Performance enhancement structure for radio frequency switch, preparation method therefor, and radio frequency system

Abstract

Provided in embodiments of the present disclosure are a performance enhancement structure for a radio frequency switch, a preparation method therefor, and a radio frequency system. The performance enhancement structure for a radio frequency switch comprises a metal pixel array, the metal pixel array comprising a plurality of metal plates arranged around a radio frequency switch and spaced apart from each other, wherein some of the plurality of metal plates are selectively electrically connected to compensate for the parasitic effect of the radio frequency switch.

Description

Performance enhancement structures for RF switches and their fabrication methods, RF systems Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and more specifically, to a performance enhancement structure for a radio frequency switch, a method for fabricating the performance enhancement structure for a radio frequency switch, and a radio frequency system. Background Technology

[0002] Radio frequency (RF) switches can be applied to reconfigurable RF systems and emerging technologies, including reconfigurable smart surfaces and reconfigurable antennas in sixth-generation (6G) networks.

[0003] The rapid development of wireless communication technology has driven the demand for reconfigurable radio frequency (RF) systems. RF switches, as key components in these systems, play a crucial role in achieving precise signal routing, isolation, and control across different frequency bands. RF switches are widely used in modern communication infrastructures, including mobile devices, satellite communications, radar systems, and IoT networks. Looking ahead, the demand for large-scale integrated RF switches will surge to dynamically manage and optimize signal propagation, thereby achieving efficient and reconfigurable wireless system performance.

[0004] In the past, radio frequency (RF) switches were mainly used in network systems below 6 GHz, achieving low insertion loss and high isolation. However, with the widespread adoption of 5G technology and the approaching 6G technology, the demand for RF switches operating at higher frequency bands such as centimeter waves and millimeter waves is increasing. However, RF switches operating at these high frequencies are susceptible to parasitic effects, leading to increased insertion loss and decreased isolation, thus weakening the performance of the wireless system in which they operate. Although new manufacturing processes can better control the parasitic effects of RF switches, enabling them to operate effectively at higher frequencies, this also significantly increases the manufacturing cost of RF switches. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a performance enhancement structure for a radio frequency switch, a method for fabricating the performance enhancement structure for a radio frequency switch, and a radio frequency system that can at least partially solve the above-mentioned problems or other problems in the art.

[0006] One aspect of this disclosure provides a performance enhancement structure for a radio frequency switch, the performance enhancement structure comprising: a metal pixel array including a plurality of metal plates disposed around and spaced apart from each other on the radio frequency switch, wherein a portion of the plurality of metal plates is selectively electrically connected to compensate for parasitic effects of the radio frequency switch.

[0007] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the metal pixel array and the radio frequency switch are disposed on a circuit substrate, wherein the circuit substrate includes at least one of a printed circuit board, an integrated circuit substrate, and a low-temperature co-fired ceramic substrate.

[0008] In some embodiments of this disclosure, at least two of the plurality of metal plates have different sizes and / or different shapes.

[0009] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the plurality of metal plates include: a first type of metal plate directly connected to the input / output port of the radio frequency switch; and a second type of metal plate serving as the input / output port of a performance enhancement structure, wherein the size of at least one of the first type of metal plate and the second type of metal plate is larger than the size of the other metal plates in the metal pixel array.

[0010] In some embodiments of this disclosure, there is a gap between every two adjacent metal plates, wherein the gaps are of equal size.

[0011] In some embodiments of this disclosure, one of the dimensions of the metal plate and the dimensions of the gap between adjacent metal plates is greater than or equal to the minimum manufacturable size of the process used to manufacture the performance-enhancing structure.

[0012] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the size of the metal plate is greater than or equal to the minimum linewidth of the printed circuit board process used to manufacture the performance-enhancing structure; and / or the size of the gap is greater than or equal to the minimum line spacing of the printed circuit board process used to manufacture the performance-enhancing structure.

[0013] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the upper limit frequency of the target operating frequency band is higher than the upper limit frequency of the inherent operating frequency band of the radio frequency switch; or the target operating frequency band is wholly or partially located within the inherent operating frequency band of the radio frequency switch.

[0014] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the isolation of the RF switch with integrated performance enhancement structure in the target operating frequency band is higher than that of the RF switch itself in the target operating frequency band; and the insertion loss of the RF switch with integrated performance enhancement structure in the target operating frequency band is lower than that of the RF switch itself in the target operating frequency band.

[0015] In some embodiments of this disclosure, a subset of multiple metal plates is selectively electrically connected by: searching for different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array using an optimization algorithm based on the scattering parameter matrix and the inherent scattering matrix of the RF switch, in order to optimize a preset objective function and thus determine the selective electrical connection; wherein the scattering parameter matrix is ​​obtained from a multi-port network model of the metal pixel array and the RF switch; and the objective function is related to the isolation and insertion loss of the RF switch in the target operating frequency band.

[0016] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the objective function is positively correlated with the isolation of the RF switch in the target operating frequency band; and the objective function is negatively correlated with the insertion loss of the RF switch in the target operating frequency band.

[0017] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the metal pixel array further includes gaps located between adjacent metal plates; and the potential connection configuration is determined by the connection state of all the gaps in the metal pixel array, wherein, in a conducting state, the gap is bridged by a conductor, thereby electrically connecting the metal plates on both sides of the gap; or in a disconnected state, the gap is not bridged.

[0018] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the multiport network model includes: a first set of ports, including multiple internal ports and radio frequency switches representing potential connection configurations; and a second set of ports, including a metal plate of input / output ports as a performance enhancement structure.

[0019] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the scattering parameter matrix includes: a first scatterer matrix characterizing the coupling within the first set of ports; a second scatterer matrix characterizing the coupling from the first set of ports to the second set of ports; a third scatterer matrix characterizing the coupling from the second set of ports to the first set of ports; and a fourth scatterer matrix characterizing the coupling within the second set of ports.

[0020] In some embodiments of this disclosure, a portion of a plurality of metal plates is selectively electrically connected, determined by means of: introducing a constraint function during the search process of an optimization algorithm, judging the electrical connectivity of potential connection configurations one by one, and removing potential connection configurations that would cause a conduction path to be formed between different DC control ports of the RF switch, wherein the DC control port is a port that applies a DC bias signal to the RF switch, and the DC control port and the input / output port of at least one RF switch are the same physical port.

[0021] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the metal pixel array includes a single-layer or multi-layer metal structure.

[0022] In some embodiments of this disclosure, a plurality of metal plates selectively electrically connected have a patterned structure, wherein the patterned structure is configured to compensate for parasitic effects of the radio frequency switch by the distribution of the metal patterns.

[0023] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the patterned structure is an irregular, non-periodic structure.

[0024] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the maximum size of the metal pixel array in any dimension is smaller than the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency of the target operating frequency band of the radio frequency switch.

[0025] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a radio frequency (RF) system comprising: an RF switch; and a metal pixel array including a plurality of metal plates disposed around and spaced apart from each other, wherein a portion of the plurality of metal plates is selectively electrically connected to compensate for parasitic effects of the RF switch.

[0026] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a method for fabricating a performance enhancement structure for a radio frequency switch, the method comprising: disposing a metal pixel array around the radio frequency switch, wherein the metal pixel array comprises a plurality of metal plates spaced apart from each other; and selectively electrically connecting a portion of the plurality of metal plates to compensate for parasitic effects of the radio frequency switch.

[0027] In some embodiments of this disclosure, arranging a metal pixel array around a radio frequency switch includes setting one of the dimensions of the metal plates and the dimensions of the gaps between adjacent metal plates to be greater than or equal to the minimum manufacturable size of the process used to manufacture the performance enhancement structure.

[0028] In some embodiments of this disclosure, selectively electrically connecting a portion of multiple metal plates to compensate for the parasitic effects of the radio frequency switch includes: obtaining a scattering parameter matrix of a multi-port network model including a metal pixel array and a radio frequency switch; and searching for different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array using an optimization algorithm based on the scattering parameter matrix and the inherent scattering matrix of the radio frequency switch to optimize a preset objective function, thereby determining the selective electrical connection; wherein the objective function is related to the isolation and insertion loss of the radio frequency switch in the target operating frequency band.

[0029] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the objective function is positively correlated with the isolation of the RF switch in the target operating frequency band; and the objective function is negatively correlated with the insertion loss of the RF switch in the target operating frequency band.

[0030] In some embodiments of this disclosure, obtaining the scattering parameter matrix of a multiport network model including a metal pixel array and a radio frequency switch includes: performing a single simulation of the multiport network model to obtain the scattering parameter matrix, wherein the multiport network model includes: a first set of ports, including multiple internal ports characterizing potential connection configurations and input / output ports of the radio frequency switch; and a second set of ports, including a metal plate serving as the input / output ports for performance enhancement structures.

[0031] In some embodiments of this disclosure, obtaining the scattering parameter matrix of a multi-port network model including a metal pixel array and a radio frequency switch further includes: introducing a constraint function during the search process of the optimization algorithm, judging the electrical connectivity of potential connection configurations one by one, and removing potential connection configurations that cause different DC control ports of the radio frequency switch to form a conduction path, wherein the DC control port is the port that applies a DC bias signal to the radio frequency switch, and the DC control port and the input / output port of at least one radio frequency switch are the same physical port.

[0032] In some embodiments of this disclosure, obtaining the scattering parameter matrix of a multiport network model including a metal pixel array and radio frequency switches further includes: setting a first size for the metal pixel array and searching for different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array having the first size; in response to determining a selective electrical connection of the metal pixel array having the first size, iteratively reducing the first size and searching for different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array having the reduced size; and until a selective electrical connection of the metal pixel array having the reduced size cannot be determined, and determining the size obtained by the last reduction as the size of the metal pixel array.

[0033] In some embodiments of this disclosure, obtaining the scattering parameter matrix of a multiport network model including a metal pixel array and radio frequency switches further includes: setting a first size for the metal pixel array and searching for different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array having the first size; in response to the inability to determine a selective electrical connection of the metal pixel array having the first size, iteratively increasing the first size and searching for different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array having the increased size; and until a selective electrical connection of the metal pixel array having the increased size is determined, and determining the size obtained by the last increase as the size of the metal pixel array.

[0034] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the input / output port distribution of the RF switch has rotational symmetry. Obtaining the scattering parameter matrix of the multiport network model including the metal pixel array and the RF switch further includes: applying rotational symmetry constraints to the potential connection configuration during the search process of the optimization algorithm to reduce the number of optimization variables.

[0035] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the method further includes forming a metal pixel array around the radio frequency switch using at least one of printed circuit board technology, integrated circuit technology, and low-temperature co-fired ceramic packaging technology.

[0036] Additional aspects and advantages of this disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the claimed technical solutions, wherein:

[0038] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a system including a PES and a radio frequency switch according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a multi-port network model with N+2M ports of a system according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0040] Figure 3 is a partial structural diagram of a system according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0041] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a system including a PES and a radio frequency switch according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0042] Figure 5 is a graph showing the change of inherent characteristics of the RF switch as a function of operating frequency after direct measurement and de-embedding processing according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0043] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of six optimized PES configurations at different center frequencies and a corresponding micrograph of an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0044] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a test system for testing a radio frequency switch integrated with PES according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0045] Figure 8 shows the parameters S of an RF switch integrating PES tested in different frequency bands according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. 11 A graph showing the change with frequency;

[0046] Figure 9 shows the parameters S of the RF switch integrating PES tested in different frequency bands according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. 21 A graph showing the change with frequency;

[0047] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a system including a PES and a radio frequency switch according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] Figure 11 is a graph showing the change of inherent characteristics of the radio frequency switch as a function of operating frequency, obtained by direct measurement and de-embedding processing according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0049] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of six optimized PES configurations at different center frequencies and corresponding micrographs of an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0050] Figure 13 shows the parameters S of the RF switch integrating PES tested in different frequency bands according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. 11 A graph showing the change with frequency;

[0051] Figure 14 shows the parameters S of the RF switch integrating PES tested in different frequency bands according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. 21 A graph showing the change with frequency;

[0052] Figure 15 is an iterative design flowchart of the PES size according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0053] Figure 16 is a comparison chart of measurement, simulation and analytical calculation results of the performance of a sub-6 GHz RF switch with integrated PES according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0054] Figure 17 is a comparison chart of measurement, simulation and analytical calculation results of the performance of a millimeter-wave band RF switch with integrated PES according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0055] Figure 18 is an analysis diagram of the impact of the circuit board on PES performance according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure; and

[0056] Figure 19 is a flowchart of a method for fabricating a PES for a radio frequency switch according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0057] To better understand this disclosure, various aspects of this disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these detailed descriptions are merely illustrative of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure in any way. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements. The expression "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0058] It should be noted that in this specification, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used only to distinguish one feature from another and do not imply any limitation on the features, especially not any order of precedence. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of this disclosure, the first input / output port discussed herein may also be referred to as the second input / output port, and vice versa.

