A current and voltage hybrid power combining network based on slotline structure
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202311080427.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-08-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-30
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-08-25
AI Technical Summary
如文献“AHigh-Efficiency 142-182-GHz SiGeBiCMOS Power Amplifier With BroadbandSlotline-Based Power Combining Technique(X.Li et al.IEEE JSSC,vol.57,no.2,pp.371-384,Feb.2022.)”中公开了一种基于槽线结构的电流功率合成技术，该技术通过微带线与槽线的耦合，实现了等效的变压器结构；槽线本身不构成真正的金属线圈，因此从原理上解决了耦合电容的问题，最终实现了4路功率放大链路的合成；并且，由于槽线仅支持TE模式的传输，来自微带线的共模激励在槽线结构下被抑制，因此具有非常好的共模抑制能力；但是，随着技术水平的不断提高，对最大输出功率的要求也在提高，因此需要更多路的功率合成，而该电流合成结构的合成路数必须为2的正整数次幂，导致其拓展设计不灵活；另外，随着合成规模的增大，该电流合成结构占用面积显著增大，传输路径显著增长，导致该电流合成结构的损耗也会显著增大
[0013]1)本发明所提出的电流与电压混合型功率合成网络能够应用于毫米波太赫兹频段的功率放大器，通过和功率放大器输出级的等效电容结合，能够实现两个谐振峰，从而实现宽带功率放大特性；
Smart Images
Figure CN117318641B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of radio frequency integrated circuits, and specifically provides a current and voltage hybrid power combining network based on a slotted wire structure. Background Technology
[0002] With the development of radio frequency circuits, the terahertz band has gradually attracted more attention due to its abundant spectrum resources and bandwidth capacity. In the terahertz band, the operating frequency of power amplifiers is already very close to the highest oscillation frequency fo of silicon-based processes. max While the intrinsic gain of the transistor is significantly reduced, the maximum output power P sat and output power 1dB reduction point OP 1dB This also significantly reduces output power. To overcome the limited output capability of transistors, power combining techniques are typically used to achieve high-power output signals. Currently, power combining techniques are mainly divided into two types: microstrip line and transformer coupling. The common microstrip line power combining technique is Wilkinson power combining, which has a simple structure and good port isolation and impedance matching, but requires the use of multiple quarter-wavelength transmission lines, which is not conducive to miniaturization. Transformer coupling refers to power combining through a transformer balun. However, there is a coupling capacitance between the two coils of the transformer balun, which causes the common-mode signal to be converted into the output signal, thereby deteriorating the port balance characteristics and common-mode rejection characteristics.
[0003] A slotline is a transmission structure, specifically a narrow gap formed between two metal conductor planes on a dielectric substrate. During operation, the electric field lines point from one metal edge to the other. Unlike the TEM mode of coplanar waveguide structures, the transmission mode of a slotline structure is the TE mode. In recent years, slotline structures have been increasingly applied to terahertz on-chip passive structures. For example, the literature "A High-Efficiency 142-182-GHz SiGeBiCMOS Power Amplifier With BroadbandSlotline-Based Power Combining Technique (X.Li et al. IEEE)" is mentioned. JSSC, vol.57, no.2, pp.371-384, Feb.2022, discloses a current power combining technique based on a slotted wire structure. This technique achieves an equivalent transformer structure through the coupling of microstrip lines and slotted wires. Since the slotted wires themselves do not constitute true metallic coils, the coupling capacitance problem is solved in principle, ultimately realizing the combining of four power amplification links. Furthermore, since the slotted wires only support TE mode transmission, common-mode excitation from the microstrip lines is suppressed under the slotted wire structure, thus exhibiting excellent common-mode rejection capability. However, with the continuous improvement of technology, the requirements for maximum output power are also increasing, thus requiring more power combining paths. The number of combining paths in this current combining structure must be a positive integer power of 2, resulting in inflexible expansion design. In addition, as the combining scale increases, the area occupied by the current combining structure increases significantly, the transmission path increases significantly, and the loss of the current combining structure also increases significantly. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a current and voltage hybrid power combining network based on a slotted wire structure, which can achieve large-scale power combining with flexible design and compact structure while ensuring the advantages of the slotted wire transmission structure, thereby significantly reducing the loss of the large-scale power combining network.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:
[0006] A current-voltage hybrid power combining network based on a slotted wire structure includes a basic slotted wire-coplanar waveguide current-type power combining network and N-1 extended slotted wire-coplanar waveguide current-type power combining networks cascaded together, where N is a positive integer; characterized in that...
