Extensible modular terahertz passive phased array
By using modular design and vertical interconnection structure, the DC control fan-out problem of terahertz passive phased arrays during large-scale expansion is solved, realizing a highly integrated and highly sensitive terahertz passive phased array suitable for inter-satellite communication of large-scale satellite constellations.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-08
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-03
AI Technical Summary
When traditional terahertz passive phased arrays are expanded on a large scale, the DC control fan-out problem leads to large subarray splicing spacing, making it impossible to achieve half-wavelength arrays, and individual small-scale phased arrays have limited power or insufficient sensitivity.
The modular design combines a vertical interconnect structure with a DC control line layer. Electrical connections are achieved through gold wire jumpers or ball array packaging (BGA) technology, reducing two-dimensional DC fan-out. It can be scaled up through external control interfaces, and the vertical interconnect structure is used as a support and shielding layer to avoid interference.
It has achieved an improvement in the integration of large-scale terahertz passive phased arrays, supports larger-scale near half-wavelength subarrays, reduces system complexity and power consumption, and improves the sensitivity of the receiver and the power of the transmitter.
Smart Images
Figure CN121790782A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to a terahertz passive phased array, and more particularly to a scalable modular terahertz passive phased array. Background Technology
[0002] The rapid evolution of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations has made high-speed inter-satellite communication a core technological support for building an integrated space-ground information network. In large-scale satellite constellation scenarios, the construction and maintenance of dynamic inter-satellite links place stringent demands on communication systems, requiring high frequency, high speed, low power consumption, miniaturization, and agile multi-beam scanning. Terahertz bands, with their abundant spectrum resources and extremely high transmission rate potential, have become the preferred solution for next-generation inter-satellite communication. Compared to laser communication, terahertz waves have less stringent requirements for pointing accuracy and offer better system fault tolerance. Compared to traditional microwave technology, terahertz communication can achieve smaller antenna sizes and higher anti-interference performance, especially in space-constrained satellite platform scenarios. Terahertz passive phased array technology presents unique application advantages for the practical needs of inter-satellite networking communication. Compared to active phased arrays, the passive architecture uses a centralized feeding design, eliminating the need for expensive high-frequency transceiver components for each radiating element, significantly reducing system complexity, power consumption, and cost. This characteristic makes it particularly suitable for the mass deployment of large-scale satellite constellations.
[0003] However, as array size increases, traditional terahertz passive phased arrays, especially terahertz passive transmissive phased arrays, face a serious DC control fan-out problem. Each phase-shifting unit requires an independent bias control line. When the number of array units increases to hundreds or even thousands, the wiring density of the control lines increases dramatically. Traditional DC control lines using multi-stage adapter boards have the following problems:
[0004] 1) The fan-out area of the multi-level adapter board is very large, which leads to a large spacing between subarrays. It is difficult to arrange the subarrays at approximately half wavelength, thus making it impossible to expand the array.
[0005] 2) A single small-scale phased array can work without expansion or arraying, but as a transmitter, its power is limited and difficult to apply; as a receiver, it has a small area, low receiving energy, and insufficient sensitivity. Summary of the Invention
[0006] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and provide a scalable modular terahertz passive phased array. By adopting a vertical interconnection method, it solves the problem of large DC fan-out of terahertz transmission passive phased arrays, which cannot meet the incompatibility of half-wavelength arrays.
[0007] The present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0008] A scalable modular terahertz passive phased array includes: a terahertz phased array surface, a vertical interconnect structure, a DC control line layer, an external control interface, an assembly support structure, and a feed horn;
[0009] The terahertz phased array is a rectangular structure, placed horizontally, with its edges overlapping the top steps of the vertically placed vertical interconnect structure and fixed by adhesive. The terahertz phased array and the vertical interconnect structure are electrically connected by gold wire jumpers or ball array packaging BGA process.
[0010] The bottom of the vertical interconnect structure is electrically and structurally connected to the horizontally placed DC control line layer through ball array packaging (BGA) technology. After connection, the structure is reinforced by coating with insulating adhesive.
[0011] The external control interfaces are distributed around the DC control line layer. After the modular terahertz passive phased array is expanded on a large scale, the control lines are fanned out through the peripheral DC lines to connect to the external control interfaces at the edge.