[0059] In the accompanying drawings, the thickness, dimensions, and shapes of the parts have been slightly adjusted for ease of illustration. The drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not drawn to scale. As used herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” and similar terms are used as expressions of approximation, not as expressions of degree, and are intended to illustrate inherent deviations in measured or calculated values ​​that will be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0060] It should also be understood that expressions such as "comprising," "including," "having," "containing," and / or "comprising" are open-ended rather than closed-ended expressions in this specification, indicating the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, but not excluding the presence of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. Furthermore, when expressions such as "at least one of..." appear after a list of listed features, they modify the entire list of features, not just individual elements in the list. Additionally, when describing embodiments of this disclosure, the word "may" is used to mean "one or more embodiments of this disclosure." And the term "exemplary" is intended to refer to an example or illustration.

[0061] Unless otherwise specified, all terms used herein (including engineering and technical terms) shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It should also be understood that, unless expressly stated in this disclosure, terms as defined in common dictionaries shall be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and not as having an idealized or overly formalized meaning.

[0062] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this disclosure can be combined with each other. Furthermore, unless explicitly limited or contradicted by the context, the specific steps included in the methods described in this disclosure are not limited to the order in which they are described, but can be performed in any order or in parallel.

[0063] Furthermore, this disclosure uses the terms "connection" or "linkage" to indicate that the corresponding components are at least one of an electrical connection or a physical connection. Additionally, "connection" or "linkage" can include establishing a direct or indirect link. In this disclosure, "direct linking" or "direct connection" can include connections established by physical structural means, including but not limited to electrical conduction or mechanical fixation achieved through welding, metal wires, conductive lines, solder, conductive adhesive, metallized vias, integrally molded conductors, etc., unless otherwise expressly defined or inferred from the context.

[0064] This disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0065] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a system 1000 including a PES and a radio frequency switch 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] As shown in Figure 1, system 1000 may include an RF switch 100 and PES (Performance-Enhancement Structures), wherein the PES includes a metal pixel array comprising a plurality of metal plates 200 disposed around and spaced apart from each other on the RF switch 100. A portion of the plurality of metal plates 200 are selectively electrically connected to compensate for parasitic effects of the RF switch 100.

[0067] In other words, in the embodiments of this disclosure, a specific pattern is formed by selectively electrically connecting some of the multiple metal plates. The function of a PES with a specific pattern can be similar to a combination of an inductor and a capacitor. Therefore, the PES can be designed as a subwavelength metal pattern surrounding the RF switch. By optimizing the coupling effect between the metal pixel arrays, the inherent harmful parasitic effects of the RF switch can be counteracted, thereby improving the performance of the RF switch. Especially in the high-frequency band where parasitic effects are more significant, the PES can greatly improve the performance of the RF switch.

[0068] Optionally, the plurality of metal plates 200 selectively electrically connected in the metal pixel array of the PES have a patterned structure, which can compensate for the parasitic effects of the RF switch 100 through the distribution of the metal patterns in its structure. Exemplarily, the patterned structure can be an irregular, non-periodic structure. For example, the optimized patterned structure of the PES illustrated in Figures 6 and 12 below has a top-view appearance similar to a QR code.

[0069] Optionally, the maximum size of the metal pixel array in any dimension is smaller than the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency of the target operating frequency band of the RF switch 100. It should be noted that the term "metal pixel array" does not refer to the array having pixel or camera functions, but rather to the extremely small size of the metal plates 200. The array with a patterned structure formed by selectively connecting multiple metal plates 200 is also extremely small, with the multiple metal plates 200 arranged in an array resembling pixels, hence the name "metal pixel array."

[0070] Alternatively, multiple metal plates 200 may be arranged around the RF switch 100. For example, the RF switch 100 may be located at the center of the system 1000. The metal plates 200 are extremely small in size, and multiple metal plates 200 constitute a metal pixel array. The RF switch 100 may include its own native input / output port 110 (hereinafter referred to as the first input / output port 110), wherein the RF switch 100 can be of any type, and this disclosure does not limit the type of the RF switch 100 or the number of the first input / output ports 110. Optionally, in some single-pole single-throw type RF switches 100, the number of first input / output ports 110 may be 2 ports; and in some single-pole double-throw type RF switches 100, the number of first input / output ports 100 may be 3 ports.

[0071] Alternatively, the size of the metal plate 200 and the overall size of the metal pixel array can be adjusted according to the specific type of the RF switch 100 and the target operating frequency band. The size of the metal plate 200 may include the length l1 and width w1 of the metal plate 200, and the size of the metal pixel array may include the length L and width W of the metal pixel array.

[0072] The maximum size of the metal pixel array in any dimension can be smaller than the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency of the target operating frequency band of the RF switch 100. Therefore, the length L and width W of the metal pixel array are both smaller than the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency of the target operating frequency band of the RF switch 100. The length l1 and width w1 of the metal plate 200 are also much smaller than the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency of the target operating frequency band of the RF switch 100.

[0073] Furthermore, the system 1000 may also include a circuit board 300, on which both the PES and the RF switch 100 are disposed. Alternatively, the circuit board 300 may include a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the dimensions of the metal plate 200 described above can be understood as the dimensions of the metal plate 200 in a plane parallel to the circuit board 300; and the dimensions of the metal pixel array can be understood as the overall dimensions of the metal pixel array in a plane parallel to the circuit board 300. Alternatively, the maximum dimension of the metal pixel array in any dimension may include the length L and width W of the metal pixel array in a plane parallel to the circuit board.

[0074] Furthermore, as an alternative, the circuit board 300 may also include an integrated circuit substrate or a low-temperature co-fired ceramic substrate. Alternatively, the circuit board 300 may also include a combination of a printed circuit board, an integrated circuit substrate, and a low-temperature co-fired ceramic substrate. It should be noted that the circuit board can be understood as a carrier that supports the PES and the RF switch. This disclosure does not limit the specific process for forming the PES or the specific carrier that supports the PES and the RF switch. The description of the circuit board in the specification is only for describing the structure of the PES and is not a specific limitation on the aforementioned carrier.

[0075] Optionally, the metal pixel array may include a single-layer or multi-layer metal structure. Specifically, in an embodiment where the metal pixel array is a single-layer metal structure, all metal plates 200 and interconnect structures for selective electrical connections can be arranged on the same metal layer. Optionally, this single-layer structure can be formed by a single-layer metallization process of the circuit board 300 (e.g., copper foil etching process for printed circuit boards, metal interconnect layer process for integrated circuits, or single-layer screen printing process for low-temperature co-fired ceramics, etc.). This single-layer implementation has the advantages of simple process and low cost, and is suitable for applications with strict limitations on cross-sectional thickness.

[0076] Furthermore, in embodiments where the metal pixel array is a multilayer metal structure, all metal plates 200 and interconnect structures for selective electrical connections can be distributed on multiple different metal layers of the circuit board 300. The necessary electrical connections between multiple metal layers can be made through metallized vias, thereby constructing a more complex PES in three-dimensional space. The introduction of vertical coupling in the multilayer metal structure, combined with horizontal coupling within the same layer, enables the formation of a more complex equivalent inductor-capacitor network, thereby allowing for precise compensation over a wider frequency band or for more complex parasitic effects. In addition, this multilayer metal structure can increase the integration density of the PES and reduce its overall spatial size.

[0077] Alternatively, the PES can be fabricated simultaneously with the circuit board 300 to reduce costs. In other words, since the PES can be integrated with other components on the circuit board 300, its cost is negligible relative to the RF switch 100. Therefore, the novel performance-enhancing structure PES proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure aims to improve the performance of RF switches at a high cost-performance ratio. This PES is applicable to various types of RF switches to improve performance indicators such as isolation, and its performance is particularly outstanding in the high-frequency bands of RF switch operation. While counteracting the harmful parasitic effects of RF switches, it can be fabricated simultaneously with the circuit board to reduce costs.

[0078] Radio frequency (RF) switches can include solid-state switches, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches, and field-effect transistor (FET) switches. For example, while MEMS switches offer high energy efficiency and excellent RF transmission quality, they are limited by issues such as dielectric charging, slow switching speed, contact degradation, and large footprint. FET switches, while offering fast switching speeds, require more space to achieve low on-resistance, resulting in higher parasitic capacitance. Furthermore, PIN diodes consist of a heavily doped P-type semiconductor layer, a heavily doped N-type semiconductor layer, and an intrinsic semiconductor layer in between. Therefore, although PIN diodes exhibit excellent transmission performance and superior isolation and conduction capabilities at high frequencies, they require a continuous bias current to operate. In addition, RF switches based on emerging resistive memory technologies such as resistive random access memory (RRAM), bridged RRAM, and phase-change memory (PCM) demonstrate advantages such as compact size, fast switching speed, low power consumption, high scalability, and non-volatility; however, their reliability and manufacturing cost still require further investigation.

[0079] The PES provided in this disclosure is applicable to the various types of RF switches described above and can improve the inherent performance indicators of RF switches, such as isolation. Specifically, the PES can be designed as a subwavelength metal pattern surrounding the RF switch to counteract the inherent parasitic effects of the RF switch and improve its performance, especially in the high-frequency band where parasitic effects are more significant. Furthermore, in some embodiments, since the PES can be fabricated simultaneously with the circuit board, its cost is negligible. It should be noted that although the PES can be fabricated simultaneously with the circuit board, the PES technology does not depend on any specific circuit board.

[0080] Referring again to FIG1, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the PES may further include a second input / output port 210, wherein, with the RF switch 100 located at the center of the system 1000, the second input / output port 210 may be disposed on the outermost side of the system 1000 away from the center, for electrical connection to external circuitry (not shown) or components (not shown). Optionally, the external circuitry and components may be located on the circuit board 300. Alternatively, some of the plurality of metal plates 200 may serve as the second input / output port 210.

[0081] In addition, the metal pixel array may also include gaps between adjacent metal plates, wherein the size g1 of the multiple gaps may be equal.

[0082] Alternatively, a potential connection 220 can be used to represent the connection state of the gap. The connection state of the gap can include: a conducting state or an open state. A conducting state can be understood as the gap being bridged by a conductor, thereby electrically connecting the metal plates 200 on both sides of the gap. An open state can be understood as the gap not being bridged, thereby isolating the metal plates 200 on both sides of the gap from each other. Therefore, a potential connection 220 can characterize that its corresponding gap can be selectively bridged by a conductor to achieve a conducting state; or remain open, in an open state. Each potential connection 220 corresponds to an optimization variable, and the combination of the states of all optimization variables collectively defines the final connection configuration of the PES. The specific process of selectively electrically connecting a portion of the multiple metal plates 200 through potential connections 220 will be described in detail later with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0083] Optionally, the gap can be selectively bridged by conductors. For example, during the fabrication of the circuit board 300, metal wires connecting the metal plates 200 on both sides of the gap are formed in the gap using etching processes or the like. The metal plates 200 on both sides of the gap are connected using materials such as solder. The metal plates 200 on both sides of the gap are connected using conductive adhesive by methods such as printing or dot coating. Furthermore, the circuit board 300 can be a multilayer structure, and metal plates or traces of different layers can be connected through metallized vias, so the metal plates 200 on both sides of the gap can also be connected in this way. It should be noted that this disclosure does not limit the specific embodiments in which the gap is bridged by conductors or the metal plates 200 on both sides of the gap are electrically connected.

[0084] Alternatively, a potential connection 220 can be provided between any two adjacent metal plates 200. In other words, any two adjacent metal plates 200 can be either disconnected from each other or electrically connected. Based on this, some of the multiple metal plates 200 can be selectively electrically connected through multiple potential connections 220, causing the PES to present a specific pattern. The function of a PES with a specific pattern can be similar to a combination of an inductor and a capacitor.

[0085] PES with a specific pattern can compensate for the inherent parasitic effects inside the RF switch 100, thereby improving its performance in the target operating frequency band of the RF switch 100. In addition, the first input / output port 110 of the RF switch 100 can also extend to any metal plate 200 of the outer ring, or in other words, the first input / output port 110 of the RF switch 100 can also be conveniently connected to external circuits or components through any metal plate 200 of the outer ring.

