# US 7,746,188 B2 · Integrated non-reciprocal component

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- Number: US 7,746,188 B2
- Document ID: US7746188B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/658,230
- Filed: 2005-07-13
- Published: 2009-03-19
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2004-07-22
- Assignees: ST-Ericsson SA
- Inventors: Rainer Pietig; Meng Cao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7746188B2

## CPC

- H01P 1/387: Strip line circulators
- H01P: WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE (operating at optical frequencies G02B)

## Abstract

The invention relates to a non-reciprocal component comprising a first dielectric part (11) and a ferrite substrate (12) located on the same level, a ground layer (18) is located below the ferrite substrate (12), a metal line arrangement (14) is located on the level having the first dielectric part (11) and the ferrite substrate (12), wherein the metal line arrangement (14) comprises a first and a second metal line (15, 16) arranged in parallel to each on the ferrite substrate (12), the first metal line (15) provides a first port (P1) and the second metal line (16) provides a second port (P2), wherein the first and second metal lines (15, 16) are connected in a portion between the first dielectric part (11) and the ferrite substrate (12) forming a single third metal line (17), which ends with third port (P3), wherein the ferrite substrate (11) is magnetized in parallel to the metal lines (15, 16) and at least one matching network (19, 20) is assigned to at least one of the ports (P1, P2). By coupling the matching networks (19, 20) to the first and second port (P1) and (P2) a substantially reduction of length of the metal line arrangement is achieved. This reduction allows an integration of the non-reciprocal component (10).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A non-reciprocal component comprising:
a first dielectric part positioned at a first level;
a ferrite substrate located at the first level;
a ground layer is located at a second level, below the ferrite substrate; and
a metal line arrangement located on the first level, wherein the metal line arrangement comprises:
first and second metal lines arranged in parallel to each other on the ferrite substrate, the first metal line providing a first port and the second metal line providing a second port, wherein the first and second metal lines are connected to each other in a portion located on the first dielectric part and adjacent to the ferrite substrate;
a single third metal line coupled to the first and second metal lines at the portion located on the first dielectric part and adjacent to the ferrite substrate, the third metal line ending with a third port, wherein the ferrite substrate is magnetized in parallel to the metal lines; and
first and second matching networks coupled to the first and second ports, respectively, the first and second matching networks being configured to force a wave to effectively pass the metal lines several times by multiple reflections.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A non-reciprocal component according to claim 1, further comprising a hard ferrite substrate arranged below the ground layer, the ferrite substrate located at the first level being magnetized by the hard ferrite substrate, the hard ferrite substrate being magnetized once with a field strength, wherein magnet poles of the hard ferrite substrate are located at first and second ends of the hard ferrite substrate, wherein magnetic field lines run in parallel to the metal lines on the ferrite substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A non-reciprocal component according to claim 1, wherein the metal lines are strip lines, the non-reciprocal component further comprising:
a dielectric layer arranged above the strip lines; and
an upper ground layer arranged above the dielectric layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A non-reciprocal component according to claim 1, wherein the metal lines are microstrip lines, the non-reciprocal component further comprising an air layer arranged above the microstrip lines.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A non-reciprocal component according to claim 1, wherein the first, second and third ports respectively have impedance values Z1, Z2 and Z3 given by:
Z
1
=
⁢
Z
a
⁢
Z
o
⁢
Z
e
⁢
tan
⁡
(
ϕ_
)
-
j
⁢
Z
o
⁢
tan
⁡
(
ϕ
+
)
Z
e
-
j
⁢
Z
o
⁢
tan
⁡
(
ϕ_
)
⁢
tan
⁡
(
ϕ
+
)
Z
2
=
⁢
Z
1
Z
3
=
⁢
1
2
⁢
Z
e
⁢
2
⁢
Z
e
⁢
Z
o
⁢
sin
⁡
(
2
⁢
ϕ_
)
-
j
⁡
(
Z
e
-
Z
o
)
⁢
sin
⁡
(
2
⁢
ϕ
+
)
Z
e
+
Z
o
+
(
Z
e
-
Z
o
)
⁢
cos
⁡
(
2
⁢
ϕ
+
)
wherein the φ+=Lν(β1+β2)/2 φ−=Lν(β1−β2)/2, Ze and Zo are characteristic impedances of two modes of the metal line arrangement, β1 and β2 are propagation constants of the two modes, and L, is a reduced length of the metal lines.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A non-reciprocal component according to claim 1, wherein the non-reciprocal component is configured to operate as a circulator.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A non-reciprocal component according to claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third ports have substantial equal impedances.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A non-reciprocal component according to claim 1, wherein the first and second metal lines each have a length that is less than a length equal to π/2/|β1−β2|, wherein β1 and β2 are propagation constants of first and second TEM modes of the metal lines.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A non-reciprocal component according to claim 1, comprising:
a second dielectric part, arranged at the first level, the ferrite substrate being located between the first dielectric part and the second dielectric part, wherein
the first matching network and the second matching network being arranged on the second dielectric part, wherein the first matching network is a metal line connected to the first metal line and the second matching network is a metal line connected to the second metal line.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A non-reciprocal component according to claim 9, comprising a third matching network coupled to the third port and arranged on the first dielectric part, wherein the third matching network is a serial connection of metal lines having decreasing widths.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