[0012] The DC control line layer is fixedly assembled with the assembly support structure, which is mounted on the RF channel housing. The feed horn is also mounted on the RF channel housing.
[0013] Furthermore, the terahertz phased array surface meets the half-wavelength array requirement of the phased array, the element period is not greater than λ / 2, and it is a transmission type array surface, where λ is the wavelength.
[0014] Furthermore, the vertical interconnect structure is connected to the terahertz phased array surface via a transition interconnection method. It serves as both a vertical interconnect routing method for DC control, effectively reducing the two-dimensional DC fan-out of the array plane, and a support structure between the terahertz phased array surface and the DC control line layer. The height of the assembly support structure is designed in coordination with the radiation distance requirements of the feed horn. The vertical interconnect structure also acts as a shielding layer for feed radiation, isolating interference from feeds within adjacent terahertz passive phased array modules.
[0015] Furthermore, the DC control line layer is implemented using PCB or quartz technology, requiring a central slot and also serving as a lateral support structure. The DC control line layer is constrained by both the vertical interconnect structure and the assembly support structure. On one hand, it needs to match the soldering or bonding dimensions of the vertical interconnect structure and design corresponding DC traces to be controlled by external wave control signals through an external control interface. On the other hand, it needs to calculate and determine the size of the central slot based on the height of the assembly support structure to ensure that the terahertz waves from the feed directly radiate to the array without obstruction.
[0016] Furthermore, by designing the height of the assembly support structure to avoid intracavity resonance, and by attaching a shielding layer to the inner wall of the assembly support structure, the number of times electromagnetic waves are reflected on the inner wall is reduced, thereby avoiding signal interference from reflected clutter.
[0017] Furthermore, the feed horn's radiating beam covers the terahertz phased array surface, and there are no unradiated array elements. The feed horn receives external signal excitation through a flange or waveguide direct connection.
[0018] Furthermore, the terahertz phased array, vertical interconnect structure, and DC control line layer are interconnected. Through the beam control signal input from the external control interface, the 1-bit phase switching of the array elements on the terahertz phased array is realized. Through appropriate phased array coding, the beamforming of the entire phased array is achieved.
[0019] Furthermore, the terahertz wave is radiated by the feed horn, and the beam passes through the terahertz phased array to form a terahertz beam at a corresponding angle; beam scanning is achieved by switching control codes.
[0020] Furthermore, the vertical interconnect structure is fabricated using the LTCC method.
[0021] The advantages of this invention compared to the prior art are:
[0022] Traditional terahertz transmission-type passive phased arrays necessitate DC fan-out on the two-dimensional plane containing the array surface, often requiring multi-stage transition boards to expand the area, directly limiting the large-scale arraying of passive phased arrays. Compared to traditional methods, the architecture proposed in this invention provides a solution for the large-scale arraying of terahertz passive transmission-type phased arrays. Vertical interconnection increases the integration of the phased array and enables larger-scale subarray arrangements approaching half-wavelength. Attached Figure Description
[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall scalable modular terahertz passive phased array scheme of the present invention;
[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the relative positions and connections of the terahertz phased array surfaces and the vertical interconnect structure.
[0025] Figure 3 The simulation results of the feed radiation on a 1024-element array surface are presented, showing the distribution of electric field intensity and terahertz wave phase on the array surface;
[0026] Figure 4 The simulation results show the radiation pattern of a terahertz passive phased array with a scale of 1024 when the array is in operation, and the beam scanning angle range can cover ±45°. Detailed Implementation
[0027] To illustrate the technical solutions disclosed in this invention in detail, the following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, will provide further explanation.
[0028] This invention proposes a scalable modular terahertz passive phased array, which includes a complete scalable architecture of array, interconnection, control, support and feed. It adopts a vertical interconnection method, which takes a different approach and provides an effective solution for the large-area fan-out of DC control lines of terahertz passive transmission phased array.
[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present invention discloses a scalable modular terahertz passive phased array, including a terahertz phased array surface 1, a vertical interconnection structure 2, a DC control line layer 3, an external control interface 4, an assembly support structure 5, and a feed horn 6.
