Patent · US Expired

Compact microwave and millimeter wave amplifier

US5355093A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
2References
1Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 23, 1992
Grant dateOct 11, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 23, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03F3/56
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An electronic device for amplifying microwave or millimeter wave signals. A microwave or millimeter wave input signal stimulates a gated field emission array to produce a density modulated beam of electrons containing about 1 billion to 1,000 billion bunches or pulses per second which in turn illuminates a thin diamond target in a diamond switch connecting a load to a high voltage source. Each electron in each pulse creates a large number of electron hole pairs in the diamond. The high voltage bias across the diamond causes most of the very large number of pairs to be swept through the diamond target producing a high current surge in less than one half the period of the designed output frequency. Induced RF currents are set up within the resonant output cavity in response to the current flowing within the diamond. In summary, each surge of current produces an electromagnetic pulse at the load. Thus, an electromagnetic millimeter wave is produced with a frequency equal to the frequency of the signal output.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.