[0086] It should be noted that the structures (e.g., PES, circuit board 300, etc.), their positions, and their dimensions in the system 1000 shown in Figure 1 are for illustrative purposes only. The structures in the system 1000 can be strategically scaled to accommodate various types of RF switches 100 with different sizes and different numbers of first input / output ports 110.

[0087] Furthermore, the dimensions of the metal plates 200 and the dimensions of the gaps between the metal plates 200 should ideally be as small as possible to enable the metal plates 200 to form various patterns that achieve the desired performance. Manufacturing resolution limits the minimization of these dimensions; therefore, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the minimum manufacturable dimensions are used as the dimensions of the metal plates 200 and the dimensions of the gaps. For example, in the PES example described below, the metal plates 200 use dimensions of 0.1 mm or 0.111 mm, which is consistent with a minimum manufacturing linewidth of 0.1 mm.

[0088] Therefore, in some embodiments of this disclosure, one of the dimensions of the metal plate 200 and the dimensions of the gap between adjacent metal plates 200 may be greater than or equal to the minimum manufacturable dimensions of the process used to manufacture the PES.

[0089] Optionally, when the PES and the circuit board 300 are manufactured simultaneously, the size of the metal plate 200 can be greater than or equal to the minimum linewidth of the printed circuit board process used to manufacture the PES. Furthermore, the gap size can be greater than or equal to the minimum line spacing of the printed circuit board process used to manufacture the PES.

[0090] This disclosure addresses the issues of high cost and poor performance of high-frequency RF switches by proposing a novel PES (Power Array Separator). Through a comprehensive study of the PES method, design examples, and testing, a high-performance, cost-effective improvement in RF switch performance is achieved. The PES includes a metal pixel array that surrounds the RF switch. By optimizing the coupling effect between the metal pixel arrays, the inherent parasitic effects of the RF switch can be offset, thereby improving the RF switch's performance. On one hand, the optimized PES can improve the isolation of millimeter-wave RF switches while maintaining their low insertion loss. On the other hand, for RF switches originally designed for frequency bands such as below 6 GHz, the optimized PES can successfully extend the effective operating range from below 5 GHz to the centimeter-wave frequency band, for example, 10 GHz to 20 GHz.

[0091] In some embodiments of this disclosure, PES configurations can be optimized using an efficient analysis method based on multi-port theory. This method requires only a single simulation to acquire basic data; subsequently, based on this basic data and analytical calculations, all possible PES configurations can be quickly traversed to determine the parameters of the PES configuration corresponding to the optimal performance of the RF switch. This fundamentally avoids the enormous computational burden of performing simulations such as full-wave simulations on a massive number of PES configurations one by one.

[0092] In addition, some embodiments of this disclosure also propose a DC connection algorithm to identify potential short-circuit risks that may be caused by PES connection. By using the short-circuit risk as a constraint to adjust the PES configuration, it can be ensured that the DC control signal can be effectively applied to the RF switch with integrated PES.

[0093] Therefore, the upper limit of the target operating frequency band of an RF switch integrating PES can be higher than the upper limit of the inherent operating frequency band of the RF switch; or the target operating frequency band of an RF switch integrating PES can be wholly or partially located within the inherent operating frequency band of the RF switch.

[0094] The isolation of an RF switch with integrated PES in the target operating frequency band can be higher than that of the RF switch itself in the target operating frequency band; and the insertion loss of an RF switch with integrated PES in the target operating frequency band can be lower than that of the RF switch itself in the target operating frequency band.

[0095] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a multi-port network model of system 1000 with N+2M ports according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0096] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, specifically, a potential connection 220 can be provided between any two adjacent metal plates 200. Alternatively, the total number of potential connections 220 can be represented as N, which can vary with the size of the metal pixel array. When all potential connections 220 are active, the metal pixel array can form a large metal plate, which would cause all the first input / output ports 110 of the RF switch 100 to be short-circuited. However, by using multiple potential connections 220, some of the metal plates 200 can be selectively electrically connected, which allows the PES to form a specific geometry, thereby improving the inherent performance indicators of the RF switch 100, such as isolation.

[0097] Optionally, a portion of the multiple metal plates 200 may be selectively electrically connected, which can be determined by: obtaining the scattering parameter matrix of a multi-port network model including the metal pixel array and the RF switch 100; and, based on the scattering parameter matrix and the inherent scattering matrix of the RF switch 100, searching for different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array using an optimization algorithm, optimizing a preset objective function to determine the selective electrical connection; wherein the objective function is related to the isolation and insertion loss of the RF switch 100 in the target operating frequency band.

[0098] For example, the objective function can be positively correlated with the isolation of the RF switch 100 in the target operating frequency band and negatively correlated with the insertion loss of the RF switch 100 in the target operating frequency band.

[0099] As described above, potential connection 220 represents the connection state of the gap. The connection state of the gap can include: a conductive state or a disconnected state, where the conductive state can be understood as the gap being bridged by a conductor, thereby electrically connecting the metal plates 200 on both sides of the gap, and the disconnected state can be understood as the gap not being bridged, thereby isolating the metal plates 200 on both sides of the gap from each other. Based on this, the potential connection configuration can be determined by the connection states of all gaps in the metal pixel array.

[0100] Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure need to determine which potential connections 220 in the PES need to be turned on and which potential connections 220 need to be turned off. To facilitate the description of the connection states of the metal pixel array, a binary vector x = [x1, x2, ... x] can be defined. n ,…,x N Where n represents the nth potential connection, 220, 1≤n≤N, and N is a positive integer greater than 1; x n ∈{-1,1}, which represents the disconnected or connected state of the nth potential connection 220. The disconnected state can be represented by "1", and the connected state can be represented by "-1". Each specific configuration of vector x corresponds to a specific geometry of PES, and thus exhibits different performance. For example, if all elements of vector x are "-1", then PES is in a fully connected state. Therefore, the embodiments of this disclosure transform the optimization problem of PES into finding a configuration of vector x that can achieve the expected performance.

[0101] Vector x can represent potential connection configurations, and therefore it can also be called the configuration vector or configuration vector of potential connections. Since the number of possible configurations for vector x is as high as 23... NIf simulation tools such as full-wave simulation tools are used to evaluate the insertion loss, isolation, and other performance characteristics of the RF switch 100 corresponding to each of the above vector x configurations, it would consume a significant amount of computation time, making it impractical in practice. Therefore, an efficient and fast analysis method needs to be developed to evaluate the performance of all possible vector x configurations in order to achieve a feasible solution to the optimization problem.

[0102] As shown in Figure 2, in some embodiments of this disclosure, to analyze the performance of the RF switch with PES, the N potential connections 220 can be considered as internal ports, and the RF switch 100 is set to have M first input / output ports 110. Correspondingly, the number of second input / output ports 210 is also M. Therefore, the system 1000 including the RF switch 100 and PES can be modeled as a multi-port network model with N+2M ports.

[0103] Specifically, in this model, the state of each potential connection 220 can be transformed into an "equivalent load impedance" that can be described by the circuit, in x n When = 1, it indicates that the nth potential connection 220 is disconnected. "Disconnected" means that current cannot flow, corresponding to the "open circuit" characteristic in the circuit. Therefore, in this case, the equivalent load impedance of the nth internal port is... In x n When the value is -1, it indicates that the nth potential connection 220 is conducting. Potential connection 220 is a metal interconnect structure with negligible resistance / reactance. "Conductivity" corresponds to the "short circuit" characteristic in the circuit. Therefore, in this case, the equivalent load impedance of the nth internal port is...

[0104] Furthermore, to simplify the analysis, the N+2M ports can be divided into two groups. The first group of ports may include N internal ports representing potential connection configurations and M first input / output ports 110. In other words, the first group of ports includes N+M ports, and the subscript of the first group of ports in Figure 2 can be denoted as I. The second group of ports may be the M second input / output ports 210 located on the outer ring of the system 1000, and the subscript of the second group of ports in Figure 2 can be denoted as E.

[0105] Therefore, the system 1000, which includes the RF switch 100 and the PES, can be modeled as a multi-port network model with N+2M ports. This model can be represented by a scattering-parameter matrix (S-parameter matrix). Formula (1) shows the block form of the S-parameter matrix, which is used to represent the characteristics of reflection and transmission of electromagnetic wave signals in the S-parameter matrix. Reflection can be understood as the signal bounce of the port itself, and transmission can be understood as the signal transmission between ports.

[0106] Specifically, the S-parameter matrix may include: the first scatterer matrix S II The second scattering submatrix S IE The third scattering matrix S EI and the fourth scattering matrix S EE The first scattering submatrix S II It can characterize the coupling inside the first set of ports; the second scatterer matrix S IE It can characterize the coupling from the first set of ports to the second set of ports; the third scatterer matrix S EI It can characterize the coupling from the second set of ports to the first set of ports; and the fourth scatterer matrix S EE It can characterize the coupling inside the second set of ports.

[0107] First scatterer matrix S II Used to describe signal coupling within the first set of ports, such as coupling between N internal ports, and signal transmission between N internal ports and M first input / output ports 110; second scatterer matrix S IE Used to describe the signal coupling from the first set of ports to the second set of ports, such as the reflection / transmission of the incident wave from the first set of ports to the second set of ports; the third scatterer matrix S EI Used to describe the signal coupling from the second set of ports to the first set of ports, where the third scattering submatrix S EI With the second scattering matrix S IE The directions are opposite; the fourth scatterer matrix S EE Used to describe the coupling between the M second input / output ports 210; The vector used to describe the incident wave acting on the first set of ports can be represented as: in It is the incident wave signal on the nth port, 1≤n≤N+M; The vector used to describe the reflected wave from the first set of ports can be represented as: in It is the reflected wave signal at the nth port, 1≤n≤N+M; The incident wave vector acting on the second set of ports is used to describe this vector, which can be represented as: in It is the incident wave signal on the nth port, N+M+1≤n≤N+2M; The vector used to describe the reflected wave from the second set of ports can be represented as: in It is the reflected wave signal on the nth port, N+M+1≤n≤N+2M.

[0108] S-parameter matrix Can be used as and The transfer coefficient matrix between them.

[0109] Therefore, the S-parameter matrix correlates the incident and reflected wave signals of the first set of ports and the incident and reflected wave signals of the second set of ports, and provides a quantifiable mathematical basis for subsequent analysis of the effect of various potential PES connection configurations on the performance improvement of RF switches (e.g., calculating isolation and insertion loss).

[0110] On the other hand, the load scattering characteristics of the N potential connections 220 considered as internal ports in the on / off state can be described by the diagonal reflection matrix of Equation (2): X = diag(x1, x2, ... x n ,…,x N (2)

[0111] In this configuration, the diagonal element "-1" corresponds to a "short-circuit" load, and "1" corresponds to an "open-circuit" load. Furthermore, the inherent characteristics of the RF switch 100 can be visualized through the M×M scattering matrix S. switch Representation. Vector X and scattering matrix S switch Together, they form the load scattering matrix connected to the first set of ports, and therefore can be combined into a scattering matrix S of (N+M)×(N+M) as shown in Equation (3). load :

[0112] As shown in Figure 2, the incident wave vector of the first set of ports That is, the scattering matrix S load The reflected signal, in addition to the reflected wave vector of the first set of ports. That is, the scattering matrix S load The incident signal. Therefore, the relationship shown in equation (4) can be established:

[0113] Furthermore, by combining formulas (1) and (4), the incident wave vectors of the first set of ports can be derived. Incident wave vectors of the second set of ports Relationship:

[0114] By combining equations (1) and (5), we can obtain... Used to describe the reflected wave vector from the second set of ports and the reflected wave vector from the second set of ports. Relationship:

[0115] Among them, S CES This is the M×M scattering matrix of the RF switch 100 with integrated PES. It should be noted that all the above derivations are based on frequency-dependent scattering matrices; for simplicity, frequency variables have been omitted from all formulas.

[0116] Referring to formulas (1) to (6), for a given RF switch 100 to be optimized, the scattering matrix S CES The value of depends on the configuration vector x = [x1, x2, ... x2] of the potential connection 220. n ,…,x N When calculating formula (6), it is only necessary to use tools such as a full-wave electromagnetic solver to perform a single full electromagnetic simulation on the (N+2M) port network model to obtain the scattering matrix S of the S-parameter matrix. II S IE S EI and S EE The scattering matrix S of the RF switch 100 switch It can be obtained through the manufacturer's specifications or by direct measurement.

