# US 9,520,853 B2 · Radio frequency (RF) series attenuator module for bridging two RF transmission lines on adjacent circuit substrates

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- Number: US 9,520,853 B2
- Document ID: US9520853B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/641,939
- Filed: 2015-03-09
- Published: 2016-09-15
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-09
- Assignees: Raytheon Company
- Applicants: Raytheon Company
- Inventors: Christopher M. Laighton; Michael T. Borkowski; Alan J. Bielunis
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520853B2

## CPC

- H03H 7/24: Frequency- independent attenuators
- H01P 1/227: {Strip line attenuators (H01P1/23 takes precedence)}
- H01P 3/08: Microstrips; Strip lines
- H05K 1/113: {Via provided in pad; Pad over filled via}
- H05K 1/184: associated with components inserted in holes through the PCBs and wherein terminals of the components are connected to printed contacts on the walls of the holes or at the edges thereof or protruding over or into the holes
- H10W 44/20: at high-frequency [HF] or radio frequency [RF]
- H10W 44/251: {for monolithic microwave integrated circuits [MMIC]}
- H10W 90/754: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL}
- H03H: IMPEDANCE NETWORKS, e.g. RESONANT CIRCUITS; RESONATORS (waveguides, resonators, lines or other devices of the waveguide type H01P)
- H01P: WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE (operating at optical frequencies G02B)
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electrical circuit recited in claim 1 wherein the attenuator includes:
a ground terminal disposed on the top surface of the first substrate;
a pair of attenuator elements serially connected between the input terminal and the output terminal;
a shunt attenuator element connected between a terminal between the pair of serially connected attenuator elements and the ground terminal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The electrical circuit recited in claim 2 wherein the first substrate includes: a conductive pad on a top surface; a ground conductor disposed on a bottom surface, the ground conductor being electrically connected to the electrically conductive support; and a conductive via passing through the first substrate to connect the conductive pad on a top surface to the ground conductor; and wherein, the ground terminal is connected to the conductive pad on the top surface of the first substrate through the electrically conductive support.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The electrical circuit recited in claim 3 wherein the second substrate includes: a conductive pad on a top surface; a ground conductor disposed on a bottom surface, the ground conductor being electrically connected to the electrically conductive support; and a conductive via passing through the second substrate to connect the conductive pad on a top surface to the ground conductor; and wherein, the ground terminal is connected to conductive pad on the top surface of the second substrate through the conductive via, the ground conductor being electrically connected to the electrically conductive support.

### Claim 5

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.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method recited in claim 5 wherein the changing comprises removing the attenuator module from the first substrate and the second substrate while the first substrate and the second substrates remain mounted to the electrically conductive support.