Reconfigurable RF Components for Multifunction RF Systems

Abstract

The proliferation of the wireless market has driven the demand for RF systems to dramatically increase functionality, frequency coverage, bandwidth, and efficiency; while simultaneously reducing power consumption and die size to save power and cost. For example, the highly complex RF systems in handset technology have seen a dramatic increase in frequency, operating bands, and complexity of signals with each generation (from 1G to 4G). The next generation (5G) will continue the trend to extend the frequency in to mm-waves due primarily to spectrum congestion, bandwidth, and data rate. DoD is facing comparable challenges in terms of increasing the frequency of operation, bandwidth, and functionality while maintaining cost and accelerating technology insertion (or time to market for commercial). This paper reports on the impact of these new challenges for RF components and discusses solutions under investigation.

Miniaturized planar filters exhibiting flexible placement of three transmission zeros suitable for duplexer design

“…Introducing additional zeros close to the passband while maintaining the flexibility of their placement is highly desired and can be achieved using our proposed topology, as will be demonstrated. Although others have proposed filters with multiple zeros in the transmission response, to the best of our knowledge, no previous researchers have demonstrated the ability to control their placement on either side of the passband. Indeed, in Goron et al, three transmission zeros were achieved using an asymmetric feed point topology with two of the zeros fixed in the upper side band of the filter.…”

“…Because this process offers a high dielectric constant that produces physically small filters at the expense of higher dielectric loss compared to the Duroid substrate, there was little need for further size reduction. Figure depicts a 3D representation of the model used for EM simulation, where the filters can be readily identified, and shows a picture of the circuit fabricated at the LTCC@ETS facilities . The measurement results for both the Duroid and LTCC circuits are discussed in section 4.…”

A Novel Reconfigurable GaN Based Fully Solid-State Microwave Power Module for Communications/Radar Applications

“…However, due to the push for developing small satellites with enhanced system capabilities/ performance at lower cost, it is advantageous to develop a single wideband, reconfigurable high-power, high-efficiency SSMPM that can operate at multiple frequency bands depending on the need at any given time. Innovations in compound semiconductor materials, devices, and circuits to increase the functionality and reconfigureability of RF systems are reported in [6], [7].…”

CMOS-embedded high-power handling RF-MEMS tunable capacitor using quadruple series capacitor and slit with dielectric bridges structure

“…In order to solve these problems, a lot of research has reported multiband=multimode and reconfigurable RF systems such as tunable antennas, filters, power amplifiers, and matching networks. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] In these systems, tunable capacitors are a key component. RF-MEMS tunable capacitors are more suitable for these systems than any other devices such as p-i-n diodes, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) switches, [9][10][11] or barium-strontium-titanate (BST) type tunable capacitors, 12) thanks to their low loss and excellent linearity.…”