Transformer
The invention discloses an RF ASIC, ( 100 ), which comprises first ( 110 ) and second ( 130 ) plane conductors arranged parallel to each other with an isolating material ( 120 ) of a certain thickness (d) between them, and a ground plane ( 150 ) arranged in parallel to said conductors and at a certain distance (h) from the nearest conductor. Each conductor ( 110, 130 ) is shaped as a rectangle with a width (W) and a length (L) such that the length exceeds the width, so that each conductor has opposing short sides and opposing long sides. Each conductor exhibits a connector ( 1, 2, 3, 4 ) at each of its short sides, and the ASIC can be used as a transformer by using the connectors ( 1, 2 ) on one opposing short side as input ports to the transformer, and the connectors ( 3, 4 ) on the other opposing short side as output ports.
1 - 9 . (canceled)
10 . A Radio Frequency Application Specific Integrated Circuit (RF ASIC) comprising:
first and second plane conductors arranged parallel to each other with an isolating material of a certain thickness between them, each one of the first and second plane conductors being rectangular with opposing short sides and opposing long sides;
a ground plane arranged in parallel to said first and second plane conductors and at a certain distance from a nearest one of said first and second plane conductors;
first connectors on the opposing short sides of one of the first and second plane conductors, said first connectors operable as input ports to a transformer formed via inductive coupling between the first and second plane conductors, and corresponding second conductors on the opposing short sides of the other one of said first and second plane conductors, said second connectors operable as output ports form the transformer formed via said inductive coupling between the first and second plane conductors.
11 . The RF ASIC of claim 10 , wherein the RF ASIC comprises a Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC).
12 . The RF ASIC of claim 11 , wherein the first and second plane conductors together with the isolating material comprise the Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) layers of the MMIC.
13 . The RF ASIC of claim 10 , wherein the first and second plane conductors have the same width.
14 . The RF ASIC of claim 10 , wherein the first and second plane conductors have the same length.
15 . The RF ASIC of claim 10 , wherein the certain distance of the ground plane from the nearest one of the first and second plane conductors is in the range of 50 μm to 400 μm.
16 . The RF ASIC of claim 10 , wherein the certain thickness of the isolating material is in the range of 0.1 μm to 0.6 μm.
17 . The RF ASIC of claim 10 , wherein the length of at least one of the first and second plane conductors is in the range of 500 μm to 5000 μm.
18 . The RF ASIC of claim 10 , wherein the width of at least one of the first and second plane conductors is in the range of 10 μm to 100 μm.
19 . A Radio Frequency Application Specific Circuit (RF ASIC) including a transformer circuit comprising:
a transformer circuit formed within said RF ASIC as first and second plane conductors having an inductive coupling between them and separated by an insulating layer that dielectrically isolates them, each said plane conductor having a rectangular shape defining opposing short sides and opposing long sides;
a ground plane separated from a nearest one of the first and second plane conductors by a defined distance;
first connectors electrically connecting to opposing short sides of the first plane conductor and serving as input ports to said transformer circuit; and
second connectors electrically connecting to opposing short sides of the second plane conductor and serving as output ports of said transformer circuit.
20 . The RF ASIC of claim 19 , wherein the RF ASIC includes a stacked RF transistor circuit electrically interconnected with said input and output ports of said transformer circuit.