Novel on-chip high-power microwave unit and working method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a novel on-chip high-power microwave unit and a working method thereof, and relates to the technical field of high-power microwave technology, the novel on-chip high-power microwave unit comprises a semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor wafer, and an energy storage capacitor, a photoconductive switch and a planar radiation antenna are integrated on the surface of the semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor wafer; the energy storage capacitor comprises a high-voltage end polar plate, a grounding end polar plate and an insulating medium; the insulating medium is arranged between the high-voltage end polar plate and the grounding end polar plate; the plane radiating antenna comprises a radiating surface electrode and a grounding surface electrode; the photoconductive switch comprises a cathode, an anode and a trigger gap; a cathode of the photoconductive switch is connected with a high-voltage end polar plate of the energy storage capacitor, an anode of the photoconductive switch is connected with an impedance conversion part of a radiating surface electrode of the planar radiating antenna, and a grounding surface electrode of the planar radiating antenna is connected with a grounding end polar plate in the energy storage capacitor. The output power of the on-chip high-power ultra-wide-spectrum microwave system is improved, and the effects of being compact, light, low in cost and long in service life can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of high-power microwave technology, specifically to a novel on-chip high-power microwave unit and its operating method. Background Technology

[0002] The statements in this section are merely background information relating to this disclosure and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] High-power microwaves (HPMs) generally possess characteristics such as high power, short pulses, and wide spectrum, and have broad application prospects in fields such as radar tracking, electronic countermeasures, ranging and imaging, wireless communication, and biomedicine. In recent years, a series of large-scale devices for high-power generation and radiation key technologies have been researched, offering advantages such as high system output power and high radiation factor. However, they also suffer from problems such as large system size and weight, limiting their application in many situations. For mission requirements involving flexible mobility and portability with small size and weight, a high output performance of the radiation system is generally not necessary. Therefore, some mobile device platforms place higher demands on all-solid-state, miniaturized, lightweight, highly reliable, and long-life systems.

[0004] In high-power microwave systems, the pulse formation and output section is the first core component, with the switch being the most crucial element. It primarily acts as an isolation device, separating the charging and discharging circuits. Once charging is complete, the switch instantly releases the energy stored in the capacitor or inductor. Furthermore, the switch plays a role in waveform transformation and pulse steepening within the circuit. The photoconductive switch (PCSS), a novel ultrafast semiconductor electronic device, is a key component in generating high-power ultrashort pulses. Another core structure in high-power microwave systems is the radiating antenna element, which can transmit high-power electrical pulses into free space, thereby forming directional high-power microwave radiation.

[0005] Based on the aforementioned background technology, in the structural framework of a high-power microwave system, the core switching devices of the fast pulse generation section can be fabricated on a semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor material. The material has excellent withstand voltage and dielectric properties, and can be used to fabricate the energy storage capacitors required for fast pulse generation and the high-performance planar sky radiation lines. This simplifies circuit connections and reduces various interfaces, avoids the introduction of more unavoidable stray parameters and energy losses, and also helps to reduce the overall system size and weight.

[0006] However, existing high-power microwave generation systems mainly consist of microwave sources (such as magnetrons, klystrons, and traveling wave tubes), power amplifiers, microwave transmission systems (waveguides, antennas, etc.), modulators, high-voltage power supplies, and cooling systems. They generally suffer from low energy conversion efficiency, large system size and weight, limited operational reliability, short device lifespan during prolonged high-power operation, and high maintenance costs. Furthermore, their narrow frequency adjustment range and limited modulation methods restrict the development of traditional high-power microwave generation systems in modern applications requiring lightweight design, high efficiency, and high reliability. Therefore, driven by the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, solid-state technology, modularization, and lightweight design have become crucial technical factors in the design and fabrication of high-power microwave generation systems. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure proposes a novel on-chip high-power microwave unit and its operating method. A novel on-chip high-power microwave unit based on a semi-insulating wide-bandgap semiconductor material is designed, directly integrating components onto the same semi-insulating semiconductor wafer. Utilizing the advantages of the wide-bandgap semiconductor material, the low-power energy accumulation process, fast pulse formation and transmission process, and high-power microwave radiation process are completed on a single semi-insulating semiconductor wafer, thereby improving the output power of the on-chip high-power ultra-wideband microwave system.