[0117] Therefore, by using formula (6) provided in the embodiments of this disclosure, the scattering matrix S under any PES potential connectivity configuration can be calculated efficiently. CES The on / off state of potential connections 220 in the PES varies under different PES potential connection configurations. Scattering matrix S CES The insertion loss, isolation, and other performance indicators of the RF switch 100 under the corresponding potential PES connection configuration can be determined, thus greatly facilitating the PES optimization process. Furthermore, this optimization problem is a non-deterministic polynomial-time hard problem, which can be solved using optimization algorithms such as genetic algorithms. These algorithms can explore a vast configuration space to find the optimal configuration that improves the performance of the RF switch 100 integrating the PES.

[0118] In other words, in the embodiments of this disclosure, the S-parameter matrix of the complete (N+2M) multiport network model of the RF switch 100 with integrated PES in the target operating frequency band can be calculated through only one simulation, wherein the S-parameter matrix includes the scattering submatrix S. II S IE S EI and S EE Subsequently, using the S-parameter matrix, the configuration vector x of the potential connection, and the scattering matrix S of the RF switch 100... switch This allows for the efficient and rapid determination of the scattering matrix S of the RF switch 100 integrated with PES. CES The scattering matrix S CESThe insertion loss, isolation, and other performance indicators of the RF switch 100 under the current PES potential connection configuration were characterized. Then, optimization algorithms such as genetic algorithms can be used to update the configuration vector x of the potential connection, and based on the updated configuration vector x, the scattering matrix S of the RF switch 100 integrating PES can be determined again. CES Through this iterative process, the optimal configuration vector x of the potential connection 220 is finally determined, maximizing the performance of the RF switch 100 with integrated PES. In other words, the parameters of the PES configuration corresponding to the optimal performance of the RF switch 100 can be determined efficiently and quickly using the above analysis method.

[0119] Therefore, by using the above-mentioned analysis method based on multi-port theory to determine the performance of the RF switch 100 integrated with PES, the optimal parameters of the RF switch integrated with PES can be found efficiently and quickly by using only the basic data obtained from a single simulation and analytical calculation method. This provides efficient support for parameter optimization and configuration adjustment of PES configurations, and avoids the huge computational burden caused by performing simulations such as full-wave simulation on each of the massive PES configurations.

[0120] It should be noted that the scattering matrix S of the RF switch 100 switch This should be de-embedding data characterizing the inherent properties of the RF switch 100 itself. This data can be obtained from the manufacturer's specifications; alternatively, it can be obtained by direct measurement followed by de-embedding to remove the influence of the test fixture. In other words, in some embodiments, the raw data of the RF switch 100 can be de-embedding to obtain a scattering matrix S that reflects the inherent parasitic effects of the RF switch 100 after removing the influence of the test fixture. switch The raw data can be understood as data directly measured from the RF switch 100. This ensures the accuracy of the switching model used in the above PES performance analysis and calculation, allowing the inherent parasitic effects of the RF switch 100 to be mitigated in the scattering matrix S. switch This precision is reflected in the above performance analysis calculations, which can effectively optimize the performance of PES to compensate for these parasitic effects.

[0121] While PES configuration optimization has improved the efficiency of RF switches, the DC control signals of these switches must still be considered in practical applications. Specifically, RF switches use control signals to activate / deactivate or select signal paths. These control signals operate at frequencies much lower than the RF signals and are therefore called DC control signals. In most RF switches, the RF signals and DC control signals share a port without significant issues during normal use. However, integrating PES to improve RF switch performance may create unintended electrical connections between different DC control ports of the RF switch, or between the DC control port and the DC ground port, thus hindering the RF switch's control functionality. For example, an optimized PES configuration might electrically connect the anode and cathode of a PIN diode. While this configuration might improve RF switch performance through the PES, it would prevent the PIN diode from being turned on as needed. Therefore, the DC control path of the RF switch must be considered during PES design, optimization, and application to ensure that improvements to the RF performance of the RF switch do not affect its basic control functions.

[0122] Figure 3 is a partial structural diagram of system 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0123] As shown in Figure 3, in some embodiments of this disclosure, in order to solve the above problems, potential short-circuit risks that may be caused by PES connection can be identified during the PES configuration optimization process. By using the short-circuit risk as a constraint condition and adjusting the PES configuration, it can be ensured that the DC control signal can be effectively applied to the RF switch with integrated PES.

[0124] Therefore, in conjunction with Figures 1 and 3, the process of determining that a portion of the multiple metal plates 200 are selectively electrically connected may further include: introducing a constraint function during the search process of the optimization algorithm, judging the electrical connectivity of potential connection configurations one by one, and removing potential connection configurations that cause a conduction path to be formed between different DC control ports of the RF switch 100, wherein the DC control port is the port that applies a DC bias signal to the RF switch 100, and the DC control port and the first input / output port 110 of at least one RF switch 100 are the same physical port.

[0125] As shown in Figure 3, specifically, the metal plates can be numbered, resulting in a total of Q numbered metal plates, where Q is a positive integer greater than 1. For example, the Q numbered metal plates may include: metal plate q1, metal plate q2, metal plate q3, and so on. The N potential connections considered as internal ports and the Q numbered metal plates can be represented by a Q×Q matrix Y.

[0126] Optionally, in matrix Y, Y(q1, q2) = n1 represents the n1th potential connection among multiple potential connections, which connects the q1th metal plate to the q2th metal plate; furthermore, Y(q a q b Y(q1, q3) = 0 represents any two disconnected numbered metal plates, where a and b are any two of the Q numbered metal plates. For example, Y(q1, q3) = 0 represents that metal plate q1 and metal plate q3 are disconnected from each other and there is no potential connection between them.

[0127] Referring to the DC control algorithm (Algorithm 1) below, the DC connection algorithm based on matrix Y and configuration vector x of potential connections can be used to determine all other metal plates connected to any particular metal plate, where any particular metal plate can also be understood as the selected metal plate.

[0128] For example, for a metal plate connected to the anode of a PIN diode, the algorithm can identify all other metal plates connected to it and verify whether these other metal plates are connected to the metal plate connected to the cathode. The inputs to this DC control algorithm are matrix Y, the configuration vector x of potential connections, and the metal plate number q, where q is a positive integer less than Q. The output of the DC control algorithm is E. (i) E (i) It can be understood as a set of dynamic changes during the iteration process of the DC control algorithm. It records the numbers of all other metal plates that are found to be connected to any specific metal plate (e.g., the metal plate connected to the anode of the PIN diode) at the end of the i-th iteration.

[0129] Specifically, for the q1-th metal plate, we can first define a set E to collect all other metal plates connected to it. At the initial iteration (i = 0), E... (0) Only the q1-th metal plate is included; subsequently, all non-zero elements in the q1-th row of the identification matrix Y are collected into a set:

[0130] in, Indicates the first A potential connection will connect metal plate q1 to another metal plate; if Indicates the first If the nth potential connection is connected by a metal wire, then the nth connection in matrix Y... The corresponding column number is the number of the metal plate connected to the q1th metal plate, and it is added to set E. (1) In the i-th iteration, for E (i) All newly added elements in (which can be understood as E) (i) -E (i-1) Repeat the above evaluation process; when E(i) =E (i-1) When E terminates, the algorithm terminates. (i) This includes all metal plates connected to metal plate q1. The DC control algorithm includes a complete process for identifying the DC electrically connected metal plate 200.

[0131] Based on matrix Y and the configuration vector x of potential connections, for any metal plate connected to the DC control port of the RF switch, all electrically connected metal plates can be identified using the aforementioned DC control algorithm. Iteratively applying the DC control algorithm to all DC control ports of the RF switch can effectively evaluate whether the DC control signal can be applied normally. In the embodiments of this disclosure, this constraint is defined as the function DCcontroll{Y, x}: if the constraint is satisfied and the DC control signal can be applied normally, it returns 1; if the constraint is not satisfied and there is a potential short-circuit risk between ports, it returns 0.

[0132] Therefore, the novel performance-enhancing structure PES proposed in this disclosure aims to improve the performance of RF switches at a high cost-performance ratio. This PES is applicable to various types of RF switches to improve performance indicators such as isolation, with particularly outstanding performance in the high-frequency bands of RF switch operation. The PES is designed as a subwavelength metallic pattern, which can counteract harmful parasitic effects and can be fabricated simultaneously with the circuit board to reduce costs. Furthermore, the embodiments of this disclosure propose an analysis method based on multi-port theory for optimizing PES performance, which reduces the computational requirements of the full-wave electromagnetic solver. Additionally, the embodiments of this disclosure propose a DC control algorithm to handle potential short-circuit problems that may be caused by the PES, ensuring effective control of the RF switch during the optimization process.

[0133] The optimized PES for improving the performance of PIN diodes in millimeter-wave and sub-6 GHz bands will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The optimized PES can significantly improve the performance of RF switches. The PES proposed in this disclosure provides a promising solution to the high cost and performance limitations of high-frequency RF switches, facilitating their effective application in advanced communication systems.

[0134] The effectiveness of PES can be verified by two PIN diode prototypes, one of which operates in the millimeter-wave band and the other in the sub-6 GHz band. The PIN diode prototype can be understood as one of the system architectures described below, which may include PIN diodes, PES, and necessary test components.

[0135] The optimized PES improves the isolation of millimeter-wave prototypes while maintaining low insertion loss. For RF switches originally designed for frequencies below 6 GHz, PES successfully extends their effective operating range from below 5 GHz to centimeter-wave frequencies, such as 10 GHz to 20 GHz. Both PIN diode prototypes have been fabricated and experimentally verified, confirming the effectiveness of PES in improving RF switch performance.

[0136] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a system 1000 including a PES and a radio frequency switch 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 is a graph showing the variation of inherent characteristics (S parameters) of the radio frequency switch 100 as a function of operating frequency, obtained by directly measuring and de-embedding the radio frequency switch 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0137] As shown in Figure 4, in some embodiments of this disclosure, an RF switch 100 operating in the frequency band below 6 GHz, with a maximum inherent operating frequency of 5 GHz, can be selected for optimization. Alternatively, a metal pixel array can be designed based on the physical size and input / output port characteristics of the RF switch 100 to be optimized, and the metal plates 200 can be numbered.

[0138] The metal plate 200 can be fabricated on the circuit board 300 and integrated with other components on the circuit board 300 to reduce costs. Optionally, the circuit board 300 may have a dielectric constant of 3.55, a loss tangent of 0.0027, and a thickness of 0.203 mm. In addition, a metal ground layer (not shown) may be provided on the back side of the circuit board 300 opposite to the metal pixel array.

[0139] Alternatively, in the metal pixel array, at least two of the plurality of metal plates 200 may have different dimensions. For example, at least one of the length and width of the plurality of metal plates 200 may be different. Optionally, the plurality of metal plates 200 may have the same length, but different widths. For example, the length l1 of the plurality of metal plates 200 may all be 0.133 mm, while the widths may be different, with some metal plates 200 having a width w1 of 0.133 mm and others having a width w2 of 0.111 mm. Thus, some metal plates 200 may have a size of 0.133 × 0.133 mm. 2 Other metal plates 200 may have dimensions of 0.111 × 0.133 mm². Optionally, narrower metal plates 200 may be located in columns closer to the RF switch 100 relative to wider metal plates 200. For example, the middle three columns of the metal pixel array may use narrower metal plates 200. Furthermore, the gap g1 between any two adjacent metal plates 200 may be equal, and exemplarily, the gap g1 may be 0.1 mm.

[0140] Furthermore, at least two of the multiple metal plates 200 may have different shapes. For example, the shapes of metal plates 200 numbered 28, 32, 33 and 27 are different from the shapes of most of the metal plates 200.

[0141] Referring to Figures 1 and 4, the plurality of metal plates 200 may include: a first type of metal plate (e.g., metal plates 200 numbered 32 and 33) and a second type of metal plate (e.g., metal plates 200 numbered 28 and 37). The first type of metal plate is directly connected to the first input / output port 110 of the RF switch 100, and the second type of metal plate can serve as the second input / output port 210 of the PES. Optionally, at least one of the first type of metal plate and the second type of metal plate may be larger in size than the other metal plates in the metal pixel array.

[0142] For example, multiple metal plates 200 may have the same width but different lengths. Exemplarily, metal plates 200 such as those numbered 32, 33, 28, and 37 may have longer dimensions. Optionally, the length l2 of these numbered metal plates 200 may be 0.6 mm.

