Variable microwave attenuator
AssigneeGeneral Microwave Corporation
InventorSamuel Hopfer
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Abstract
A broadband microwave attenuator is formed by connecting a plurality of PIN diodes in a modified Tee network. Four semiconductor chips of PIN diode material are arranged in a flat layer sandwiched between conductors to form a strip-line configuration of a TEM transmission line, whereby the diodes are part of the line. This strip-line construction is used with outer diodes connected in series circuit relation between input and output terminals, and inner diodes in shunt relation to ground to form the Tee network. The diodes are constructed as silicon chips and are mounted in very close relation with a substantially uniform conductive strip forming the series-circuit connection between the central diodes.
Claims6
A microwave device comprising:
- microwave input and output means;
- a first conductive element;
- second, third and fourth conductive elements spacedly mounted from each other and from said first conductive element and generally parallel to said first conductive element;
- semiconductor means mounted between opposing surfaces of said first conductive element and the others of said conductive elements and forming three separate conductive paths between said first element and each of said other elements;
- and means for selectively applying bias signals to said conductive elements and for connecting said conductive elements in a network with two of said conductive paths associated with said second and fourth elements in series relation with said input and output means and the third of said paths associated with said third element in shunt with said input and output means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.