[0008] According to some embodiments, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solutions: A novel on-chip high-power microwave unit includes a semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor wafer, on which an energy storage capacitor, a photoconductive switch, and a planar radiating antenna are integrated. The energy storage capacitor includes a high-voltage terminal plate, a ground terminal plate, and an insulating medium, wherein the insulating medium is disposed between the high-voltage terminal plate and the ground terminal plate. The planar radiating antenna includes a radiating surface electrode and a ground surface electrode; the photoconductive switch includes a cathode, an anode, and a trigger gap. The cathode of the photoconductive switch is connected to the high-voltage terminal plate of the energy storage capacitor, the anode of the photoconductive switch is connected to the impedance transformation section of the radiating surface electrode of the planar radiating antenna, and the grounding electrode of the planar radiating antenna is connected to the grounding terminal plate of the energy storage capacitor. Furthermore, the high-voltage end plate of the energy storage capacitor serves as the high-voltage input electrode of the primary power supply, and the ground end plate serves as the grounding electrode of the primary power supply. The high-voltage end plate and the ground end plate are arranged perpendicularly to each other, forming a parallel plate capacitor with the insulating medium between them.

[0009] Furthermore, the cathode and anode of the photoconductive switch are designed to be spaced apart on the same surface or spaced apart on opposite surfaces; when spaced apart on the same surface, their trigger gap serves as the laser irradiation area for triggering the photoconductive switch; when spaced apart on opposite surfaces, the substrate thickness surface or the electrode through-hole light window serves as the laser irradiation area for triggering the photoconductive switch.

[0010] Furthermore, the semi-insulating wide-bandgap semiconductor wafer is an Al2O3 semi-insulating wafer with a resistivity set by the specified parameters, and S... i C semi-insulating wafer, GaN semi-insulating wafer, Ga2O3 semi-insulating wafer, AlN semi-insulating wafer or diamond semi-insulating wafer.

[0011] Furthermore, the electrode shapes of the energy storage capacitor and photoconductive switch are set to rectangular, circular, or annular; the planar radiating antenna includes non-coplanar sector antennas, microstrip antennas, helical antennas, biconical antennas, and Vivaldi patch antennas. Time-domain-frequency domain analysis needs to be performed based on the electrical pulse parameters of the high-power pulse generation system, and then the planar radiating antenna is designed accordingly to achieve high-power microwave output.

[0012] Furthermore, the energy storage capacitor, photoconductive switch, and planar radiating antenna can all be designed on the same surface or on opposite surfaces; the photoconductive switch can be pre-lithographically etched or otherwise processed on the surface area of ​​the semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor wafer to ultimately achieve single or multiple effects of homogeneous / heterogeneous highly doped epitaxial layer growth, etched trench structure, or epitaxial passivation / antireflection layer structure.

[0013] Furthermore, the energy storage capacitor, photoconductive switch, and planar radiating antenna can be deposited on the on-chip electrode region through photolithography, etching, sputtering, or evaporation semiconductor processes; the energy storage capacitor and planar radiating antenna are directly attached to the corresponding positions on the semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor wafer by means of copper foil patching or printed metal sheeting.

[0014] Furthermore, the cathode and anode of the photoconductive switch must form an ohmic contact, and the trigger gap must be in a high-resistance state when there is no laser triggering.

[0015] Furthermore, the novel on-chip high-power microwave unit can be configured as a multi-chip array, and timing control can be performed on each optical path or fiber to obtain high-power combined output.

