impedance interconnections needed for direct SFQ chip-to-chip communication on a passive MCM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: Michael S. Wire, Quentin P. Herr
  • Patent number: 6522217
    Abstract: Described are tunable high temperature superconducting band-pass and band-reject filters having broad tuning frequency range without performance deterioration, as well as high temperature superconducting filter circuits for use therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventor: Zhi-Yuan Shen
  • Patent number: 6518854
    Abstract: A filter circuit includes a first resonator and a second resonator each having a different resonance frequency. The first resonator is included in a first block, and the second resonator is included in a second block. The first block further includes a first delay unit connected to the first resonator. An input terminal divides an input signal to the first block and the second block. An output terminal combines signals passing through the first block and the second block and outputs the combined signal. The first delay unit converts a phase difference between the signals passing through the first block and the second block to reverse-phase or nearly reverse-phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kayano, Fumihiko Aiga