[0143] Metal plates 200, numbered 32 and 33, can be directly connected to the first input / output port 110. The larger size of these metal plates 200 improves the process window and increases the contact area between them and the first input / output port 110, thereby enhancing system reliability. Furthermore, metal plates 200, numbered 28 and 37, can also have a larger size. This larger size, serving as the second input / output port 210, facilitates wiring to external circuitry and further improves system reliability.

[0144] Optionally, the length L of the metal pixel array can be 2 mm and the width W can be 1.933 mm, thus maintaining a compact overall size of the RF switch 100 integrating PES, with an overall size of 1.933 × 2 mm. 2 .

[0145] The PES configuration shown in Figure 4 is a carefully scaled adaptation of the general PES structure in Figure 1. By adjusting the dimensions of some of the multiple metal plates 200 and the overall size of the metal pixel array, the PES can be adapted to the RF switch 100 to be optimized and its operating frequency band. The scaled metal pixel array shown in Figure 4 has three rows of metal plates 200 on each side of the RF switch 100 and includes 112 internal ports (i.e., the potential connections 220 shown in Figure 1). This customized design ensures that the RF switch 100 with integrated PES achieves optimal performance in the specified frequency band while maintaining a compact and efficient layout.

[0146] As described above, the on / off state of the potential connection between adjacent metal plates 200 in Figure 4 needs to be optimized to improve the performance of the RF switch 100. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the RF switch 100 operates at a maximum frequency of only 5 GHz. To optimize the RF switch 100 with PES to achieve its operation at higher frequencies (e.g., 10 GHz to 20 GHz), the accurate inherent characteristics of the RF switch 100 (i.e., the parametric scattering matrix S) can be obtained first. switch ).

[0147] To this end, the embodiments of this disclosure design a switch characteristic test board. By performing a de-embedding process on the test fixture, the inherent characteristics of the RF switch 100 shown in Figure 5 are obtained. These inherent characteristics include the insertion loss of the RF switch 100 in the on state and the isolation in the off state.

[0148] Specifically, the RF switch 100 may be a dual-port (e.g., port 1 and port 2) structure, S 21 This can represent the signal received at port 1 and output at port 2, and it can measure the characteristics of forward signal transmission. Furthermore, S... 12 It can represent the signal condition from port 2 to port 1, and it can measure the characteristics of signal reverse transmission. The S of the RF switch 100 21 With S 12 They are essentially the same. Therefore, Figure 5 only shows S. 21 In the off state S 21 The curve of isolation versus frequency under @off, and S 21 In the on state S 21 The insertion loss curve under @on as a function of frequency.

[0149] As shown in Figure 5, the RF switch 100, operating in the frequency band below 6 GHz, exhibits a significant performance degradation above 5 GHz. For example, its isolation is only 2 dB at 20 GHz. Therefore, the optimization objective of the embodiments disclosed herein is to enable the switch to operate effectively in the centimeter-wave band using PES, and specifically sets two optimization objectives: 1) the RF switch 100 with integrated PES achieves high isolation in the off state; 2) the RF switch 100 with integrated PES achieves low insertion loss in the on state.

[0150] In addition, the constraint in the optimization process is that the anode and cathode of the RF switch 100 must not be connected through PES so that the DC control signal can be applied to the RF switch 100 normally. This constraint can be achieved by the function DCcontroll{Y, x} = 1.

[0151] Figure 4 shows a PES comprising 112 potential connections, corresponding to 112 configuration vectors x. To reduce optimization overhead, embodiments of this disclosure utilize the rotational symmetry of the RF switch 100. Specifically, as described above, S 21 It can represent the signal received at port 1 and output at port 2, and it can measure the characteristics of forward signal transmission; S 12 It can represent the signal condition from port 2 to port 1, and can measure the characteristics of signal reverse transmission. This RF switch 100 has a two-port structure, and its S... 21 With S 12 They are basically the same.

[0152] Therefore, in some embodiments of this disclosure, considering that the first input / output port distribution of the RF switch 100 has rotational symmetry, rotational symmetry constraints can be applied to potential connection configurations during the search process of the optimization algorithm to reduce the number of optimization variables.

[0153] Specifically, the states of the potential connections in the upper half of the PES can be set to be rotationally symmetric with the states of the potential connections in the lower half of the PES, which significantly reduces the number of configuration vectors x for the potential connections. The configuration vector x can be represented as x = [x0, x0], where x0 is an N / 2-dimensional binary vector representing the connection states in the lower half. Therefore, the optimization problem of the RF switch 100 integrated with PES can be expressed by formulas (7) to (10): stX0∈{-1,1} 56 (8) DC control{Y,X}=1 (9) x=[x0,x0] (10)

[0154] in, and S represents the RF switch 100 in both off and on states. 21 The parameters are expressed in decibels (dB), with negative values ​​corresponding to isolation and insertion loss, respectively. These parameters can be determined by formula (6) and are related to the operating frequency and the configuration vector x.

[0155] In addition, due to The absolute value is much greater than Therefore, a weighting factor w is introduced into formula (7). off and w on As an option, w can be used on Set it to 10, and w off Set to 1 to balance and The differences.

[0156] To ensure that the RF switch 100 operates effectively over a wide frequency band, five frequency sampling points can be evenly selected within the target operating frequency band, where L is the number of frequency sampling points. Optionally, L = 5.

[0157] Based on the objective function defined by formula (7), the embodiments of this disclosure can optimize the PES for six center frequency points, where the bandwidth corresponding to each center frequency can be 10%. Optionally, the six center frequency points are 10GHz, 12GHz, 14GHz, 16GHz, 18GHz, and 20GHz. In addition, the optimization process can employ heuristic algorithms such as genetic algorithms.

[0158] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram and corresponding microscopic view of six optimized PES configurations at different center frequencies according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a test system for testing a PES-integrated RF switch according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 8 shows the parameter S for testing a PES-integrated RF switch in different frequency bands according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. 11 (or S) 22 Figure 9 shows the parameter S as a function of frequency for testing an integrated PES RF switch in different frequency bands according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. 21 (or S) 12 A graph showing how the frequency changes.

[0159] As shown in Figure 6, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the PES can be optimized for six center frequency points, where the bandwidth corresponding to each center frequency can be 10%. Optionally, the six center frequency points can be 10GHz, 12GHz, 14GHz, 16GHz, 18GHz, and 20GHz, respectively, corresponding to groups (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) in Figure 6. The longer metal plate located on the outermost side of the RF switch in the x-direction has a composite function, serving as an interface for connecting the RF signal line (RF port) and the DC control line (DC bias). In other words, in this embodiment, the DC control port and the input / output port of at least one RF switch are the same physical port.

[0160] It should be noted that all measurement data underwent de-embedding to eliminate the influence of the test fixture, and measurements were performed using, for example, a vector network analyzer. After optimization, some metal plates are conductive while others remain disconnected, and the PES forms a specific metallic pattern, where each target frequency band corresponds to a unique potential connection configuration of the PES and a unique metallic pattern.

[0161] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, since the original operating frequency of the RF switch to be optimized is below 6 GHz, while the target operating frequency band of the embodiments of this disclosure is all above or equal to 10 GHz, this means that the de-embedding data scattering matrix S, which characterizes the inherent characteristics of the RF switch to be optimized, is... switch Differences may exist between different samples. Furthermore, considering that PES is fabricated on a circuit board, random manufacturing errors may occur, affecting performance. Therefore, to improve the stability of performance evaluation, embodiments of this disclosure fabricate and measure multiple combined samples including PES and RF switches for each frequency band. Optionally, the number of combined samples including PES and RF switches may be six.

[0162] Figure 8 shows curves (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f), where each curve includes the S11 parameter of the six combined samples as a function of frequency. Figure 9 shows curves (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f), where each curve includes the S11 parameter of the six combined samples as a function of frequency. 21 Curves showing how parameters change with frequency.

[0163] The curves (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) in Figures 8 and 9 correspond to the PES-integrated RF switches in groups (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) of Figure 6, respectively. The six combined samples are represented in Figures 8 and 9 as Sample1, Sample2, Sample3, Sample4, Sample5, and Sample6, where Sample1 ON indicates that sample1 is in the on state, and Sample1 OFF indicates that sample1 is in the off state. The meanings of ON / OFF for other combined samples (e.g., Sample2 ON, Sample6 OFF) are similar and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0164] In Figures 8 and 9, the vertical red boxes in each graph indicate the optimized operating frequency band. For example, the optimized operating frequency band shown in graph (a) of Figure 8 has a center frequency of 10 GHz and a bandwidth of approximately 10%.

[0165] It should be noted that, since the RF switch to be optimized is a two-port structure, its S... 11 With S 22 Basically the same, S 21 With S 12They are basically the same, therefore Figures 8 and 9 are only distinguished by S. 11 and S 21 This study analyzes the performance changes of RF switches with integrated PES.

[0166] Optionally, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, during testing, a 1.1-volt DC control signal can be applied to the RF switch in the ON state and a 0-volt DC control signal can be applied to the RF switch in the OFF state.

[0167] Referring again to Figures 6 to 8, the samples shown in (a) and (b) sets, within a target bandwidth of 10 GHz, achieved isolation exceeding 12 dB and insertion loss below 0.8 dB, despite strong resonance at higher frequencies. The sample shown in (c) set achieved isolation up to 30 dB within a target bandwidth of 14 GHz, while maintaining a good insertion loss of approximately 1 dB. The samples shown in (d) set, (e) set, and (f) set, within a target bandwidth of 16 GHz, 18 GHz, and 20 GHz, all achieved isolation exceeding 20 dB and insertion loss of approximately 1 dB, with only a slightly higher PES insertion loss (approximately 1.5 dB) at the 20 GHz band. Therefore, the measurement results agree well with the calculated values, and the minor differences are mainly attributed to manufacturing errors and characterization deviations at higher frequencies.

[0168] Different samples exhibited highly consistent performance across all frequency bands, demonstrating the exceptionally stable performance of the RF switch integrated with PES. The final results confirm that, in the embodiments of this disclosure, PES successfully extends the effective operating range of RF switches originally designed for sub-6 GHz frequencies to the centimeter-wave band, for example, 10 GHz to 20 GHz. Considering that PES can be fabricated simultaneously with the circuit board, its application at negligible cost allows for the application of this low-cost sub-6 GHz RF switch in centimeter-wave systems that typically require expensive switches employing advanced processes. This achieves a cost-effective performance improvement for RF switches, which has significant industrial implications.

[0169] Furthermore, to verify the effectiveness of PES and the analysis method based on multi-port theory, embodiments of this disclosure also select a radio frequency switch operating in the millimeter-wave band. This millimeter-wave RF switch operates at frequencies up to 40 GHz and possesses extremely high switching speeds, with switching times of only 2-3 nanoseconds. However, its isolation performance above 20 GHz is poor, with an isolation level below 6 dB. To address this issue, embodiments of this disclosure apply PES to this millimeter-wave RF switch to improve its performance in higher frequency bands.

[0170] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a system 1000 including a PES and a radio frequency switch 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 11 is a graph showing the change of inherent characteristics of the radio frequency switch 100 as a function of operating frequency after direct measurement and de-embedding processing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0171] Specifically, as shown in Figure 10, similar to the PES design for sub-6GHz RF switches, a metal pixel array can be designed based on the physical size and input / output port characteristics of the millimeter-wave RF switch to be optimized, and the metal plates can be numbered.

[0172] Optionally, the PES can be fabricated on a circuit board 300, which may have a dielectric constant of 3.55, a loss tangent of 0.0027, and a thickness of 0.203 mm. Furthermore, at least two of the plurality of metal plates 200 may have different dimensions.

[0173] For example, the size of most of the metal plates 200 in the metal pixel array can be 0.1 × 0.1 mm. 2 Its length l1 can be 0.1 mm, and its width w1 can be 0.1 mm. Metal plates 200, such as those numbered 25, 32, 28, and 29 in the metal pixel array, can have longer dimensions. For example, the dimensions of a longer metal plate 200 can be 0.1 × 0.3 mm. 2 Its length l2 can be 0.3mm.

[0174] Referring to Figures 1 and 10, the metal plates 200 numbered 25 and 32 are the second type of metal plates among the multiple metal plates 200. They can be used as input / output ports (second input / output port 210) of PES. Therefore, the second type of metal plates are larger in size, which is beneficial for their wiring with external circuits and improves the reliability of the system.