[0016] According to some embodiments, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solutions: A novel method for operating an on-chip high-power microwave unit includes: Initially, when the photoconductive switch on the semi-insulated wide bandgap semiconductor chip is not triggered by light pulse, the energy storage capacitor is charged by the pulse power supply or DC power supply. When the voltage across the capacitor reaches the peak value of the input voltage, the trigger gap of the photoconductive switch is irradiated by the light pulse. The resistivity of the trigger gap will gradually drop to the minimum value, releasing the energy on the energy storage capacitor and forming an electrical pulse waveform that is highly similar to the light pulse waveform. As one light pulse irradiation cycle ends, the energy storage capacitor continues to charge, waiting for the next cycle to discharge. The high-voltage pulse, after passing through the impedance transformation structure, is fed into the planar radiating antenna by the photoconductive switch, ultimately forming a directional high-power microwave in free space.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this disclosure are as follows: This disclosure discloses a novel on-chip high-power microwave unit that integrates an energy storage capacitor C, a photoconductive switch PCSS, and a planar radiating antenna R onto the same semi-insulating wide-bandgap semiconductor chip. The structures can be designed to make direct contact during photolithography, or connected using transmission line patterns, direct soldering, or surface-mount metal. This integration method effectively avoids unnecessary circuit connections, reduces energy transfer processes, and lowers overall system losses. Utilizing the advantages of semi-insulating wide-bandgap semiconductor materials, low-power energy accumulation, fast pulse formation and transmission, and high-power microwave radiation processes can be completed directly on a single chip, improving the output power of the on-chip high-power ultra-wideband microwave system and achieving compactness, low cost, and long lifespan.

[0018] This disclosure discloses a novel on-chip high-power microwave unit that uses a photoconductive switch (PCSS) as the main switch to control the charging and discharging process of the energy storage capacitor C and to generate fast pulse signals. It has high repetition rate operation capability, large power carrying capacity and reliable output stability. Its output characteristics can be flexibly adjusted by changing the device structure design, device material selection and incident laser parameter modulation, thus making it more suitable for a wide range of high-power microwave application scenarios.

[0019] This disclosure presents a novel on-chip high-power microwave unit that utilizes the excellent dielectric properties of a semi-insulating wide-bandgap semiconductor material to fabricate all core components, including the energy storage capacitor C, photoconductive switch PCSS, and planar radiating antenna R. This facilitates the miniaturization, lightweighting, and solid-state design of ultra-wideband systems. Furthermore, this disclosure is easy to fabricate and maintain, and is also highly beneficial for array-based power combining. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this disclosure, are used to provide a further understanding of this disclosure. The illustrative embodiments of this disclosure and their descriptions are used to explain this disclosure and do not constitute an undue limitation of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of a novel on-chip high-power microwave unit according to an embodiment of this disclosure; Where HV represents the primary power supply (pulse / DC), C is the energy storage capacitor, PCSS is the photoconductive switch, Laser is the trigger laser source, and R is the planar radiating antenna; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the on-chip unit structure of a novel on-chip high-power microwave unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3 This is the electrical pulse waveform input to the feed port of the planar radiating antenna in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the reflection coefficient and voltage standing wave ratio of the planar radiating antenna according to an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 5 This is a waveform diagram of a far-field radiation field according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present disclosure will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0023] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are illustrative and intended to provide further explanation of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0024] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this disclosure. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms “comprising” and / or “including” are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0025] Example 1 One embodiment of this disclosure provides a novel on-chip high-power microwave unit, including a semi-insulated wide bandgap semiconductor wafer, on which an energy storage capacitor C, a photoconductive switch PCSS, and a planar radiating antenna R are integrated.

[0026] The energy storage capacitor C includes a high-voltage end plate, a ground end plate, and an insulating medium. The insulating medium is disposed between the high-voltage end plate and the ground end plate. The insulating medium is a semi-insulating semiconductor material wafer. The energy storage capacitor C can use a semi-insulating semiconductor wafer as the insulating medium between the two plates, or it can be integrated on-chip using a surface-mount capacitor and other devices.

