US 9,520,853 B2Granted

Radio frequency (RF) series attenuator module for bridging two RF transmission lines on adjacent circuit substrates

AssigneeRaytheon Company

InventorsChristopher M. Laighton, Michael T. Borkowski, Alan J. Bielunis

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Abstract

An attenuator module having an attenuator disposed on a top surface of a substrate, an input terminal at one end of the attenuator and an output terminal at an opposite end of the attenuator. A pair of spaced electrical conductor pads is disposed on a bottom surface of the substrate, a first one of the pads being disposed under the input terminal and a second one of the pads being disposed under the output terminal. A pair of conductive vias passes through the substrate, one conductive via connecting the input terminal to the first one of the pads and the other conductive via connecting the output terminal to the second one of the pads. The module may be used to interconnect two adjacent circuit substrates.

Claims6

Dependent claims

An electrical circuit, comprising:

(A) a first structure, comprising:
(1) a first substrate;
(2) a first microwave transmission line, the first microwave transmission line having:
a first signal conductor disposed on the upper surface of the first substrate;
(B) a second structure, comprising:
(1) a second substrate, adjacent to the first substrate;
(2) a second microwave transmission line, the second microwave transmission line having:
a second signal conductor disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate;
(C) an electrically conductive support having a continuous flat surface, a bottom surface of the first substrate and a bottom surface of the second substrate being mounted to different, adjacent portions of the electrically conductive support, the entire side of the first substrate and the entire side of the second substrate being separated by a gap, the gap being disposed over the continuous flat surface of the electrically conductive support;
(D) an attenuator module, comprising:
(1) a third substrate having:
a first bottom surface portion disposed over a portion of the first signal conductor;
a second bottom surface portion disposed over a portion of the second signal conductor;
and a third bottom surface portion disposed between the first bottom surface portion and the second bottom surface portion, the third bottom surface portion being disposed over the gap;
(2) an attenuator disposed on a top surface of the third substrate, the attenuator having an input terminal at one end of the attenuator and an output terminal at an opposite end of the attenuator;
(3) a pair of spaced electrical conductor pads disposed on a bottom surface of the third substrate, a first one of the pads being disposed under the input terminal and a second one of the pads being disposed under the output terminal;
(4) a pair of conductive vias passing through the third substrate, one conductive via connecting the input terminal to the first one of the pads and the other conductive via connecting the output terminal to the second one of the pads;
and
(E) wherein the first one of the pair of spaced electrical conductor pads is disposed on the first signal conductor disposed on the upper surface of the first substrate and the second one of the pair of spaced electrical conductor pads is disposed on the second signal conductor disposed on a surface of the second substrate.

16 more elements

A method comprising:

(a) providing an electrical circuit arrangement, comprising:
(A) a first structure, comprising:
(1) a first substrate;
(2) a first microwave transmission line, the first microwave transmission line having:
a first signal conductor disposed on the upper surface of the first substrate;
(B) a second structure, comprising:
(1) a second substrate, adjacent to the first substrate;
(2) a second microwave transmission line, the second microwave transmission line having a second signal conductor disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate;
(C) an electrically conductive support having a continuous flat surface, a bottom surface of the first substrate and a bottom surface of the second substrate being mounted to different, adjacent portions of the electrically conductive support, the entire side of the first substrate and the entire side of an opposing edge of the second substrate being separated by a gap, the gap being disposed over the continuous flat surface of the electrically conductive support;
(D) an attenuator module, comprising:
(1) a third substrate having:
a first bottom surface portion disposed over a portion of the first signal conductor;
a second bottom surface portion disposed over a portion of the second signal conductor;
and a third bottom surface portion disposed between the first bottom surface portion and the second bottom surface portion, the third bottom surface portion being disposed over the gap;
(2) an attenuator disposed on a top surface of the third substrate, the attenuator having an input terminal at one end of the attenuator and an output terminal at an opposite end of the attenuator;
(3) a pair of spaced electrical conductor pads disposed on a bottom surface of the third substrate, a first one of the pads being disposed under the input terminal and a second one of the pads being disposed under the output terminal;
(4) a pair of conductive vias passing through the third substrate, one conductive via connecting the input terminal to the first one of the pads and the other conductive via connecting the output terminal to the second one of the pads;
and
(E) wherein the first one of the pair of spaced electrical conductor pads is disposed on the first signal conductor disposed on the upper surface of the first substrate and the second one of the pair of spaced electrical conductor pads is disposed on the second signal conductor disposed on a surface of the second substrate;
(b) evaluating performance of the electrical circuit arrangement;
(c) changing the attenuator module in accordance with results from the performance evaluating.

18 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/641,939Filed 9 Mar 2015
Published: US 2016/0268991 A115 Sep 2016
Granted: 13 Dec 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H03H 7/24
Multiple-port networks comprising only passive electrical elements as network components: frequency- independent attenuators
H01P 1/227
Attenuating devices: strip line attenuators
H01P 3/08
With two longitudinal conductors: microstrips; Strip lines
H05K 1/113
Directly combined with via connections: via provided in pad; Pad over filled via

Family

US 2016/0268991 A1Pre-grant publication · published 15 Sep 2016
US 9,520,853 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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