[0175] Metal plates 200 numbered 28 and 29 are the first type of metal plates among multiple metal plates 200. They can be directly connected to the first input / output port 110 of the RF switch 100. Therefore, the first type of metal plates are larger in size, which is beneficial to improve the process window and increase the contact area between them and the first input / output port 110, thereby improving the reliability of the system.

[0176] Furthermore, at least two of the multiple metal plates 200 may have different shapes. For example, the shapes of metal plates 200 numbered 25, 28, 29, and 32 are different from the shapes of most of the metal plates 200.

[0177] Optionally, the gap g1 between any two adjacent metal plates 200 can be equal. For example, the gap g1 can be 0.1 mm. This keeps the overall size of the RF switch 100 with integrated PES compact. Optionally, the length L of the metal pixel array can be 1.5 mm, the width W can be 1.5 mm, and its overall size can be 1.5 × 1.5 mm. 2 .

[0178] The PES configuration shown in Figure 10 is a carefully scaled adaptation of the general PES structure in Figure 1. By adjusting the dimensions of some of the multiple metal plates 200 and the overall size of the metal pixel array, the PES can be adapted to the RF switch 100 to be optimized and its operating frequency band. The scaled metal pixel array shown in Figure 10 has three rows of metal plates 200 on each side of the RF switch 100 and includes 96 internal ports (i.e., potential connections 220 shown in Figure 1). This customized design ensures that the RF switch 100 with integrated PES achieves optimal performance in the specified frequency band while maintaining a compact and efficient layout.

[0179] To optimize the PES configuration, it is necessary to obtain the accurate intrinsic characteristics of the RF switch within the target operating frequency band (i.e., the parametric scattering matrix S). switch Although the manufacturer provides experimental data, the inherent characteristics of the RF switch still need to be measured to verify and ensure sufficient accuracy.

[0180] Therefore, the embodiments of this disclosure designed a millimeter-wave switch test board and eliminated the influence of the test fixture through de-embedding processing, obtaining the insertion loss and isolation of the RF switch as shown in Figure 11. The results show that the isolation of the RF switch drops rapidly at high frequencies, reaching only 3dB at 30GHz, while the insertion loss exceeds 1dB. Overall, the performance of this RF switch, operating in the millimeter-wave band and requiring optimization, is insufficient to meet the requirements of wireless systems above 20GHz.

[0181] To improve the high-frequency performance of RF switches operating in the millimeter-wave band, the embodiments of this disclosure employ an optimization objective function defined by formula (7) and apply a genetic algorithm for optimization. Alternatively, the center frequency of the target optimization band can be 20 GHz, 22 GHz, 24 GHz, 26 GHz, 28 GHz, or 30 GHz, with a bandwidth of 10% for each band. During the optimization process, rotational symmetry can also be utilized to reduce the number of configuration vectors x from 96 to 48.

[0182] Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram and corresponding micrograph of six optimized PES configurations at different center frequencies according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 13 shows the parameter S of a radio frequency switch integrating PES tested in different frequency bands according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.11 Figure 14 is a graph showing the variation of parameter S21 with frequency in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, where the RF switch integrating PES is tested at different frequency bands.

[0183] As shown in Figure 12, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the PES can be optimized for six center frequency points, where the bandwidth corresponding to each center frequency can be 10%. Optionally, the six center frequency points can be 20GHz, 22GHz, 24GHz, 26GHz, 28GHz, and 30GHz, respectively, corresponding to groups (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) of Figure 12. The longer metal plate located on the outermost side of the RF switch in the x-direction has a composite function, serving as an interface for connecting the RF signal line (RF port) and the DC control line (DC bias). In other words, in this embodiment, the DC control port and the input / output port of at least one RF switch are the same physical port.

[0184] It should be noted that since the target optimized frequency band is within the original operating range of the RF switch to be optimized, its characteristics are expected to be stable across different samples. However, considering that the PES may differ between different circuit boards during the circuit board fabrication process, in order to verify the stability, the embodiments of this disclosure fabricated and measured four combined samples including PES and RF switches. The four combined samples are represented as Sample1, Sample2, Sample3 and Sample4 in Figures 13 and 14, respectively. Sample1 ON indicates that the combined sample 1 is in the on state, and Sample1 OFF indicates that the combined sample 1 is in the off state. Furthermore, the meanings of ON / OFF for other combined samples (e.g., Sample2 ON, Sample4 OFF) are similar, and will not be elaborated here.

[0185] All measurement data underwent de-embedding to eliminate the influence of the test fixture, and measurements were performed using, for example, a vector network analyzer. After optimization, some metal plates were turned on while others remained off, and the PES formed a specific metallic pattern, where each target frequency band corresponds to a unique potential connection configuration of the PES and a unique metallic pattern.

[0186] In Figures 13 and 14, the vertical red boxes in each graph indicate the optimized operating frequency band. For example, the optimized operating frequency band shown in graph (a) of Figure 13 has a center frequency of 20 GHz and a bandwidth of approximately 10%.

[0187] Furthermore, since the RF switch to be optimized is a dual-port structure, its S11 and S22 are basically the same, and its S21 and S12 are basically the same. Therefore, Figures 13 and 14 only use S11 and S21 as representatives to analyze the performance changes of the RF switch with integrated PES.

[0188] By analyzing S11 and S21 of different sample combinations, it can be determined that the performance of the millimeter-wave RF switch integrated with PES is significantly enhanced, achieving isolation exceeding 24.5 dB and insertion loss below 1.5 dB. Furthermore, return loss is also maintained at a good level, generally below -15 dB across most frequency bands. Based on this, the millimeter-wave RF switch integrated with PES also maintains a relatively compact overall size, for example, 1.5 × 1.5 mm. 2 .

[0189] Tables IA and IB summarize the performance comparison of the RF switches in the above examples before and after using PES. On the one hand, PES can extend the operating frequency band of RF switches at low cost, making them suitable for high-frequency applications; on the other hand, PES can significantly improve the performance of existing high-frequency switches at low cost.

[0190] As shown in Table IA, for RF switches below 6 GHz, the integration of PES can extend the operating bandwidth to 20 GHz while maintaining good performance, with isolation improved to the range of 12 to 35 dB and insertion loss kept below 1.5 dB.

[0191] As shown in Table IB, the original operating frequency of the millimeter-wave RF switch was up to 30 GHz. However, its performance in higher frequency bands, such as 20 GHz to 30 GHz, was not ideal, with low isolation; for example, the isolation was only 3 dB at 30 GHz. Integrating a PES can significantly improve the performance of this RF switch, increasing the isolation from 3 dB to over 24.5 dB, while maintaining an insertion loss of less than 1.5 dB.

[0192] Table IA

[0193] Table IB

[0194] In Tables IA and IB, the electrical dimensions of the PES can be understood as the electromagnetic scale of the PES described by "wavelength ratio", where λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave propagating in a specific medium (e.g., a circuit board). Thus, λ represents the spatial length occupied by the electromagnetic wave "vibrating once" in the circuit board at the current operating frequency.

[0195] Integrating PES with RF switches inevitably increases the overall size, which can be limiting in space-constrained applications (e.g., metasurfaces). However, RF switches are fundamental components in wireless systems, and many applications do not have strict requirements regarding their size. Examples include transmit / receive RF links, reconfigurable antennas, and non-metasurface-based reconfigurable smart surfaces.

[0196] Although the addition of PES increases the device size, the overall device size remains relatively compact. For example, the total size of the PES example above is only 1.5 × 1.5 mm for a millimeter-wave RF switch. 2 For RF switches below 6GHz, the size is only 1.933×2mm. 2 Furthermore, through a systematic design process, the size of PES can be further optimized to make it smaller.

[0197] Figure 15 is an iterative design flowchart of the PES size according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 15, in some embodiments of this disclosure, methods for further optimizing the PES size are also provided.

[0198] Specifically, as an option, a first size can be set for the metal pixel array, and different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array having the first size can be searched; in response to determining a selective electrical connection in the metal pixel array having the first size, the first size can be iteratively reduced, and different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array having the reduced size can be searched; and until a selective electrical connection in the metal pixel array having the reduced size cannot be determined, and the size obtained by the last reduction is determined as the size of the metal pixel array.

[0199] Alternatively, a first size can be set for the metal pixel array, and different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array having the first size can be searched; in response to the inability to determine a selective electrical connection in the metal pixel array having the first size, the first size can be iteratively enlarged, and different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array having the enlarged size can be searched; and until a selective electrical connection in the metal pixel array having the enlarged size is determined, the size obtained by the last enlargement is determined as the size of the metal pixel array.

[0200] The first dimension can be understood as a reasonable initial size, typically between 0.06 and 0.1 wavelengths. This first dimension can also be understood as the size of the PES (Power Switches). If the PES achieves the expected performance within the target bandwidth, the first dimension can be iteratively reduced and re-optimized. Conversely, if the performance does not meet expectations, the first dimension can be iteratively increased and re-optimized accordingly. By iteratively refining this process, an efficient and compact PES design can be achieved for RF switches in a specific frequency band.

[0201] It should be noted that this article focuses primarily on introducing PES techniques and methods, rather than showcasing specific designs with the most compact PES. Therefore, the iterative optimization process described above is not applied in detail to the two RF switches demonstrated above.

[0202] The PES technology proposed in this disclosure improves RF switch performance metrics such as insertion loss and isolation by optimizing the subwavelength metal pattern surrounding the RF switch to suppress undesirable inherent parasitic effects. Therefore, the overall size of the PES is more critical than the size of a single patch. The entire PES must be interconnected to achieve optimal performance; generally, a larger overall size results in better performance. For example, on a single-layer circuit board, the overall size of the PES (or the size of the metal pixel array) needs to be at least 0.06 wavelengths to achieve effective enhancement; on a multi-layer circuit board, the required overall size of the PES can be further reduced.

[0203] Figure 16 is a comparison chart of measurement, simulation, and analytical calculation results for the performance of a sub-6 GHz RF switch integrating PES according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 17 is a comparison chart of measurement, simulation, and analytical calculation results for the performance of a millimeter-wave RF switch integrating PES according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 18 is an analysis chart of the impact of the circuit board on PES performance according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0204] To illustrate the effectiveness of the PES proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure, Figures 16 and 17 also provide a comparison between measurement results (Measured.ON and Measured.OFF), simulation results (CST.ON and CST.OFF), and analytical calculation results (Analytical.ON and Analytical.OFF). Figure 16 uses a sub-6 GHz RF switch with integrated PES to demonstrate the effectiveness of the PES; Figure 17 uses a millimeter-wave RF switch with integrated PES to demonstrate the effectiveness of the PES. As shown in Figure 16, the first RF switch, originally designed for the sub-6 GHz band, has its functionality increased to 20 GHz after integrating the PES. As shown in Figure 17, the second example involves a millimeter-wave RF switch with integrated PES, whose performance is significantly enhanced by the PES.

[0205] The results show that the analytical calculations and simulation results are in high agreement. This agreement is reasonable because the analytical calculations are based on data obtained from a single simulation, which only needs to be run once at the beginning to calculate all configurations. Furthermore, the measurement results show good consistency with both the simulation and analytical results. Minor differences may arise from manufacturing, assembly, or measurement errors.

[0206] The analytical calculation method based on multiport theory does not explicitly consider the electromagnetic coupling between the metal strips used to connect the metal plates, as these strips are modeled as single loads with zero or infinite impedance. However, even though the dimensions of these strips are similar to those of the metal plates, they are spatially discrete, resulting in minimal electromagnetic coupling between them and with the metal plates. Furthermore, other components of the coupling, such as the electromagnetic coupling between the entire PES structure, are inherently included in the S-parameters used in Equation (6). Although the simulation considers all electromagnetic couplings, the analytical calculation ignores the electromagnetic coupling of the aforementioned metal strips used to connect the metal plates. However, the results in Figures 16 and 17 show that the electromagnetic coupling of these metal strips has a negligible impact on the performance of the final RF switch.

[0207] As shown in Figure 18, the main influence of the dielectric constant and thickness of the circuit substrate is the parasitic capacitance between the PES and ground. To fully understand their impact on the PES, additional simulations were performed on embodiments of this disclosure. In these simulations, a PES optimized for the 30 GHz millimeter-wave band (as shown in Figure 12(f)) was used, while the dielectric constant and thickness of the circuit substrate were varied.