[0027] The planar radiating antenna R includes a radiating surface electrode and a ground surface electrode, as well as a dielectric substrate. The radiating surface electrode can be divided into three parts: an impedance transformation section, a feed line transmission section, and a radiating element.

[0028] The photoconductive switch PCSS includes a cathode, an anode, and a trigger gap. The trigger gap of the photoconductive switch PCSS is always in a high-resistance state when there is no laser trigger, thereby reducing the dark-state leakage current of the photoconductive switch PCSS. This satisfies the high dark-state characteristics of the photoconductive switch PCSS, enabling it to withstand extremely high operating voltages without breakdown and improving the stability of the device.

[0029] As one example, such as Figure 1 As shown, the cathode of the photoconductive switch PCSS is connected to the high-voltage end plate of the energy storage capacitor C, the anode of the photoconductive switch PCSS is connected to the impedance transformation part of the radiating surface electrode of the planar radiating antenna R, and the grounding electrode of the planar radiating antenna is connected to the grounding end plate of the energy storage capacitor.

[0030] Furthermore, the high-voltage terminal plate of the energy storage capacitor C serves as the primary power supply high-voltage input electrode, and the ground terminal plate serves as the primary power supply ground electrode. The high-voltage terminal plate and the ground terminal plate are arranged perpendicularly opposite each other, forming a parallel-plate capacitor with the insulating medium between them. Alternatively, the high-voltage terminal plate and the ground terminal plate of the energy storage capacitor C can also be spaced apart on the same surface of the wafer to achieve the function of a capacitor.

[0031] In one embodiment, the high-voltage terminal plate, serving as the high-voltage input electrode of the primary power supply HV, is connected to the high-voltage positive terminal to charge the energy storage capacitor C. At this time, the dark-state resistance of the photoconductive switch PCSS is extremely high. The high-voltage terminal plate of the energy storage capacitor C is connected to the cathode of the photoconductive switch PCSS, and the ground terminal plate of the energy storage capacitor C is connected to the grounding electrode of the planar radiating antenna R and shares a common ground. After charging is completed, the on-state resistance of the photoconductive switch PCSS rapidly decreases to tens of Ω or even a few Ω after being triggered by a pulsed laser. The anode of the photoconductive switch PCSS is connected to the high-voltage surface electrode of the planar radiating antenna R. The radiating antenna is modeled using electromagnetic simulation software, and its radiation characteristics are optimized to form a planar radiating antenna structure design with a suitable operating frequency band. The high-voltage pulse signal generated by the photoconductive switch PCSS is transmitted to the feed structure of the planar radiating antenna R after impedance transformation, and finally emitted into free space through the radiation structure in the planar radiating antenna R, forming high-power microwaves in the radiation direction of the planar radiating antenna R.

[0032] As one example, such as Figure 2As shown, the on-chip structure of a novel on-chip high-power microwave unit includes a semi-insulated wide-bandgap semiconductor wafer S. An energy storage capacitor C, a photoconductive switch PCSS, and a planar radiating antenna R are integrated on the surface of the semi-insulated wide-bandgap semiconductor wafer S. On the high-voltage side of the semi-insulated wide-bandgap semiconductor wafer S, the high-voltage plate of the energy storage capacitor C is directly connected to the cathode of the photoconductive switch PCSS. The anode of the photoconductive switch PCSS is connected to the impedance transformation section of the radiating surface electrode of the planar radiating antenna R. On the grounding side of the semi-insulated wide-bandgap semiconductor wafer S, the grounding electrode of the energy storage capacitor C and the grounding electrode of the planar radiating antenna R are connected to the same ground.

[0033] Furthermore, the semi-insulating wide-bandgap semiconductor wafer S is an Al2O3 semi-insulating wafer with a resistivity set accordingly. i C semi-insulating wafer, GaN semi-insulating wafer, Ga2O3 semi-insulating wafer, AlN semi-insulating wafer or diamond semi-insulating wafer.