[0007] The basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network consists of a substrate, a first coplanar waveguide TL11, a second coplanar waveguide TL12, a third coplanar waveguide TL13, a first slot line SL11, and a second slot line SL12. The first coplanar waveguide TL11 is coupled to the first slot line SL11, and the second coplanar waveguide TL12 is coupled to the second slot line SL12. The ends of both the first and second slot lines SL11 and SL12 are coupled to the third coplanar waveguide TL13. One end of the third coplanar waveguide TL13 is grounded, and the other end serves as the output of the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network. Both ends of the first and second coplanar waveguides TL11 and TL12 serve as the inputs of the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network.
[0008] The extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network consists of a substrate, a first coplanar waveguide TLn1, a second coplanar waveguide TLn2, a third coplanar waveguide TLn3, a first slot line SLn1, and a second slot line SLn2. The first coplanar waveguide TLn1 is coupled to the first slot line SLn1, and the second coplanar waveguide TLn2 is coupled to the first slot line SLn2. The ends of both the first and second slot lines SLn1 and SLn2 are coupled to the third coplanar waveguide TLn3. Both ends of the third coplanar waveguide TLn3 serve as the output terminals of the extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network, and both ends of the first and second coplanar waveguides TLn1 and TLn2 serve as the input terminals of the extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network; n = 2, 3, ..., N.
[0009] The extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network and the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network are cascaded through the output terminal.
[0010] Furthermore, the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network has an axisymmetric structure, with the third coplanar waveguide TL13 located on the axis of symmetry. The first coplanar waveguide TL11 and the second coplanar waveguide TL12 have a U-shaped structure, with the openings located on both sides of the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network. The first slot line SL11 and the second slot line SL12 have a key-shaped structure with a ring-shaped beginning. The first slot line SL11 and the second slot line SL12 are perpendicularly overlapped to form a coupling structure corresponding to the first coplanar waveguide TL11 and the second coplanar waveguide TL12, respectively.
[0011] Furthermore, the extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network has an axisymmetric structure, with the third coplanar waveguide TLn3 located on the axis of symmetry. The first coplanar waveguide TLn1 and the second coplanar waveguide TLn2 have a U-shaped structure, with the openings located on both sides of the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network. The first slot line SLn1 and the second slot line SLn2 have a key-shaped structure with a ring-shaped beginning. The first slot line SLn1 and the second slot line SLn2 are perpendicularly overlapped to form a coupling structure corresponding to the first coplanar waveguide TLn1 and the second coplanar waveguide TLn2, respectively.
[0012] Based on the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:
[0013] 1) The current and voltage hybrid power combining network proposed in this invention can be applied to power amplifiers in the millimeter-wave terahertz band. By combining it with the equivalent capacitance of the power amplifier output stage, two resonant peaks can be achieved, thereby realizing broadband power amplification characteristics.
[0014] 2) The current-voltage hybrid power combining network proposed in this invention is no longer limited to the traditional power combining network. N The power combining of the paths has good scalability and can realize the power combining of 4N paths, where N is a positive integer;
[0015] 3) The current and voltage hybrid power combining network proposed in this invention is more compact in structure, occupies less chip area, and has a shorter power combining path than traditional power combining networks, thus achieving higher combining efficiency. Attached Figure Description
[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the current and voltage hybrid power combining network based on a slotted wire structure in this invention.
[0017] Figure 2 This is a planar schematic diagram of the current and voltage hybrid power combining network based on a slotted wire structure in this invention.
[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the partial power combining structure in this invention.
[0019] Figure 4 This is the equivalent circuit diagram of the partial power combining structure in this invention.
[0020] Figure 5 This is a simplified equivalent circuit diagram of the partial power combining structure in this invention.
[0021] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network in this invention.
[0022] Figure 7 This is a planar schematic diagram of the basic slot-line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network in this invention.
[0023] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network in this invention.
[0024] Figure 9 This is a planar schematic diagram of the extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network in this invention.