[0030] The terahertz phased array 1 is a rectangular structure, placed horizontally, with its edges overlapping the top steps of the vertically placed vertical interconnect structure 2 and fixed by adhesive. The terahertz phased array 1 and the vertical interconnect structure 2 are electrically connected via gold wire jumpers or ball array packaging (BGA) technology. The terahertz phased array 1 is formed by densely packed phased array elements that meet the half-wavelength array requirement, with an element period not greater than λ / 2, and is a transmission-type array, where λ is the wavelength. The phased array elements include substrate material and metal resonant structures.
[0031] The modular terahertz passive phased array proposed in this invention is a passive space-fed phased array. It is excited by the feed source through a terahertz radio frequency channel. The beamforming of the phased array is completed by adjusting the phase of each phased array element by 1 bit. The terahertz wave radiated by the feed source interacts with the phased array surface and achieves flexible beam control after transmission through the array surface.
[0032] The bottom of the vertical interconnect structure 2 is electrically and structurally connected to the horizontally placed DC control line layer 3 through ball array packaging BGA process. After connection, the structure is reinforced by coating with insulating adhesive.
[0033] External control interface 4 is distributed around the DC control line layer 3. After the modular terahertz passive phased array is expanded on a large scale, the control line is fanned out through the peripheral DC line and led out to the edge to connect with external control interface 4.
[0034] The DC control line layer 3 is fixedly assembled with the assembly support structure 5. The assembly support structure 5 is installed on the RF channel housing, and the feed speaker 6 is also installed on the RF channel housing.
[0035] Furthermore, the vertical interconnect structure 2 is connected to the terahertz phased array surface via a transition interconnection method. It serves as both a vertical interconnection routing method for DC control, effectively reducing the two-dimensional DC fan-out of the array plane, and a support structure between the terahertz phased array surface and the DC control line layer. The height of the assembly support structure is designed in coordination with the radiation distance requirements of the feed horn. The vertical interconnect structure also serves as a shielding layer for feed radiation, isolating the feed interference from adjacent terahertz passive phased array modules.
[0036] Furthermore, the DC control line layer 3 is implemented using PCB or quartz technology, requiring a central slot and a certain structural strength as a lateral support structure. The DC control line layer 3 is constrained by both the vertical interconnect structure 2 and the assembly support structure 5. On the one hand, it needs to match the welding or bonding dimensions of the vertical interconnect structure and design corresponding DC traces to be controlled by external wave control signals through the external control interface 4. On the other hand, it needs to calculate and determine the size of the central slot based on the height of the assembly support structure to ensure that the terahertz waves from the feed directly radiate to the array without obstruction.
[0037] Furthermore, by designing the height of the assembly support structure 5 to avoid intracavity resonance, a shielding layer is pasted on the inner wall of the assembly support structure 5 to reduce the number of electromagnetic wave reflections on the inner wall, thereby avoiding signal interference from reflected clutter.
[0038] The feed horn 6 should be designed with a reasonable aperture based on the operating frequency band and the size of the subarray to be excited, so that the radiation beam almost covers the terahertz array. It is necessary to ensure that there are no unradiated array elements and that not too much energy is radiated outside the array. The feed horn can receive external signal excitation through a flange or waveguide direct connection.
[0039] This invention interconnects the terahertz phased array surface 1, the vertical interconnection structure 2, and the DC control line layer 3. Through the beam control signal input via the external control interface 4, 1-bit phase switching of the array elements on the terahertz phased array surface is achieved. By using appropriate phased array coding, beamforming of the entire phased array surface is realized. The terahertz wave is radiated by the feed horn 6, and the beam, after passing through the terahertz phased array surface 1, forms a terahertz beam at a corresponding angle; beam scanning is achieved by switching the control coding.
[0040] Example:
[0041] Specifically, to verify the specific performance of the structure, this embodiment designed a terahertz passive phased array with an operating frequency of 220 GHz. The array surface and the vertical interconnect structure are bonded together with gold wire. The vertical interconnect structure uses LTCC and is connected to the DC control line layer below by ball bonding using BGA process.
[0042] By coordinating the design of the vertical interconnect structure height, DC control line layer thickness, assembly support structure height, and opening size, the feed radiation beam almost completely covers the terahertz array. This requires ensuring that no unradiated array elements exist and that too much energy is not radiated outside the array. The electric field and phase distributions were simulated, and the simulation results are as follows: Figure 3 As shown. The phased array simulation is as follows. Figure 4 As shown, the beam control capability of the terahertz transmission passive phased array based on phase change materials designed in the embodiment is demonstrated, verifying the correctness of the technical solution of the present invention.