[0034] As one embodiment, the semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor wafer S can be made with a resistivity greater than 10. 5 Any one of the following semiconductor wafers with an Ω·cm: Al2O3 semi-insulating wafer, SiC semi-insulating wafer, GaN semi-insulating wafer, Ga2O3 semi-insulating wafer, AlN semi-insulating wafer, diamond semi-insulating wafer.

[0035] Furthermore, the thickness of the semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor wafer S is 0.3 mm-2 mm, enabling it to withstand pulse peak high voltage without breakdown. Among these, the size of the large-size semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor wafer S is ≥4 inches, with a dielectric constant of 6-15; and the capacitance value of the energy storage capacitor C based on the semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor material can be calculated based on the electrode area according to the substrate thickness and dielectric constant, and its capacitance value can be set to 1 pF-1000 pF.

[0036] As one embodiment, the cathode and anode of the photoconductive switch PCSS are designed to be spaced apart on the same plane or arranged on opposite planes. When spaced apart on the same plane, the trigger gap serves as the laser irradiation area for triggering the photoconductive switch. When arranged on opposite planes, the substrate thickness surface or the electrode area of ​​the photoconductive switch PCSS can serve as the laser irradiation area for triggering the photoconductive switch. This trigger gap is always in a high-resistance state when there is no laser triggering.

[0037] Furthermore, the cathode and anode of the photoconductive switch PCSS need to form reliable and good ohmic contacts. The ohmic contact system is generally a multilayer composite metal, which undergoes rapid high-temperature annealing in a vacuum or inert atmosphere to form the ohmic contact of the photoconductive switch electrode. Different substrate materials / epitaxy layers result in certain differences in the metal system and annealing parameters for forming the ohmic contact. Ohmic contacts can be achieved through single or combined processes such as ion implantation, highly doped sub-contact layer epitaxy, and rapid thermal annealing. Specifically, the specific contact resistivity of the electrode region of the photoconductive switch PCSS with the same electrode structure is 1×10⁻⁶. -3 Ω·cm 2 -1×10 -6 Ω·cm 2 .

[0038] The photoconductive switch PCSS is required to be in the off state when there is no laser irradiation, at which time the leakage current is extremely low; the photoconductive switch PCSS is in the on state during the laser irradiation trigger interval.

[0039] As one embodiment, the high-voltage end plate and the ground end plate of the energy storage capacitor C are arranged vertically opposite each other, forming a parallel plate capacitor with the semi-insulating wafer sandwiched in the middle. Alternatively, they can be spaced apart on the same surface of the wafer.

[0040] As one embodiment, the electrode shapes of the energy storage capacitor C and the photoconductive switch PCSS can be set as rectangular, circular, or ring-shaped; the planar radiating antenna belongs to the planar antenna type, and after numerical calculation optimization, a high-gain planar radiating antenna R is formed within a specific operating frequency range. It can include non-coplanar sector antennas, microstrip antennas, helical antennas, biconical antennas, and Vivaldi patch antennas, etc. It is necessary to perform time-domain-frequency domain analysis based on the electrical pulse parameters of the high-power pulse generation system, and then design the planar radiating antenna accordingly to achieve high-power microwave output.

[0041] Furthermore, the energy storage capacitor C, the photoconductive switch PCSS, and the planar radiating antenna R can all be designed on the same surface or on opposite surfaces, and there is no fixed fabrication order among the three. The photoconductive switch PCSS can be pre-lithographically etched or otherwise processed on the surface area of ​​the semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor wafer, ultimately achieving single or multiple effects such as homogeneous / heterogeneous highly doped epitaxial layer growth, etched trench structure, or epitaxial passivation / antireflection layer.

