Coupling conductors for a yig filter or yig oscillator and method for producing said conductors

Translation of description of equivalent WO 2006056314 A1

p0001Kopplungs.Leitungen for a YIG Filtβr or YIG

p0002Oscillator and process for preparing the

p0003coupling lines

p0004The invention relates to coupling lines for use in a YIG-bandpass filter or YIG oscillator according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method for producing such coupling lines, which are suitable for use in a YIG-bandpass filter or YIG oscillator according to the preamble of claim 11.

p0005YIG band-pass filter or YIG oscillators have at least one resonator, which is preferably spherical and made of a yttrium iron garnet (YIG yttrium Lirón-Garnet) is made. The resonator effect is mediated by coupling lines that need to be designed and arranged such that the center of the resonator and the center of the bending radius of a coupling line match exactly.

p0006A YIG band-pass filter with appropriately designed coupling lines is known for example from document US 4,480,238. The tunable YIG band-pass filter in this case has a basic body, which slots for receiving insulated plate having at one edge a conductive coating which serves as coupling lines, comprising. Furthermore, filter chambers are provided for receiving the YIG elements. The plaques are so inserted on the YIG elements in the slots, that the YIG elements are disposed in recesses in the edges provided with the conductive coating. The YIG elements and the platelets are fixed in fixed positions. A disadvantage of the YIG band-pass filter known from the aforementioned document is particularly the laborious production of the coupling lines forming platelets. The insulator serving as a carrier must first be shaped accordingly and then provided with the conductive coating. This is complicated and committee jeopardized because the coating is susceptible to damage by the low layer thickness.

p0007Object of the present invention is therefore to provide coupling lines that are easy to manufacture, resistant to damage and are easy to install, and provide a method for producing such coupling lines.

p0008The object is achieved with respect to the coupling lines by the characterizing features of claim 1 concerning the method by the characterizing features of claim 11 as well as with respect to a film carrier for the coupling lines by the characterizing features of claim 19.

p0009Advantageous further developments of the coupling lines of the invention and of the carrier according to the invention and of the method according to the invention for the preparation of the coupling lines are specified in the dependent claims.

p0010In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention will be exemplified and explained in detail in the following description with reference to the drawing. Show it:

p0011FIG. IA is a schematic, perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a base body of a YIG-bandpass filter

p0012Resonators and coupling lines, Fig. IB is a schematic, perspective view of the resonators and coupling lines without the basic body,

p0013Fig. 2A is a schematic illustration of an exemplary coupling loop for two resonators according to the prior art,

p0014Fig. 2B is a schematic representation of an embodiment of an inventively designed coupling loop for two resonators, and

p0015Fig. 3A-C are schematic representations of inventively designed coupling lines during

p0016Manufacturing process prior to dicing.

p0017Fig. IA shows a schematic, perspective view of an embodiment of a YIG band-pass filter 2, which has a base body 3 and formed in the body 3 in the embodiment, four filter chambers 4 with as many YIG elements 6.

p0018The YIG elements 6 are spherically formed of an yttrium iron garnet, 10 mounted on holders, for example, by gluing with epoxy resin and electromagnetically coupled by coupling lines. 1

p0019The filter chambers 4 are connected with each other by slots 5 in which the coupling lines 1 are inserted. In this case, each two of the filter chambers 4 are formed in the same embodiment. In the designated 4a filter chambers 4 coaxial cables 11 lead a, via which the signal inputs or -auslauf. The filter chambers 4 designated 4b contrast, have only the YIG elements. 6 The number of filter chambers 4b is not restricted to two, but may also be one or more so that the total number of filter chambers 4 either three or five or more may be. Fig. IB shows for better understanding of the measures according to the invention the arrangement of the coupling lines 1 and the mounted on their holders 10 YIG elements 6 without the surrounding base body 3.

p0020The coupling lines 1 are carried out in the exemplary embodiment in two different forms. The filter chambers 4b with each connecting coupling line 1 is designed as an input and output line Ia, while the other in the embodiment, three coupling lines 1 configured as interconnections Ib.