[0043] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments described herein are intended to help the reader understand the principles of the invention, and should be understood that the scope of protection of the invention is not limited to such specific statements and embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various other specific modifications and combinations based on the technical teachings disclosed in this invention without departing from the scope of the invention, and these modifications and combinations are still within the scope of protection of this invention.
Claims
1. A scalable modular terahertz passive phased array, characterized in that, include: Terahertz phased array (1), vertical interconnection structure (2), DC control line layer (3), external control interface (4), assembly support structure (5), feed horn (6); The terahertz phased array (1) is a rectangular structure, placed horizontally, with its edges overlapping the top steps of the vertically placed vertical interconnect structure (2) and fixed by adhesive. The terahertz phased array (1) and the vertical interconnect structure (2) are electrically connected by gold wire jumpers or ball array package BGA process. The bottom of the vertical interconnect structure (2) is electrically and structurally connected to the horizontally placed DC control line layer (3) through ball array packaging BGA process. After connection, the structure is reinforced by coating with insulating glue. The external control interface (4) is distributed around the DC control line layer (3). After the modular terahertz passive phased array is scaled up, the control line is fanned out through the peripheral DC line and connected to the external control interface (4) at the edge. The DC control line layer (3) is fixedly assembled with the assembly support structure (5), and the assembly support structure (5) is installed on the RF channel housing. The feed horn (6) is also installed on the RF channel housing.
2. The scalable modular terahertz passive phased array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The terahertz phased array surface (1) meets the half-wavelength array requirement of the phased array, the element period is not greater than λ / 2, and it is a transmission type array surface, where λ is the wavelength.
3. A scalable modular terahertz passive phased array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vertical interconnect structure (2) is connected to the terahertz phased array surface through a transition interconnection method. It serves as both a vertical interconnection routing method for DC control, effectively reducing the two-dimensional DC fan-out of the array plane, and a support structure between the terahertz phased array surface and the DC control line layer. The height of the assembly support structure is designed in coordination with the radiation distance requirements of the feed horn. The vertical interconnect structure serves as a shielding layer for feed radiation, isolating the interference of feeds in adjacent terahertz passive phased array modules.
4. A scalable modular terahertz passive phased array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The DC control line layer (3) is implemented using PCB or quartz technology. It needs to be slotted in the center and also serves as a horizontal support structure. The DC control line layer (3) is constrained by the vertical interconnect structure (2) and the assembly support structure (5). On the one hand, it needs to match the welding or bonding dimensions of the vertical interconnect structure and design the corresponding DC traces. It is controlled by external wave control signals through the external control interface (4). On the other hand, it needs to calculate and determine the size of the slot in the center part according to the height of the assembly support structure to ensure that the terahertz wave of the feed source is directly radiated to the array without obstruction.
5. A scalable modular terahertz passive phased array according to claim 1, characterized in that: By designing the height of the assembly support structure (5) to avoid cavity resonance, a shielding layer is pasted on the inner wall of the assembly support structure (5) to reduce the number of electromagnetic waves reflected on the inner wall, so as to avoid signal interference from reflected clutter.
6. A scalable modular terahertz passive phased array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feed horn (6) radiates a beam that covers the terahertz phased array surface. There are no unradiated array elements. The feed horn receives external signal excitation through a flange or waveguide direct connection.
7. A scalable modular terahertz passive phased array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The terahertz phased array (1), vertical interconnection structure (2), and DC control line layer (3) are interconnected. The beam control signal input through the external control interface (4) enables 1-bit phase switching of the array elements on the terahertz phased array. Through appropriate phased array coding, the beamforming of the entire phased array is realized.
8. A scalable modular terahertz passive phased array according to claim 7, characterized in that: Terahertz waves are radiated by the feed horn (6), and the beam passes through the terahertz phased array (1) to form a terahertz beam at the corresponding angle; beam scanning is achieved by switching control codes.
9. A scalable modular terahertz passive phased array according to claim 7, characterized in that: The vertical interconnect structure is fabricated using the LTCC method.