[0042] As one embodiment, the energy storage capacitor C, the photoconductive switch PCSS, and the planar radiating antenna R can be deposited on the on-chip electrode region through semiconductor processes such as photolithography, etching, sputtering, or evaporation; the energy storage capacitor C and the planar radiating antenna R can also be directly attached to the corresponding positions on the semi-insulating semiconductor wafer by means of copper foil patching, printed metal sheet, etc.

[0043] As one embodiment, the novel on-chip high-power microwave unit based on semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor material disclosed herein can place the energy storage capacitor C and photoconductive switch PCSS inside a custom sealed module during testing or application. The custom sealed module is filled with an insulating dielectric layer, while the planar radiating antenna R can be set to be exposed or encapsulated using an insulating plastic structure. The insulating dielectric layer is generally an insulating inert gas or an electronic insulating liquid / oil.

[0044] As one example, the on-chip metal structure of the novel on-chip high-power microwave unit based on semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor material can be fabricated using evaporation equipment, sputtering equipment, bonding equipment, electroplating equipment, etc.

[0045] The novel on-chip high-power microwave unit based on semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor material disclosed herein can be configured in a multi-chip array and can perform timing control on each optical path / fiber to obtain high-power combined output.

[0046] As one example, such as Figure 3 As shown, the electrical pulse waveform input to the feed port of the planar radiating antenna R in the on-chip unit is generated by a photoconductive switch PCSS with a co-electrode structure based on a large-size semi-insulated wide bandgap semiconductor wafer S. Its main parameters include peak voltage, rise time, and pulse width, which are among the important factors affecting the radiation characteristics of the novel on-chip high-power microwave unit based on semi-insulated wide bandgap semiconductor materials.

[0047] like Figure 4 As shown, this is a typical planar radiating antenna R in a novel on-chip high-power microwave unit based on semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor materials. Its radiation performance and operating frequency are mainly determined by the reflection coefficient (S11) and voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR). That is, the lower the reflection coefficient and voltage standing wave ratio in the frequency band, the better its radiation characteristics.

[0048] like Figure 5 The figure shows a typical far-field radiation waveform in a novel on-chip high-power microwave unit based on a semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor material. The electric field intensity in the far-field region is measured and acquired by using a high-frequency field probe.

[0049] The novel on-chip high-power microwave unit mentioned in this disclosure has a compact structure, which is convenient for use in miniaturized and lightweight applications, and is also conducive to building an on-chip high-power microwave generation system with multi-unit array synthesis output.

[0050] Example 2 One embodiment of this disclosure provides a method for operating a novel on-chip high-power microwave unit, including: Initially, when the photoconductive switch on the semi-insulated wide bandgap semiconductor chip is not triggered by light pulse, the energy storage capacitor is charged by the pulse power supply or DC power supply. When the voltage across the capacitor reaches the peak value of the input voltage, the trigger gap of the photoconductive switch is irradiated by the light pulse. The resistivity of the trigger gap will gradually drop to the minimum value, releasing the energy on the energy storage capacitor and forming an electrical pulse waveform that is highly similar to the light pulse waveform. As one light pulse irradiation cycle ends, the energy storage capacitor continues to charge, waiting for the next cycle to discharge. The high-voltage pulse, after passing through the impedance transformation structure, is fed into the planar radiating antenna by the photoconductive switch, ultimately forming a directional high-power microwave in free space.

[0051] This disclosure is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create a machine for implementing the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0052] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0053] While the specific embodiments of this disclosure have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, this is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art without creative effort based on the technical solutions of this disclosure are still within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A novel on-chip high-power microwave unit, characterized in that, The invention includes a semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor wafer, on which an energy storage capacitor, a photoconductive switch, and a planar radiating antenna are integrated. The energy storage capacitor includes a high-voltage terminal plate, a ground terminal plate, and an insulating medium, wherein the insulating medium is disposed between the high-voltage terminal plate and the ground terminal plate. The planar radiating antenna includes a radiating surface electrode and a ground surface electrode; the photoconductive switch includes a cathode, an anode, and a trigger gap. The cathode of the photoconductive switch is connected to the high-voltage end plate of the energy storage capacitor, the anode of the photoconductive switch is connected to the impedance transformation part of the radiating surface electrode of the planar radiating antenna, and the grounding electrode of the planar radiating antenna is connected to the grounding end plate of the energy storage capacitor.

