EP3319165B1 - Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-phasenverschieber und verfahren zur phasenverschiebung - Google Patents

Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-phasenverschieber und verfahren zur phasenverschiebung Download PDF

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EP3319165B1
EP3319165B1 EP16306453.8A EP16306453A EP3319165B1 EP 3319165 B1 EP3319165 B1 EP 3319165B1 EP 16306453 A EP16306453 A EP 16306453A EP 3319165 B1 EP3319165 B1 EP 3319165B1
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radio frequency
phase shifter
reflection type
variable capacitors
frequency reflection
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EP3319165A1 (de
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Senad Bulja
Rose Kopf
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Nokia Technologies Oy
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01P—WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE
    • H01P1/00—Auxiliary devices
    • H01P1/18—Phase-shifters
    • H01P1/184—Strip line phase-shifters

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  • the present invention relates to a Radio Frequency reflection type phase shifter, and a method of Radio Frequency reflection type phase shifting.
  • An example of the present invention is a Radio Frequency reflection type phase shifter, the phase shifter comprising a coupler for input and output, and N variable capacitors, where N is an integer value of 2 or more, each of the variable capacitors providing radio frequency reflection, each of the variable capacitors being connected to the coupler by at least one of the impedance transformers, the characteristic impedances of the impedance transformers having been selected so that the phase shifter provides a phase shift at least substantially proportional to the value of N, wherein each of the variable capacitors comprises electrochromic material.
  • each of the variable capacitors comprises an electrolyte element and at least one electrochromic element between a first electrode and a second electrode.
  • the first electrode comprises a ground plate on which lies the first electrochromic element, and the electrolyte element lies on the electrochromic element, the electrochromic element comprising an electrochromic layer, and the electrolyte element comprising an electrolyte layer.
  • each of the variable capacitors further comprises a second electrochromic element between the electrolyte element and second electrode, the second electrochromic element comprising a second electrochromic layer.
  • the coupler is a 3dB-coupler having four ports, N'/2 of the variable capacitors being connected to the coupler via one of two of the ports, and N'/2 of the capacitors being connected to the coupler via a second of said two ports, where N' is an even number integer of 4 or more.
  • the coupler is a circulator having three ports, the N variable capacitors being connected to the circulator via one of the ports.
  • the impedance transformers are microstrip lines.
  • the capacitance of each of the variable capacitors is variable by adjusting a d.c. voltage applied across the capacitors.
  • said phase shift is at least substantially proportional to the value of N when a mid-range value of the capacitance of the variable capacitors is selected so the corresponding reactance at an operating radio frequency is the characteristic impedance Z 0 .
  • the capacitors are variable between a higher capacitance 'fully ON' state when the d.c. voltage is at a first level and a lower capacitance 'OFF' state when the d.c. voltage is at a second level.
  • Some preferred embodiments provide, as compared to existing solutions using EC materials, greater amounts of phase shift for lower insertion losses. Some preferred embodiments are suitable for the microwave frequency range.
  • Examples of the present invention also relate to corresponding methods.
  • An example of the present invention relates to a method of Radio Frequency reflection type phase shifting, by: applying an input signal to a phase shifter comprising a coupler for input and output, and N variable capacitors, where N is an integer value of 2 or more, each of the variable capacitors providing radio frequency reflection, each of the variable capacitors being connected to the coupler by at least one impedance transformer, the characteristic impedances of the impedance transformers having been selected so that the phase shifter provides a phase shift at least substantially proportional to the value of N, wherein each of the variable capacitors comprises electrochromic material; and receiving an output signal from the coupler.
  • each of the variable capacitors is variable by adjusting a d.c. voltage applied across the capacitors.
  • phase shift is at least substantially proportional to the value of N when a mid-range value of the capacitance of the variable capacitors is selected so the corresponding reactance at an operating radio frequency is the characteristic impedance Z 0 .
  • a high frequency phase shifter based on EC materials is known from US Patent Publication US 2015/0325897A1 .
  • This high frequency phase shifter is based on the use of Electochromic (EC) material as bulk, dc induced tunable media in a circuit.
  • EC Electochromic
  • phase shifter only allowed modest values of phase shifts, typically up to 15 -30 degrees at frequencies around 3 GHz.