p0021As is apparent from FIG. IB, the coupling lines 1 to contact lugs 8, which serve on the one hand the ground connection of the coupling lines 1 in the base body 3 and on the other hand the fixation of the coupling lines 1 in the slots. 5 The contact lugs 8 are rectangular in shape, with an edge length of the contact lugs 8 approximately corresponds to the axial thickness of the base body. 2

p0022Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, it can be seen, thereby coupling lines 1 according to the invention differ as shown in FIG. 2B of conventional coupling lines 1 according to FIG. 2A.

p0023The two embodiments have in common that in each case at least a curved portion 17 is provided, the thus at least partially surrounds a respective YIG element 6 that a center of the YIG element 6 coincides with a center of the curved portion 17th Furthermore, a line section 18 is provided at least.

p0024The coupling line shown in Fig. 2A 1 according to the prior art is bent out of a wire. in this connection the YIG elements 6 are first inserted into the base body 3 not shown in detail in Figs. 2A and 2B and then inserted the roughly pre-bent wire into the slots 5. A measurement of the coupling ratio arises then, where the coupling line 1 has yet to be rebent. This is done manually by means of a suitable tool. After that must be checked again and readjusted may again. To this end, each time must be the YIG filters 2 or YIG oscillator opened and then reassembled for making the measurement. The method is thus extremely expensive and often leads even to the fact that the workpiece must be after several iterations completely discarded because no satisfactory coupling.

p0025In contrast, the inventively designed coupling lines 1 prepared in accordance with FIG. 2B of a metallic foil 7 by suitable methods such as etching, eroding, cutting, in particular laser cutting or water jet cutting and / or punching and mounted. Thereafter, the correct positioning of the YIG elements 6 occurs relative to the coupling lines. 1

p0026The film 7 is made of a copper-beryllium alloy, in order to satisfy both the requirements to the elasticity and the strength. The thickness of the film 7 is preferably from about 50 microns.

p0027The preparation of the coupling lines 1 from the foil 7 takes place in several processing steps. First, the foil is cleaned and 7 coated on both sides with a positive photoresist at a alignment accuracy of approximately 5 microns in a layer thickness of about 5 microns, to create a mask. After the production of the coupling lines 1, for example by spray etching with ferric chloride. (FeCl₃). Subsequently, the liberated in the form of a carrier 9 with a predetermined number of coupling lines 1 residues of ink and galvanically provided with a gold coating of about 5 microns. After that followed by a hardening process for example, one hour at 325 ° C. Then, the coupling lines can be detached from the foil support 9 and installed.

p0028The coupling lines 1 show by the manufacturing method described a solid form with a well-defined radius of curvature in the curved sections 17 at a uniform curvature. The YIG elements 6 are then aligned relative to the coupling lines. 1 This is advantageous over the prior art simple and involves significantly less expense, because the manufacturing accuracy is considerably greater in the inventively designed coupling lines 1 than with manually bent coupling lines. 1

p0029Fig. Figure 3A shows a schematic representation of a support 9, which contains the required for a YIG-bandpass filter 2 with four YIG-elements 6 coupling lines 1.

p0030As mentioned above, the coupling lines 1 in the exemplary embodiment in the form of an input and output line Ia and Ib three interconnections are formed. The former is arranged in Fig. 3A at the bottom of the foil support 9, the latter above.

p0031Figs. 3B and 3C show in Fig. 3A with HIB and IIIC designated sections of the support 9. In FIG. 3B one of the three connecting lines Ib shown while Fig. 3C shows the input and output line Ia.

p0032From FIGS. 3B and 3C it can be seen that the coupling lines 1 after the process of etching, cutting, punching or erosion of the film 7 are held before the separation in the carrier 9 by webs 12, which are formed on the contact lugs 8. When separating the coupling lines 1, the coupling lines 1 from the carrier 9 are by breaking the Webs 12 separated. After separation, the coupling lines 1 are assembled according to their shape in the base body 3 and by soldering, welding or another, the electrical conductivity sustaining bonding method in the base body 3 is fixed.

p0033The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and suitable for any design YIG filters 2 or YIG oscillators. The individual features are combined with one another.