A non-reciprocal component according to claim 9, wherein at least one matching network includes discrete components arranged outside the first or second dielectric part.

### Claim 12

An integrated circuit, comprising
an integrated non-reciprocal component that includes:
a first dielectric part positioned at a first level;
a ferrite substrate located at the first level;
a ground layer is located at a second level, below the ferrite substrate; and
a metal line arrangement located on the first level, wherein the metal line arrangement comprises:
first and second metal lines arranged in parallel to each other on the ferrite substrate, the first metal line providing a first port and the second metal line providing a second port, wherein the first and second metal lines are connected to each other in a portion located on the first dielectric part and adjacent to the ferrite substrate;
a single third metal line coupled to the first and second metal lines at the portion located on the first dielectric part and adjacent to the ferrite substrate, the third metal line ending with a third port, wherein the ferrite substrate is magnetized in parallel to the metal lines; and
first and second matching networks coupled to the first and second ports, respectively, the first and second matching networks being configured to force a wave to effectively pass the metal lines several times by multiple reflections.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

An integrated circuit according to claim 12, wherein the non-reciprocal component further includes a hard ferrite substrate arranged below the ground layer, the ferrite substrate located at the first level being magnetized by the hard ferrite substrate, wherein magnet poles of the hard ferrite substrate are located at first and second ends of the hard ferrite substrate, wherein magnetic field lines run in parallel to the metal lines on the ferrite substrate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

An integrated circuit according to claim 12, wherein the metal lines are strip lines, the non-reciprocal component further comprising:
a dielectric layer arranged above the strip lines; and
an upper ground layer arranged above the dielectric layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

An integrated circuit according to claim 12, wherein the metal lines are microstrip lines, the non-reciprocal component further comprising an air layer arranged above the microstrip lines.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

An integrated circuit according to claim 12, wherein the first, second and third ports respectively have impedance values Z1, Z2 and Z3 given by:
Z
1
=
⁢
Z
a
⁢
Z
o
⁢
Z
e
⁢
tan
⁡
(
ϕ_
)
-
j
⁢
Z
o
⁢
tan
⁡
(
ϕ
+
)
Z
e
-
j
⁢
Z
o
⁢
tan
⁡
(
ϕ_
)
⁢
tan
⁡
(
ϕ
+
)
Z
2
=
⁢
Z
1
Z
3
=
⁢
1
2
⁢
Z
e
⁢
2
⁢
Z
e
⁢
Z
o
⁢
sin
⁡
(
2
⁢
ϕ_
)
-
j
⁡
(
Z
e
-
Z
o
)
⁢
sin
⁡
(
2
⁢
ϕ
+
)
Z
e
+
Z
o
+
(
Z
e
-
Z
o
)
⁢
cos
⁡
(
2
⁢
ϕ
+
)
wherein the φ+=Lν(β1+β2)/2 φ−=Lν(β1−β2)/2, Ze and Zo are characteristic impedances of two modes of the metal line arrangement, β1 and β2 are propagation constants of the two modes, and L is a reduced length of the metal lines.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

An integrated circuit according to claim 12, wherein the first, second, and third ports have substantial equal impedances.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

An integrated circuit according to claim 12, wherein the first and second metal lines each have a length that is less than a length equal to π/2/|β1−β2|, wherein β1 and β2 are propagation constants of first and second TEM modes of the metal lines.

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

An integrated circuit according to claim 12, wherein:
the non-reciprocal component further includes a second dielectric part arranged at the first level;
the ferrite substrate is located between the first dielectric part and the second dielectric part;
the first matching network and the second matching network are arranged on the second dielectric part; the first matching network is a metal line connected to the first metal line; and
the second matching network is a metal line connected to the second metal line.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

An integrated circuit according to claim 19, wherein the non-reciprocal component further includes a third matching network coupled to the third port and arranged on the first dielectric part, wherein the third matching network is a serial connection of metal lines having decreasing widths.