  • the exact value of the phase shift obtained is, of course, dependent on the frequency of operation and the type and thickness of the EC material used, however, there is always a limitation as to how much phase shift can be obtained. Accordingly, the inventors saw a need for new architectures for high frequency phase shifters based on EC materials.
  • FIG. 1 This known approach of US 2015/0325897A1 is illustrated in Figure 1 .
  • a ground plate on which an electrochromic layer is provided, and input and outputs connected via a 3dB coupler to microstrip contacts contacting the top of the EC layer.
  • a 3-dB coupler is a radio frequency (RF) device which splits an input RF signal into two signals equal in magnitude, but with a 90° phase shift between them.
  • RF radio frequency
  • Y 2 k 22 2 k 21 2 Y + 1 k 21 2 Y 3
  • Y 3 k 32 2 k 31 2 Y + 1 k 31 2 Y 4
  • b 0 k 12 2 k 11 2 Y
  • n A m ⁇ 1 B m ⁇ 1
  • a m-1 b m-1 A m-2 +a m-1 A m-3
  • B m-1 b m-1 B m-2 +a m-1 B m-3 .
  • P 1 Z 0 6
  • P 2 ⁇ R 2 Z 0 4 ⁇ Z 0 4 X max X min + Z 0 4 X max 2 + Z 0 4 X min 2
  • P 3 ⁇ R 4 Z 0 2 ⁇ 6
  • P 4 R 6 ⁇ R 4 X min X max ⁇ R 2 X min 3 X max + R 2 X max 2 X min 2 ⁇ R 2 X min X max 3 + R 4 X max 2 + R 4 X min 2 ⁇ X max 3 X min 3
  • the first four roots of (13) are always complex conjugate, while the remaining two roots are real with equal magnitude, but opposite signs. As such, there is always one solution to (13) that yields the optimum value of the parameter q .
  • the first term on the right represents the insertion loss of the reflective circuit of the proposed phase shifter.
  • the second term on the right is the insertion loss of a 3-dB coupler.
  • (11) and (16) demonstrate the potential of the proposed circuit - to increase the amount of phase shift of the phase shifter in a linear fashion with respect to the pairs of active elements, without increasing the insertion loss in the same linear fashion.
  • the insertion loss of a 3-dB coupler is 0.3 dB (2 ⁇ 0.3 dB in the phase shifter configuration)
  • q 1
  • the active elements are capacitors formed using EC material as will be described next below.
  • Figure 6 shows a parallel plate capacitor 10 in cross-section.
  • ground plate 12 On which lies a first electrochromic layer 14 and a second electrochromic layer 18 separated by an electrolyte layer (in other words a dielectric layer) 16.
  • an electrolyte layer in other words a dielectric layer
  • top electrode 20 On top of the second electrochromic layer is a top electrode 20. It may be considered that the ground plate (also known as the ground electrode) 12 and the top electrode 20 effectively "sandwich" the intermediate active layers 14, 16,18.
  • An electrochromic material is a material the optical absorption/transmission characteristics of which can be reversibly changed by the application of an external voltage, light source, or electric field.
  • Examples include (i) transition-metal and inorganic oxides such as tungsten oxide, (ii) small organic molecules such as viologens, and (iii) polymers such a poly-viologens and derivatives of polythiophence, polypyrrole and polyaniline.
  • the first EC layer 14 comprises a suitable EC material, such as WO 3 in this example.
  • the EC material is TiO 2 , MoO 3 , Ta 2 O 5 , Nb 2 O 5 , or another of the above -mentioned electrochromic materials.
  • the second EC layer 18 comprises NiO in this example.
  • this layer is Cr 2 O 3 , MnO 2 , FeO 2 , CoO 2 , RhO 2 , IrO 2 , or another suitable material.
  • the second EC layer 18 acts as an ion-storage layer.
  • ground plate 12 is a cathode and the top electrode is an anode.
  • the electrolyte layer 16 acts as an ion-conductor layer.
  • the electrolyte layer 16 serves as a reservoir of ions for injection into the first EC layer 14.
  • the electrolyte layer 16 also receives ions from the second EC layer 18.