[0025] Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the current and voltage hybrid 16-in-1 power combining network based on a slotted wire structure in this invention.
[0026] Figure 11 This is a planar schematic diagram of the current and voltage hybrid 16-in-1 power combining network based on a slotted wire structure in this invention.
[0027] Figure 12 This is the equivalent circuit diagram of the 16-in-1 power combining network based on a slotted wire structure for current and voltage mixing in this invention.
[0028] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the power amplifier in this invention.
[0029] Figure 14 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a 16-in-1 power combining network, which is a traditional current-mode power combining network based on a slotted wire structure.
[0030] Figure 15 This is a planar schematic diagram of a 16-in-1 power combining network, which is a traditional current-mode power combining network based on a slotted wire structure.
[0031] Figure 16 This is a comparison chart of the saturated output power Psat of the present invention and the conventional structure used in the large-signal test of a power amplifier. Detailed Implementation
[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.
[0033] This embodiment provides a current-voltage hybrid power combining network based on a slotted wire structure, the structure of which is as follows: Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, it specifically includes: one basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network and N-1 extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining networks, where N is a positive integer. The power combining network is used to achieve 4N-channel power combining.
[0034] More specifically:
[0035] like Figure 3 The diagram shows a partial planar structure of the power combining structure in this embodiment. The slot line and the coplanar waveguide overlap perpendicularly, realizing a coplanar waveguide-slot line coupling structure. This coupling structure can be regarded as an equivalent ideal transformer with a coil turns ratio of 1:M. The two coplanar waveguide segments TL1 and TL2, separated by the slot line, are used to connect the output stages of the two power amplifiers, respectively. When the power amplifiers are connected, the equivalent circuit, without considering the voltage-controlled current source, can be equivalent to an equivalent resistance R. opt and equivalent capacitance C pa Slot wire SL1 is used to adjust the operating frequency of the coupling structure. It is folded into a ring shape to reduce signal radiation caused by the slot wire structure itself. Slot wire SL2 is used to transmit signals coupled through the coplanar waveguide.
[0036] like Figure 4 The equivalent circuit diagram of the partial power combining structure shown in this embodiment is further simplified to illustrate the broadband operating characteristics of this power combining structure: the coplanar waveguide-slot line coupling structure, coplanar waveguide TL1, coplanar waveguide TL2, and slot line SL1 are considered as a non-ideal transformer, and the slot line SL2 is relatively short and is equivalent to a capacitor C. s ,like Figure 5 As shown; where C pa and L p The parallel connection forms resonant cavity 1, C s and L s The two resonant cavities, connected in parallel, form resonant cavity 2. These two resonant cavities achieve the broadband operating characteristics of the power combining structure. If the coupling coefficient of the non-ideal transformer is k... m Then the frequencies f of the two resonant peaks L and f H Represented as:
[0037]
[0038]
[0039] in,
[0040]
[0041]
[0042] By controlling f L and f H The parameters in the table are what enable the desired broadband characteristics to be achieved.
[0043] like Figure 6 , Figure 7The diagram shown is a schematic of the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network in this embodiment. The basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network consists of a substrate, a first coplanar waveguide TL11, a second coplanar waveguide TL12, a third coplanar waveguide TL13, a first slot line SL11, and a second slot line SL12. The first coplanar waveguide TL11 and the first slot line SL11 are coupled, and the second coplanar waveguide TL12 and the second slot line SL12 are coupled. The ends of the first slot line SL11 and the second slot line SL12 are coupled to the third coplanar waveguide TL13. The other end of the first slot line SL11 and the other end of the second slot line SL12 are in a ring structure. One end of the third coplanar waveguide TL13 is grounded, and the other end serves as the output end of the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network. The basic slotted wire-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network includes four input terminals and one output terminal. The two ends of the first coplanar waveguide TL11 serve as two input terminals of the basic slotted wire-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network, the two ends of the second coplanar waveguide TL12 serve as two input terminals of the basic slotted wire-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network, and the ungrounded end of the third coplanar waveguide TL13 serves as the output terminal of the basic slotted wire-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network. In terms of working principle: the two power amplifier signals from the end of the first coplanar waveguide TL11 propagate in TEM mode through the first coplanar waveguide TL11 to the coupling point between the first coplanar waveguide TL11 and the first slot line SL11. After coupling, they are converted into TE mode signals existing in the first slot line SL11. Since the ring structure of the first slot line SL11 is used to achieve matching, the TE mode signals propagate towards the center of the structure. The same applies to the two power amplifier signals from the end of the second coplanar waveguide TL12. The two TE mode signals are coupled in the third coplanar waveguide TL13, converted into TEM mode signals existing in the third coplanar waveguide TL13, and propagated and output through the third coplanar waveguide TL13.
