Non-reciprocal circuit device and communication apparatus using the same

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a non-reciprocal circuit device that includes a mounting surface substantially parallel to a stacking direction, first and second side surfaces substantially vertical to the mounting surface and substantially parallel to the stacking direction, a first permanent magnet, a magnetic rotator stacked in the stacking direction with respect to the first permanent magnet, the magnetic rotator having a central conductor and at least first and second ports derived from the central conductor, a first external terminal provided on the first side surface and connected to the first port, and a second external terminal provided on the second side surface and connected to the second port.

Claims

1. A non-reciprocal circuit device comprising: a mounting surface substantially parallel to a stacking direction; first and second side surfaces substantially vertical to the mounting surface and substantially parallel to the stacking direction; a first permanent magnet; a magnetic rotator including first and second ferrite cores, the magnetic rotator being stacked in the stacking direction with respect to the first permanent magnet, the magnetic rotator having a central conductor and at least first and second ports derived from the central conductor, the central conductor being provided between the first and second ferrite cores in the stacking direction; a first external terminal provided on the first side surface and connected to the first port; and a second external terminal provided on the second side surface and connected to the second port.

2. The non-reciprocal circuit device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a magnetic substrate, wherein the magnetic rotator is provided between the first permanent magnet and the magnetic substrate in the stacking direction.

3. The non-reciprocal circuit device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the magnetic substrate comprises a second permanent magnet.

4. The non-reciprocal circuit device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third external terminal provided on the mounting surface, wherein the central conductor further includes a third port connected to the third external terminal.

5. The non-reciprocal circuit device as claimed in claim 4, wherein a part of the first external terminal and a part of the second external terminal are provided on the mounting surface.

6. The non-reciprocal circuit device as claimed in claim 4, wherein an angle formed between an extending direction of the first port based on a central point of the central conductor and an extending direction of the third port based on the central point of the central conductor is an acute angle, and wherein an angle formed between an extending direction of the second port based on the central point of the central conductor and the extending direction of the third port based on the central point of the central conductor is an acute angle.

7. The non-reciprocal circuit device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a conductor plate provided between the first permanent magnet and the magnetic rotator in the stacking direction; and a fourth external terminal connected to the conductor plate.

8. The non-reciprocal circuit device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising: an upper surface located opposite to the mounting surface; and a connection conductor that covers the upper surface, the connection conductor connecting the conductor plate to the fourth external terminal.

9. The non-reciprocal circuit device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the conductor plate is exposed on the upper surface so as to be connected to the connection conductor without exposing from any of the mounting surface, the first side surface, and the second side surface.

10. A communication apparatus includes a non-reciprocal circuit device, the non-reciprocal circuit device comprising: a mounting surface substantially parallel to a stacking direction; first and second side surfaces substantially vertical to the mounting surface and substantially parallel to the stacking direction; a first permanent magnet; a magnetic rotator including first and second ferrite cores, the magnetic rotator being stacked in the stacking direction with respect to the first permanent magnet, the magnetic rotator having a central conductor and at least first and second ports derived from the central conductor, the central conductor being provided between the first and second ferrite cores in the stacking direction; a first external terminal provided on the first side surface and connected to the first port; and a second external terminal provided on the second side surface and connected to the second port.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent by reference to the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a non-reciprocal circuit device according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention as viewed from an upper surface side;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of the non-reciprocal circuit device according to the preferable embodiment of the present invention as viewed from a mounting surface side;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view as viewed from the upper surface side showing a state in which an external terminal and a connection conductor included in the non-reciprocal circuit device are omitted;

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view as viewed from the mounting surface side showing a state in which an external terminal and a connection conductor included in the non-reciprocal circuit device are omitted;

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic exploded perspective view for explaining a main part of the non-reciprocal circuit device;

(7) FIG. 6 is a YZ cross-sectional view for explaining a shape of a central conductor;

(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining positions of the ports provided in the central conductor;

(9) FIG. 8 is a YZ cross-sectional view for explaining a shape of a central conductor according to a first modification;

(10) FIG. 9 is a YZ cross-sectional view for explaining a shape of a central conductor according to a second modification;

(11) FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 are process diagrams for explaining a manufacturing method of the non-reciprocal circuit device;

(12) FIG. 12 is a plan view for explaining a positional relation between the conductor pattern and the conductor plate;

(13) FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication apparatus using the non-reciprocal circuit device according to the embodiment; and

(14) FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a conventional multilayered non-reciprocal circuit device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(15) Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

(16) FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic perspective views showing a configuration of a non-reciprocal circuit device 10 according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view as viewed from an upper surface side, and FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view as viewed from a mounting surface side. FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic perspective views showing a state in which an external terminal and a connection conductor included in the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 are omitted. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view as viewed from the upper surface side, and FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view as viewed from the mounting surface side. FIG. 5 is a schematic exploded perspective view for explaining a main part of the non-reciprocal circuit device 10.