2. The novel on-chip high-power microwave unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The high-voltage end plate of the energy storage capacitor serves as the high-voltage input electrode of the primary power supply, and the ground end plate serves as the grounding electrode of the primary power supply. The high-voltage end plate and the ground end plate are arranged perpendicularly to each other, and together with the insulating medium between them, they form a parallel plate capacitor.

3. The novel on-chip high-power microwave unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cathode and anode of the photoconductive switch are designed to be spaced apart on the same surface or spaced apart on opposite surfaces. When spaced apart on the same surface, the trigger gap serves as the laser irradiation area for triggering the photoconductive switch. When spaced apart on opposite surfaces, the substrate thickness surface or the electrode area of ​​the photoconductive switch PCSS serves as the laser irradiation area for triggering the photoconductive switch.

4. The novel on-chip high-power microwave unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The semi-insulating wide-bandgap semiconductor wafer is an Al2O3 semi-insulating wafer with a specified resistivity, and S... i C semi-insulating wafer, GaN semi-insulating wafer, Ga2O3 semi-insulating wafer, AlN semi-insulating wafer or diamond semi-insulating wafer.

5. A novel on-chip high-power microwave unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The electrodes of the energy storage capacitor and photoconductive switch are set in rectangular, circular, or annular shapes; the planar radiating antenna includes non-coplanar sector antennas, microstrip antennas, helical antennas, biconical antennas, and Vivaldi patch antennas. Time-domain and frequency-domain analysis needs to be performed based on the electrical pulse parameters of the high-power pulse generation system, and then the planar radiating antenna is designed accordingly to achieve high-power microwave output.

6. A novel on-chip high-power microwave unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The energy storage capacitor, photoconductive switch, and planar radiating antenna can all be designed on the same or different surfaces. The photoconductive switch can be pre-lithographically etched or otherwise processed on the surface of a semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor wafer to ultimately achieve single or multiple effects of homogeneous / heterogeneous highly doped epitaxial layer growth, etched trench structure, or epitaxial passivation / antireflection layer structure.

7. A novel on-chip high-power microwave unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The energy storage capacitor, photoconductive switch, and planar radiating antenna can be deposited on the on-chip electrode region through photolithography, etching, sputtering, or evaporation semiconductor processes; the energy storage capacitor and planar radiating antenna are directly attached to the corresponding positions on the semi-insulating wide bandgap semiconductor wafer by means of copper foil patching or printed metal sheet.

8. A novel on-chip high-power microwave unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cathode and anode of the photoconductive switch need to form an ohmic contact, and the trigger gap must be in a high-resistance state when there is no laser trigger.

9. A novel on-chip high-power microwave unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The novel on-chip high-power microwave unit can be configured for multiple arrays, and timing control can be performed on each optical path or fiber to obtain high-power combined output.

10. A method for operating a novel on-chip high-power microwave unit according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, include: Initially, when the photoconductive switch on the semi-insulated wide bandgap semiconductor chip is not triggered by light pulse, the energy storage capacitor is charged by the pulse power supply or DC power supply. When the voltage across the capacitor reaches the peak value of the input voltage, the trigger gap of the photoconductive switch is irradiated by the light pulse. The resistivity of the trigger gap will gradually drop to the minimum value, releasing the energy on the energy storage capacitor and forming an electrical pulse waveform that is highly similar to the light pulse waveform. As one light pulse irradiation cycle ends, the energy storage capacitor continues to charge, waiting for the next cycle to discharge. The high-voltage pulse, after passing through the impedance transformation structure, is fed into the planar radiating antenna by the photoconductive switch, ultimately forming a directional high-power microwave in free space.

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