[0044] like Figure 8 , Figure 9The diagram shown is a schematic of the extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network in this embodiment. The extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network consists of a substrate, a first coplanar waveguide TLn1, a second coplanar waveguide TLn2, a third coplanar waveguide TLn3, a first slot line SLn1, and a second slot line SLn2. The first coplanar waveguide TLn1 is coupled to the first slot line SLn1, and the second coplanar waveguide TLn2 is coupled to the first slot line SLn2. The ends of the first slot line SLn1 and the second slot line SLn2 are coupled to the third coplanar waveguide TLn3. The other end of the first slot line SLn1 and the other end of the second slot line SLn2 are ring structures. The extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network includes four input terminals and two output terminals. The two ends of the first coplanar waveguide TLn1 serve as the two input terminals of the extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network, the two ends of the second coplanar waveguide TLn2 serve as the two input terminals of the extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network, and the two ends of the third coplanar waveguide TLn3 serve as the two output terminals of the extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network. In terms of working principle: the conversion of the two TE mode signals from the four power amplifier signals existing in the first slot line SLn1 and the second slot line SLn2 is the same as the principle of the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network. The two TE mode signals are coupled to the third coplanar waveguide TLn3, converted into TEM mode signals existing in the third coplanar waveguide TLn3, and propagated through the third coplanar waveguide TLn3 to the two output terminals ZOUT(n-1) and ZOUTn. ZOUT(n-1) is used to connect the output terminal of the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network or the output terminal of the previous extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network. In principle, any number of extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining networks can be cascaded. In order to ensure the directionality of propagation, appropriate phase compensation needs to be provided at the input terminal.
[0045] To better illustrate the current and voltage hybrid power combining characteristics of the power combining network in this invention, the following detailed explanation will take the case of N=4 as an example: When N=4, a 16-in-1 power combining network is realized, including one basic slotted wire-coplanar waveguide current-type power combining network and three extended slotted wire-coplanar waveguide current-type power combining networks, such as... Figure 10 , Figure 11 As shown, the area of this power combining network is 560×160um. 2 .
[0046] The equivalent circuit diagram of the above 16-in-1 power combining network is as follows: Figure 12As shown, in the equivalent circuit, for the slotted-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network used, through the coplanar waveguide-slotted coupling structure and the synthesis of signals within the slotted line, four TE mode signals are obtained from 16 TEM mode signals after current-mode power combining, such as... Figure 12 The dashed box indicates the medium-current power combining; the four slot line-coplanar waveguide coupling structures are cascaded through a central long coplanar waveguide, forming voltage-mode power combining in the equivalent circuit, as shown in the figure. Figure 12 The dashed box in the diagram illustrates the synthesis of four TE mode signals into one TEM mode signal. Similar analyses can be performed for different N-based structures, which will not be elaborated upon here. It should be noted that due to the characteristic of the slotted wires transmitting TE mode signals, the slotted wires themselves cannot transmit current. Therefore, the current-type power synthesis discussed here refers to the synthesis method implemented in the equivalent circuit of this structure, not to the actual physical phenomenon of current synthesis occurring within the slotted wires. Similarly, the voltage-type power synthesis discussed here also refers to the synthesis method implemented in the equivalent circuit of this structure.
[0047] like Figure 13 The diagram shows the structure of the power amplifier used in this embodiment. The input signal RFin first passes through a power distribution network to achieve power distribution of 8 groups of differential signals (i.e., 16 signals), and at the same time achieves the phase shift required by each group of input signals. Each group of differential signals is amplified by a differential power amplifier. The 16 amplified signals are then connected to a power combining network and finally output through the RFout port. It should be noted that since the design of a power amplifier inevitably requires the design of a matching network, it is omitted in the diagram and will not be described in detail.