  • the phase shift provided by the phase shifter is at least substantially proportional to N where N is the number of reflective loads, in other words the number of capacitors .
  • FIG. 7 A notional phase shifter 30 of nth order is shown in Figure 7 which is in accordance with the circuit shown in Figure 4 .
  • the capacitors 10 are embedded in the substrate such that, each capacitor 10 has its respective top electrode 20 flush with (in other words in the same plane as) the top surface of the supporting substrate 28 so that the microstrip lines 26 can run flat.
  • the microstrip line 26 has portions of different selected widths, hence different cross-sectional areas, to provide the respective impedance transformers.
  • a 3-dB coupler 32 is a radio frequency (RF) device which splits an input RF signal into two signals equal in magnitude, but with a 90° phase shift between them for transmission to the capacitors 10.
  • the 3dB-coupler has two input/output ports 34 and two other ports 36 for connection to the capacitors 10.
  • the 3-dB coupler is replaced by a circulator (not shown).
  • a circulator has three ports (one port less than the 3-dB coupler). Two ports of the circulator are input/output ports, whereas the last, third port is the port to which two or more reflective loads are connected.
  • Each reflective load comprises a variable capacitor comprising EC materials as described with respect to Figure 6 , connected by at least two impedance transformers as described above made up of portions of microstrip line of different widths.
  • Figure 8 shows a phase shifter where its circuit is as shown in Figures 4 and 7 with n selected as three. In other words, Figure 8 shows the 3 rd order reflective type phase shifter.
  • Figure 9 shows a phase shifter where its circuit is as shown in Figures 4 and 7 with n selected as two. In other words, Figure 9 shows the 2nd order reflective type phase shifter.
  • the proposed reflective type EC material based phase shifters of order two or more offer the benefits of lower loss and increased phase shift compared to an earlier approach. This can be seen, for example, in comparing the "second order" data, namely second and fourth rows of data in Table 1. This can also be seen, for example by comparing the "third order” data, namely the third and fifth row of data in Table 1.
  • the capacitance ratio between the "ON” and “OFF” state can be tailored by the appropriate choice of the electrolyte, for which we have in-house experience.
  • varactor diodes exhibit significant non-linear behaviour, whereas EC based materials are highly linear.
  • program storage devices e.g., digital data storage media, which are machine or computer readable and encode machine-executable or computer-executable programs of instructions, wherein said instructions perform some or all of the steps of said above-described methods.
  • the program storage devices may be, e.g., digital memories, magnetic storage media such as a magnetic disks and magnetic tapes, hard drives, or optically readable digital data storage media.
  • Some embodiments involve computers programmed to perform said steps of the above-described methods.

Claims (14)

  1. Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-Phasenschieber (30), wobei der Phasenschieber einen Koppler (32) für Eingang und Ausgang (34) und N variable Kondensatoren (10) umfasst, wobei N ein ganzzahliger Wert von 2 oder mehr ist, wobei jeder der variablen Kondensatoren im Gebrauch Hochfrequenzreflexion bereitstellen,
    wobei jeder der variablen Kondensatoren durch mindestens einen Impedanzwandler (K, 26) mit dem Koppler verbunden ist, wobei die charakteristischen Impedanzen der Impedanzwandler so gewählt sind, dass der Phasenschieber eine Phasenverschiebung bereitstellt, die zumindest im wesentlichen proportional zum Wert von N ist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
    jeder der variablen Kondensatoren elektrochromes Material umfasst.
  2. Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-Phasenschieber nach Anspruch 1, wobei jeder der variablen Kondensatoren (10) ein Elektrolytelement (16) und mindestens ein elektrochromes Element (14, 18) zwischen einer ersten Elektrode (12) und einer zweiten Elektrode (20) umfasst.
  3. Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-Phasenschieber nach Anspruch 2, wobei die erste Elektrode (12) eine Grundplatte umfasst, auf der das erste elektrochrome Element (14) liegt, und das Elektrolytelement (16) auf dem elektrochromen Element (14) liegt, wobei das elektrochrome Element eine elektrochrome Schicht umfasst und das Elektrolytelement eine Elektrolytschicht umfasst.