[0208] When the dielectric constant of the circuit board changes, the insertion loss remains relatively stable, and the isolation remains at a satisfactory level throughout the bandwidth, although some noticeable fluctuations exist. Conversely, variations in board thickness cause larger fluctuations in insertion loss (approximately 2 dB) and affect the isolation, although it remains at a good level. It should be noted that the performance depicted in Figure 18 may not appear optimal because the PES pattern used is optimized for a board with a dielectric constant of 3.55 and a thickness of 0.2 mm.

[0209] As shown in Figure 18, even with significant changes in dielectric constant and thickness, the performance of PES does not change drastically. This indicates that the parasitic capacitance between PES and ground is not the dominant factor affecting PES performance. In other words, the effectiveness of the proposed PES technology is not dependent on a specific circuit board and can be applied to various circuit board configurations. For various circuit boards and RF switches, the design flow outlined in Figure 15 can be used to achieve a satisfactory PES design for the desired frequency band.

[0210] Therefore, the novel PES proposed in this disclosure aims to improve the performance of RF switches at a high cost-performance ratio. This PES is applicable to various types of RF switches to improve performance indicators such as isolation, with particularly outstanding performance in the high-frequency bands where RF switches operate. The PES is designed as a subwavelength metallic pattern, which can counteract harmful parasitic effects and can be fabricated simultaneously with the circuit board to reduce costs. Furthermore, the embodiments of this disclosure propose an analysis method based on multi-port theory for optimizing PES performance, which reduces the computational requirements of the full-wave electromagnetic solver. Additionally, the embodiments of this disclosure propose a DC control algorithm to handle potential short-circuit problems that may be caused by the PES, ensuring effective control of the RF switch during optimization. Fabrication and experimental verification using PIN diode prototypes in millimeter-wave and sub-6 GHz bands demonstrate that the optimized PES can significantly improve the performance of RF switches. The PES proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure provides a promising solution to the high cost and performance limitations of high-frequency RF switches, contributing to their effective application in advanced communication systems.

[0211] Furthermore, referring again to FIG1, some embodiments of this disclosure also provide a radio frequency system that may include a radio frequency switch and a metal pixel array. The metal pixel array includes a plurality of metal plates 200 disposed around and spaced apart from each other, wherein a portion of the plurality of metal plates 200 are selectively electrically connected to compensate for parasitic effects of the radio frequency switch 100.

[0212] Since the features and beneficial effects of PES described in detail above are applicable in whole or in part to this radio frequency system, related or similar content will not be repeated.

[0213] Figure 19 is a flowchart of a method for fabricating a PES for a radio frequency switch according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0214] As shown in Figure 19, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a method 2000 for fabricating a PES for a radio frequency switch, comprising:

[0215] S1, A metal pixel array is arranged around the radio frequency switch, wherein the metal pixel array comprises multiple metal plates spaced apart from each other.

[0216] S2 selectively connects a portion of multiple metal plates to compensate for parasitic effects of the RF switch.

[0217] Specifically, multiple metal plates may be arranged around the RF switch. For example, the RF switch may be located at the center. The metal plates are extremely small in size, and multiple metal plates constitute a metal pixel array. The RF switch may include its own built-in first input / output port, wherein the RF switch can be of any type, and this disclosure does not limit the type of RF switch or the number of first input / output ports.

[0218] Alternatively, the size of the metal plate and the overall size of the metal pixel array can be adjusted according to the specific type of the RF switch and the target operating frequency band. The size of the metal plate may include the length and width of the metal plate, and the size of the metal pixel array may include the length and width of the metal pixel array.

[0219] The maximum dimension of the metal pixel array in any dimension can be smaller than the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency of the target operating frequency band of the RF switch. Therefore, the length L and width W of the metal pixel array are both smaller than the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency of the target operating frequency band of the RF switch. The length l1 and width w1 of the metal plate are also much smaller than the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency of the target operating frequency band of the RF switch.

[0220] Both the PES and the RF switch can be mounted on the circuit board. The circuit board may include a printed circuit board, wherein the dimensions of the metal plate described above can be understood as the dimensions of the metal plate in a plane parallel to the circuit board; the dimensions of the metal pixel array can be understood as the overall dimensions of the metal pixel array in a plane parallel to the circuit board. Alternatively, the maximum dimension of the metal pixel array in any dimension may include the length L and width W of the metal pixel array in a plane parallel to the circuit board.

[0221] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the circuit board may also include an integrated circuit substrate or a low-temperature co-fired ceramic substrate. Alternatively, the circuit board may also include a combination of a printed circuit board, an integrated circuit substrate, and a low-temperature co-fired ceramic substrate. It should be noted that this disclosure does not limit the specific formation process for forming PES.

[0222] For example, at least one of printed circuit board technology, integrated circuit technology, and low temperature co-fired ceramic packaging technology can be used to form a metal pixel array around the RF switch.

[0223] Alternatively, the PES can be fabricated simultaneously with the circuit board to reduce costs. In other words, since the PES can be integrated with other components on the circuit board, its cost is negligible compared to that of RF switches. Therefore, the novel performance-enhancing PES structure proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure aims to improve the performance of RF switches at a high cost-performance ratio. This PES is applicable to various types of RF switches to improve performance indicators such as isolation, with particularly outstanding performance in the high-frequency bands of RF switch operation. While counteracting the detrimental parasitic effects of RF switches, it can be fabricated simultaneously with the circuit board to reduce costs.

[0224] Optionally, step S1, which involves arranging a metal pixel array around the RF switch, wherein the metal pixel array comprises a plurality of metal plates spaced apart from each other, may include setting one of the dimensions of the metal plates and the dimensions of the gaps between adjacent metal plates to be greater than or equal to the minimum manufacturable size of the process used to manufacture the performance enhancement structure.

[0225] Ideally, the dimensions of the metal sheets and the dimensions of the gaps between them should be as small as possible to allow the metal sheets to be formed into various patterns that achieve the desired performance. Manufacturing resolution limits the minimization of these dimensions; therefore, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the smallest manufacturable dimensions are used as the dimensions of the metal sheets and the dimensions of the gaps.

[0226] When the PES and printed circuit board are manufactured simultaneously, the size of the metal plate can be greater than or equal to the minimum linewidth of the printed circuit board process used to manufacture the PES. Furthermore, the gap size can be greater than or equal to the minimum line spacing of the printed circuit board process used to manufacture the PES.

[0227] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the PES may further include a second input / output port, wherein, with the RF switch in the central position, the second input / output port may be located on the outermost side away from the central position for electrical connection to external circuitry or components. Optionally, the external circuitry and components may be located on a circuit board or other circuit boards. Alternatively, some of the multiple metal plates may serve as the second input / output port.

[0228] Optionally, at least two of the plurality of metal plates may have different sizes and / or shapes. For example, the plurality of metal plates may include: a first type of metal plate and a second type of metal plate, wherein the first type of metal plate may be directly connected to the first input / output port of the RF switch; the second type of metal plate may serve as the second input / output port of the PES, wherein the size of at least one of the first type of metal plate and the second type of metal plate may be larger than the size of other metal plates in the metal pixel array. The larger size of the first type of metal plate is beneficial for improving the process window and increasing its contact area with the first input / output port, thereby improving the reliability of the system. The larger size of the second type of metal plate is beneficial for its wiring with external circuits and also improves the reliability of the system. In addition, the shapes of the first type of metal plate and the second type of metal plate can be designed according to actual needs, and therefore, in some embodiments, the shapes of the first type of metal plate and the second type of metal plate may be different from the shapes of the other metal plates.

[0229] Alternatively, the gaps between adjacent metal plates can be of equal size. The connection state of the gap can be represented by a potential connection. The connection state of the gap can include: a conductive state or an open state, where a conductive state can be understood as the gap being bridged by a conductor, thereby connecting the metal plates on both sides of the gap, and an open state can be understood as the gap not being bridged, thereby isolating the metal plates on both sides of the gap from each other.

[0230] Therefore, a potential connection can be characterized by its corresponding gap being selectively bridged by a conductor to achieve a conducting state, or remaining disconnected. Each potential connection corresponds to an optimization variable, and the state combination of all optimization variables collectively defines the final connection configuration of the PES.

[0231] Alternatively, a potential connection can be established between any two adjacent metal plates. In other words, any two adjacent metal plates can be either disconnected from each other or connected to each other. Based on this, multiple potential connections can be used to selectively connect some of the metal plates, allowing the PES to present a specific pattern. The function of a PES with a specific pattern can be similar to a combination of an inductor and a capacitor.

[0232] PES with a specific pattern can compensate for the inherent parasitic effects inside the RF switch, thereby improving its performance in the target operating frequency band. In addition, the first input / output port of the RF switch can extend to any metal plate on the outer ring, or in other words, the first input / output port of the RF switch can be easily connected to external circuits or components through any metal plate on the outer ring.

[0233] This disclosure addresses the issues of high cost and poor performance of high-frequency RF switches by proposing a novel PES (Power Array Separator). Through a comprehensive study of the PES method, design examples, and testing, a high-performance, cost-effective improvement in RF switch performance is achieved. The PES includes a metal pixel array that surrounds the RF switch. By optimizing the coupling effect between the metal pixel arrays, the inherent parasitic effects of the RF switch can be offset, thereby improving the RF switch's performance. On one hand, the optimized PES can improve the isolation of millimeter-wave RF switches while maintaining their low insertion loss. On the other hand, for RF switches originally designed for frequency bands such as below 6 GHz, the optimized PES can successfully extend the effective operating range from below 5 GHz to the centimeter-wave frequency band, for example, 10 GHz to 20 GHz.

[0234] Optionally, the multiple metal plates selectively electrically connected in the metal pixel array of the PES have a patterned structure, which can compensate for the parasitic effects of the RF switch through the distribution of the metal patterns in its structure. For example, the patterned structure can be an irregular, non-periodic structure.

[0235] In some embodiments of this disclosure, PES configurations can be optimized using an efficient analysis method based on multi-port theory. This method requires only a single simulation to acquire basic data; subsequently, based on this basic data and analytical calculations, all possible PES configurations can be quickly traversed to determine the parameters of the PES configuration corresponding to the optimal performance of the RF switch. This fundamentally avoids the enormous computational burden of performing simulations such as full-wave simulations on a massive number of PES configurations one by one.

[0236] In addition, some embodiments of this disclosure also propose a DC connection algorithm to identify potential short-circuit risks that may be caused by PES connection. By using the short-circuit risk as a constraint to adjust the PES configuration, it can be ensured that the DC control signal can be effectively applied to the RF switch with integrated PES.

[0237] Therefore, the upper limit of the target operating frequency band of an RF switch integrating PES can be higher than the upper limit of the inherent operating frequency band of the RF switch; or the target operating frequency band of an RF switch integrating PES can be wholly or partially located within the inherent operating frequency band of the RF switch.

[0238] The isolation of an RF switch with integrated PES in the target operating frequency band can be higher than that of the RF switch itself in the target operating frequency band; and the insertion loss of an RF switch with integrated PES in the target operating frequency band can be lower than that of the RF switch itself in the target operating frequency band.

[0239] Optionally, a portion of the multiple metal plates may be selectively electrically connected, which can be determined by: obtaining the scattering parameter matrix of a multi-port network model including the metal pixel array and the RF switch; and, based on the scattering parameter matrix and the inherent scattering matrix of the RF switch, searching for different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array using an optimization algorithm, optimizing a preset objective function to determine the selective electrical connection; wherein the objective function is related to the isolation and insertion loss of the RF switch in the target operating frequency band.

[0240] For example, the objective function can be positively correlated with the isolation of the RF switch in the target operating frequency band and negatively correlated with the insertion loss of the RF switch in the target operating frequency band.

[0241] As described above, a potential connection represents the connection state of a gap. The connection state of a gap can include: a conductive state or a disconnected state. A conductive state can be understood as the gap being bridged by a conductor, thereby connecting the metal plates on both sides of the gap. A disconnected state can be understood as the gap not being bridged, thereby isolating the metal plates on both sides of the gap from each other. Based on this, the potential connection configuration can be determined by the connection states of all gaps in the metal pixel array.

[0242] The embodiments of this disclosure require determining which potential connections in the PES need to be turned on and which need to be turned off. To facilitate the description of the connection states of the metallic pixel array, a binary vector x = [x1, x2, ... x...] can be defined. n ,…,x N Where n represents the nth potential connection, 220, 1≤n≤N, and N is a positive integer greater than 1; x n ∈{-1,1}, which represents the disconnected or connected state of the nth potential connection 220. The disconnected state can be represented by "1", and the connected state can be represented by "-1". Each specific configuration of vector x corresponds to a specific geometry of PES, and thus exhibits different performance. For example, if all elements of vector x are "-1", then PES is in a fully connected state. Therefore, the embodiments of this disclosure transform the optimization problem of PES into finding a configuration of vector x that can achieve the expected performance.