[0048] like Figure 14 , Figure 15 The diagram shows a schematic of a 16-in-1 power combining network, a traditional slot wire-based current-mode power combining network. Traditional slot wire-based current-mode power combining networks require repeated switching between coplanar waveguide-slot wire and slot wire-coplanar waveguide modes. For long propagation paths, especially on slot wires, losses due to antenna effects are significant. Furthermore, the area of this power combining network is 860×170µm. 2 It is obvious that the structure proposed in this embodiment is more compact than the traditional structure.
[0049] like Figure 16The figure shows a simulation comparison of the saturated output power Psat of the power amplifier in the large-signal test between the current-voltage hybrid power combining network of this embodiment and the traditional current-type power combining network. The power amplifier used in this embodiment operates at 140GHz, and the saturated output power Psat comparison is also simulated under the condition of 140GHz. As can be seen from the figure, the saturated output power is 10.10dBm for a single differential amplifier unit; 15.45dBm for the traditional current-type power combining network; and 17.03dBm for the current-voltage hybrid power combining network of this embodiment, which is significantly better than the traditional structure, with a combining efficiency of 62.1%, which effectively improves the saturated output power.
[0050] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention. Any feature disclosed in this specification may be replaced by other equivalent or similar features unless otherwise specified. All disclosed features, or steps in all methods or processes, may be combined in any way except for mutually exclusive features and / or steps.
Claims
1. A current-voltage hybrid power combining network based on a slotted wire structure, comprising a cascaded basic slotted wire-coplanar waveguide current-type power combining network and N-1 extended slotted wire-coplanar waveguide current-type power combining networks, where N is a positive integer; characterized in that, The basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network consists of a substrate, a first coplanar waveguide TL11, a second coplanar waveguide TL12, a third coplanar waveguide TL13, a first slot line SL11, and a second slot line SL12. The first coplanar waveguide TL11 is coupled to the first slot line SL11, and the second coplanar waveguide TL12 is coupled to the second slot line SL12. The ends of both the first and second slot lines SL11 and SL12 are coupled to the third coplanar waveguide TL13. One end of the third coplanar waveguide TL13 is grounded, and the other end serves as the output of the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network. Both ends of the first and second coplanar waveguides TL11 and TL12 serve as the inputs of the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network. The extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network consists of a substrate, a first coplanar waveguide TLn1, a second coplanar waveguide TLn2, a third coplanar waveguide TLn3, a first slot line SLn1, and a second slot line SLn2. The first coplanar waveguide TLn1 is coupled to the first slot line SLn1, and the second coplanar waveguide TLn2 is coupled to the first slot line SLn2. The ends of both the first and second slot lines SLn1 and SLn2 are coupled to the third coplanar waveguide TLn3. Both ends of the third coplanar waveguide TLn3 serve as the output terminals of the extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network, and both ends of the first and second coplanar waveguides TLn1 and TLn2 serve as the input terminals of the extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network; n = 2, 3, ..., N. The extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network and the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network are cascaded through the output terminal.
2. The current-voltage hybrid power combining network based on a slotted wire structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network has an axisymmetric structure. The third coplanar waveguide TL13 is located on the axis of symmetry. The first coplanar waveguide TL11 and the second coplanar waveguide TL12 have a U-shaped structure, and the openings are located on both sides of the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network. The first slot line SL11 and the second slot line SL12 have a key-shaped structure with a ring at the beginning. The first slot line SL11 and the second slot line SL12 are perpendicularly overlapped to form a coupling structure corresponding to the first coplanar waveguide TL11 and the second coplanar waveguide TL12, respectively.
3. The current-voltage hybrid power combining network based on a slotted wire structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The extended slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network has an axisymmetric structure. The third coplanar waveguide TLn3 is located on the axis of symmetry. The first coplanar waveguide TLn1 and the second coplanar waveguide TLn2 have a U-shaped structure, and the openings are located on both sides of the basic slot line-coplanar waveguide current-mode power combining network. The first slot line SLn1 and the second slot line SLn2 have a key-shaped structure with a ring-shaped beginning. The first slot line SLn1 and the second slot line SLn2 are perpendicularly overlapped with the first coplanar waveguide TLn1 and the second coplanar waveguide TLn2 respectively to form a coupling structure.