  4. Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-Phasenschieber nach Anspruch 2 oder Anspruch 3, wobei jeder der variablen Kondensatoren ferner ein zweites elektrochromes Element (18) zwischen dem Elektrolytelement und der zweiten Elektrode umfasst, wobei das zweite elektrochrome Element eine zweite elektrochrome Schicht umfasst.
  5. Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-Phasenschieber nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei der Koppler (32) ein 3dB-Koppler mit vier Anschlüssen ist, wobei N'/2 der variablen Kondensatoren über einen von zwei der Anschlüsse mit dem Koppler verbunden sind und N'/2 der Kondensatoren über einen zweiten der zwei Anschlüsse mit dem Koppler verbunden sind, wobei N' eine gerade ganze Zahl von 4 oder mehr ist.
  6. Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-Phasenschieber nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 4, wobei der Koppler ein Zirkulator mit drei Anschlüssen ist, wobei die N variablen Kondensatoren über einen der Anschlüsse mit dem Zirkulator verbunden sind.
  7. Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-Phasenschieber nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei die Impedanzwandler (K, 26) Mikrostreifenleitungen sind.
  8. Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-Phasenschieber nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei die charakteristischen Impedanzen der Impedanzwandler entsprechend einem ausgewählten Wert eines Parameterwerts q ausgewählt sind, der für einen gegebenen Kondensator gemäß q = X max X min Z 0
    Figure imgb0061
     bestimmt wird, wobei Z0 die charakteristische Impedanz der Impedanzwandler, Xmin die minimale Reaktanz des Kondensators und Xmax die maximale Reaktanz des Kondensators ist.
  9. Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-Phasenschieber nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei die Kapazität jedes der variablen Kondensatoren (10) durch Einstellen einer an die Kondensatoren angelegten Gleichspannung variabel ist.
  10. Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-Phasenschieber nach Anspruch 9, wobei die Phasenverschiebung zumindest im Wesentlichen proportional zum Wert von N ist, wenn ein Mittelwert der Kapazität der variablen Kondensatoren (10) so gewählt wird, dass die entsprechende Reaktanz bei einer Betriebsfunkfrequenz die charakteristische Impedanz Z0 ist.
  11. Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-Phasenschieber nach Anspruch 10, wobei die Kondensatoren zwischen einem "voll eingeschalteten" Zustand mit höherer Kapazität, wenn sich die Gleichspannung auf einem ersten Pegel befindet, und einem "ausgeschalteten" Zustand mit niedrigerer Kapazität, wenn sich die Gleichspannung auf einem zweiten Pegel befindet, variabel sind.
  12. Verfahren zur Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-Phasenverschiebung, durch Folgendes:
    Anlegen eines Eingangssignals an einen Phasenschieber (30), der einen Koppler (32) für Eingang und Ausgang und N variable Kondensatoren (10) umfasst, wobei N ein ganzzahliger Wert von 2 oder mehr ist, wobei jeder der variablen Kondensatoren Funkfrequenzreflexion bereitstellt, wobei jeder der variablen Kondensatoren durch mindestens einen Impedanzwandler mit dem Koppler verbunden ist, wobei die charakteristischen Impedanzen der Impedanzwandler (K, 26) so gewählt sind, dass der Phasenschieber eine Phasenverschiebung bereitstellt, die zumindest im Wesentlichen proportional zum Wert von N ist, wobei jeder der variablen Kondensatoren elektrochromes Material umfasst; und
    Empfangen eines Ausgangssignals vom Koppler.
  13. Verfahren zur Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-Phasenverschiebung nach Anspruch 12, wobei die Kapazität jedes der variablen Kondensatoren (10) durch Einstellen einer an die Kondensatoren angelegten Gleichspannung variabel ist.
  14. Verfahren zur Funkfrequenzreflexionstyp-Phasenverschiebung nach Anspruch 13, wobei die Phasenverschiebung zumindest im Wesentlichen proportional zum Wert von N ist, wenn ein Mittelwert der Kapazität der variablen Kondensatoren (10) so gewählt wird, dass die entsprechende Reaktanz bei einer Betriebsfunkfrequenz die charakteristische Impedanz Z0 ist.
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CN113937440B (zh) * 2021-09-09 2022-05-27 电子科技大学长三角研究院(湖州) 一种基于变容二极管的微带反射式动态太赫兹移相器

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