[0243] Vector x can represent potential connection configurations, and therefore it can also be called the configuration vector or configuration vector of potential connections. Since the number of possible configurations for vector x is as high as 23... N However, using simulation tools such as full-wave simulation to evaluate the insertion loss, isolation, and other performance characteristics of the RF switches corresponding to each of the above vector x configurations would be computationally intensive and impractical. Therefore, an efficient and fast analysis method needs to be developed to evaluate the performance of all possible vector x configurations in order to achieve a feasible solution to the optimization problem.

[0244] In some embodiments of this disclosure, to analyze the performance of a radio frequency switch with a PES, N potential connections can be considered as internal ports, and the radio frequency switch can be configured to have M first input / output ports. Correspondingly, the number of second input / output ports is also M. Therefore, a system including a radio frequency switch and a PES can be modeled as a multiport network model with N+2M ports.

[0245] To simplify the analysis, the N+2M ports can be divided into two groups. The first group of ports may include N internal ports that characterize the potential connection configuration and M first input / output ports. In other words, the first group of ports includes N+M ports. The second group of ports may be M second input / output ports.

[0246] A system including RF switches and PES can be modeled as a multiport network with N+2M ports, which can be represented by a scattering parameter matrix. This scattering parameter matrix may include: a first scattering submatrix S. II The second scattering submatrix S IE The third scattering matrix S EI and the fourth scattering matrix S EE The first scattering submatrix S II It can characterize the coupling inside the first set of ports; the second scatterer matrix S IE It can characterize the coupling from the first set of ports to the second set of ports; the third scatterer matrix S EI It can characterize the coupling from the second set of ports to the first set of ports; and the fourth scatterer matrix S EE It can characterize the coupling inside the second set of ports.

[0247] The scattering parameter matrix correlates the incident and reflected wave signals of the first set of ports and the incident and reflected wave signals of the second set of ports, and provides a quantifiable mathematical basis for subsequent analysis of the effects of various potential PES connection configurations on RF switch performance (e.g., calculating isolation and insertion loss).

[0248] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the scattering parameter matrix of a complete (N+2M) multiport network model of an RF switch integrating PES in the target operating frequency band can be calculated through a single simulation. The scattering parameter matrix includes the scattering submatrix S. II S IE S EI and S EE Subsequently, the scattering parameter matrix, the configuration vector x of the potential connection, and the scattering matrix S of the RF switch are used. switch This allows for the efficient and rapid determination of the scattering matrix S of an RF switch integrating PES. CES The scattering matrix S CESThe insertion loss, isolation, and other performance indicators of the RF switch under the current PES potential connection configuration were characterized. Then, optimization algorithms such as genetic algorithms can be used to update the configuration vector x of the potential connection, and based on the updated configuration vector x, the scattering matrix S of the RF switch integrating the PES can be determined again. CES Through this iterative process, the optimal configuration vector x of the potential connections is finally determined, maximizing the performance of the RF switch with integrated PES. In other words, the above analysis method can efficiently and quickly determine the parameters of the PES configuration corresponding to the optimal performance of the RF switch.

[0249] Optionally, to reduce the optimization load, embodiments of this disclosure also utilize the rotational symmetry of the radio frequency switch. Specifically, the radio frequency switch may be a dual-port (e.g., port 1 and port 2) structure, S 21 This can represent the signal received at port 1 and output at port 2, and it can measure the characteristics of forward signal transmission. Furthermore, S... 12 It can represent the signal condition from port 2 to port 1, and it can measure the characteristics of signal reverse transmission. The S-value of the RF switch... 21 With S 12 They are essentially the same. Therefore, in some embodiments of this disclosure, considering the rotational symmetry of the first input / output port distribution of the RF switch, rotational symmetry constraints can be imposed on potential connection configurations during the search process of the optimization algorithm to reduce the number of optimization variables.

[0250] For example, the state of potential connections in the upper half of PES can be set to be rotationally symmetric with the state of potential connections in the lower half of PES, which significantly reduces the number of potential connection configurations.

[0251] Furthermore, integrating a PES (Power Array Switch) to improve RF switch performance may create unintended connections between different DC control ports of the RF switch, or between the DC control port and the DC ground port, thereby hindering the control function of the RF switch. Therefore, during the design, optimization, and application of the PES, the DC control path of the RF switch must be considered to ensure that improvements to the RF performance of the RF switch do not affect its basic control functions.

[0252] In some embodiments of this disclosure, in order to solve the above problems, potential short-circuit risks that may be caused by PES connections can be identified during the PES configuration optimization process. By using the short-circuit risk as a constraint and adjusting the PES configuration, it can be ensured that the DC control signal can be effectively applied to the RF switch with integrated PES.

[0253] In other words, constraint functions can be introduced during the search process of the optimization algorithm to judge the electrical connectivity of potential connection configurations one by one, and remove potential connection configurations that cause a conduction path between different DC control ports of the RF switch. Here, the DC control port is the port that applies a DC bias signal to the RF switch, and the DC control port and the first input / output port of at least one RF switch are the same physical port.

[0254] In addition, some embodiments of this disclosure also provide methods for further optimizing the size of the PES.

[0255] Specifically, as an option, a first size can be set for the metal pixel array, and different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array having the first size can be searched; in response to determining a selective electrical connection in the metal pixel array having the first size, the first size can be iteratively reduced, and different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array having the reduced size can be searched; and until a selective electrical connection in the metal pixel array having the reduced size cannot be determined, and the size obtained by the last reduction is determined as the size of the metal pixel array.

[0256] Alternatively, a first size can be set for the metal pixel array, and different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array having the first size can be searched; in response to the inability to determine a selective electrical connection in the metal pixel array having the first size, the first size can be iteratively enlarged, and different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array having the enlarged size can be searched; and until a selective electrical connection in the metal pixel array having the enlarged size is determined, the size obtained by the last enlargement is determined as the size of the metal pixel array.

[0257] The first dimension can be understood as a reasonable initial size, typically between 0.06 and 0.1 wavelengths. This first dimension can also be understood as the size of the PES (Power Switches). If the PES achieves the expected performance within the target bandwidth, the first dimension can be iteratively reduced and re-optimized. Conversely, if the performance does not meet expectations, the first dimension can be iteratively increased and re-optimized accordingly. By iteratively refining this process, an efficient and compact PES design can be achieved for RF switches in a specific frequency band.

[0258] Therefore, the PES technology proposed in this disclosure improves RF switch performance metrics such as insertion loss and isolation by optimizing the subwavelength metal pattern surrounding the RF switch to suppress undesirable inherent parasitic effects. The PES is designed as a subwavelength metal pattern to counteract harmful parasitic effects and can be fabricated simultaneously with the circuit board to reduce costs. Furthermore, this disclosure proposes an analysis method based on multiport theory for optimizing PES performance, which reduces the computational requirements of the full-wave electromagnetic solver. Additionally, this disclosure proposes a DC control algorithm to handle potential short-circuit problems that may be caused by the PES, ensuring effective control of the RF switch during optimization. Fabrication and experimental verification of PIN diode prototypes in millimeter-wave and sub-6 GHz bands demonstrate that the optimized PES significantly improves RF switch performance. The PES proposed in this disclosure provides a promising solution to the high cost and performance limitations of high-frequency RF switches, facilitating their effective application in advanced communication systems.

[0259] Although exemplary preparation methods and structures of PES are described herein, it is understood that one or more features may be omitted, substituted, or added from the PES. Furthermore, the materials of the exemplified layers are merely exemplary.

[0260] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this disclosure and an explanation of the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of protection involved in this disclosure is not limited to the technical solutions formed by the selected combinations of the above-described technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by any combination of the above-described technical features or their equivalents without departing from the technical concept. For example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above-described features with (but not limited to) technical features with similar functions disclosed in this disclosure. 。

Claims

1. A performance enhancement structure for a radio frequency switch, characterized by, include: The metal pixel array includes a plurality of metal plates disposed around and spaced apart from each other on the radio frequency switch. In this embodiment, a portion of the plurality of metal plates are selectively electrically connected to compensate for the parasitic effects of the radio frequency switch.

2. The performance enhancing structure of claim 1, wherein, The metal pixel array and the radio frequency switch are mounted on the circuit board.

3. The performance enhancing structure of claim 1, wherein, The plurality of said metal plates include: The first type of metal plate is directly connected to the input / output port of the radio frequency switch; and The second type of metal plate serves as the input / output port of the performance enhancement structure.

4. The performance enhancing structure of claim 1, wherein, One of the dimensions of the metal plate and the dimensions of the gap between adjacent metal plates is greater than or equal to the minimum manufacturable size of the process used to manufacture the performance-enhancing structure.

5. The performance enhancing structure of claim 1, wherein, A portion of the plurality of said metal plates is selectively electrically connected by the following method: Based on the scattering parameter matrix and the inherent scattering matrix of the RF switch, an optimization algorithm is used to search for different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array and optimize a preset objective function to determine the selective electrical connection. The scattering parameter matrix is ​​obtained from the multi-port network model of the metal pixel array and the radio frequency switch; and The objective function is related to the performance of the RF switch within the target operating frequency band.

6. The performance enhancing structure of claim 5, wherein, The multi-port network model includes: The first set of ports includes multiple internal ports characterizing the potential connection configuration and the input / output ports of the RF switch; and The second set of ports includes the input / output ports of the performance enhancement structure.

7. The performance enhancing structure of claim 1, wherein, The metal pixel array comprises a single-layer or multi-layer metal structure.

8. The performance enhancing structure of claim 1, wherein, The plurality of metal plates selectively electrically connected have a patterned structure. The patterned structure is configured to compensate for the parasitic effects of the radio frequency switch through the distribution of the metal pattern.

9. The performance enhancing structure of claim 8, wherein, The patterned structure is an irregular, non-periodic structure.

10. The performance enhancing structure of claim 1, wherein, The maximum size of the metal pixel array in any dimension is smaller than the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency of the target operating frequency band of the RF switch.

11. A radio frequency system, characterized by include: Radio frequency switch; as well as The metal pixel array includes a plurality of metal plates disposed around and spaced apart from each other on the radio frequency switch. In this embodiment, a portion of the plurality of metal plates are selectively electrically connected to compensate for the parasitic effects of the radio frequency switch.

12. A method of fabricating a performance enhancement structure for a radio frequency switch, the method comprising: include: ​ A metal pixel array is disposed around the radio frequency switch, wherein the metal pixel array comprises a plurality of metal plates spaced apart from each other; as well as Selective electrical connection is made to a portion of the plurality of said metal plates to compensate for the parasitic effects of said radio frequency switch.

13. The method of making according to claim 12, wherein, Selectively electrically connecting a portion of the plurality of said metal plates to compensate for the parasitic effects of said radio frequency switch includes: Obtain the scattering parameter matrix of the multi-port network model including the metal pixel array and the RF switch; and Based on the scattering parameter matrix and the inherent scattering matrix of the RF switch, an optimization algorithm is used to search for different potential connection configurations in the metal pixel array and optimize a preset objective function to determine the selective connection. The objective function is related to the isolation and insertion loss of the RF switch within the target operating frequency band.

14. The production method according to claim 13, wherein Obtaining the scattering parameter matrix of the multiport network model including the metal pixel array and the RF switch includes: A single simulation is performed on the multi-port network model to obtain the scattering parameter matrix. The multi-port network model includes: The first set of ports includes multiple internal ports characterizing the potential connection configuration and the input / output ports of the RF switch; and The second set of ports includes a metal plate that serves as the input / output port of the performance enhancement structure.

15. The method of making according to claim 13, wherein, Obtaining the scattering parameter matrix of the multiport network model including the metal pixel array and the RF switch further includes: During the search process of the optimization algorithm, a constraint function is introduced to judge the electrical connectivity of each potential connection configuration one by one, and to remove potential connection configurations that would cause a conductive path to be formed between different DC control ports of the RF switch. The DC control port is a port that applies a DC bias signal to the radio frequency switch, and the DC control port and at least one input / output port of the radio frequency switch are the same physical port.

16. The method of making according to claim 12, wherein, The method further includes: The metal pixel array is formed around the radio frequency switch using at least one of the following processes: printed circuit board process, integrated circuit process, and low temperature co-fired ceramic packaging process.

Images