(17) The non-reciprocal circuit device 10 shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 is a distributed constant non-reciprocal circuit device and is incorporated in a mobile communication device such as a mobile phone and a communication device used in a base station and is used as an isolator or a circulator. Although not particularly limited thereto, it is preferable that the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 according to the present embodiment is used for a communication device used in the base station.

(18) As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 according to the present embodiment is a surface-mounted electronic component having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and includes a mounting surface 11 and an upper surface 12 forming an XY plane, first and second side surfaces 13 and 14 forming an XZ plane, and third and fourth side surfaces 15 and 16 forming a YZ plane. Although not particularly limited thereto, when a targeted frequency band is 25 GHz, the length in an X direction is about 2 millimeters, a width in a Y direction is about 1.25 millimeters, and a height in a Z direction is about 1.25 millimeters.

(19) The non-reciprocal circuit device 10 includes four external terminals 21 to 24 and a connection conductor 25. As shown in FIG. 2, the first external terminal 21 is formed on the side surface 13 and the mounting surface 11, the second external terminal 22 is formed on the side surface 14 and the mounting surface 11, and the third external terminal 23 is formed on the mounting surface 11. In FIGS. 3 and 4, positions at which the external terminals 21 to 23 are formed are shown by a broken line. These three external terminals 21 to 23 are connected to respectively corresponding signal wirings in the case of using the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 according to the present embodiment as a circulator. On the other hand, in the case of using the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 according to the present embodiment as an isolator, for example, the external terminals 21 and 22 are connected to respectively corresponding signal wirings, and the external terminal 23 is grounded via a termination resistor. Similarly, even if the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 is grounded at a termination resistor via an end of the external terminal 21 or 22, the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 can be used as an isolator. The fourth external terminal 24 is formed on the entire side surfaces 15 and 16, and on a part of the mounting surface 11. A reference potential such as a ground potential is applied to the fourth external terminal 24. The connection conductor 25 is formed on the entire upper surface 12, and supplies a reference potential applied to the fourth external terminal 24 to a conductor plate described later.

(20) The non-reciprocal circuit device 10 further includes permanent magnets 31 and 32, and has a configuration in which a magnetic rotator 40 is provided therebetween in the X direction, which is a stacking direction. In the present invention, one of the permanent magnets 31 and 32 can be omitted, or can be replaced by an iron plate or the like as a magnetic substrate having a small coercive force. However, in order to apply a strong magnetic field vertically to the magnetic rotator 40, it is preferable to provide the magnetic rotator 40 between the two permanent magnets 31 and 32. In the present embodiment, the external terminals 21 to 23 are formed on the surface of the magnetic rotator 40, and the external terminals 21 to 23 do not have a portion covering the permanent magnet 31 or 32. Such a layout is possible because the mounting surface 11 is parallel to the X direction, being the stacking direction.

(21) The magnetic rotator 40 includes two ferrite cores 41 and 42 and a central conductor 50 provided therebetween in the X direction. As a material of the ferrite cores 41 and 42, it is preferable to use a soft magnetic material such as yttrium/iron/garnet (YIG). The central conductor 50 has a substantially disk shape, and includes three ports 51 to 53 derived radially from a central point. The central conductor 50 and the ferrite cores 41, 42 are bonded to each other via a bonding layer 71.

(22) A leading end of the first port 51 derived from the central conductor 50 is exposed on the first side surface 13, thereby being connected to the first external terminal 21. A leading end of the second port 52 derived from the central conductor 50 is exposed on the second side surface 14, thereby being connected to the second external terminal 22. Further, a leading end of the third port 53 derived from the central conductor 50 is exposed on the mounting surface 11, thereby being connected to the third external terminal 23.

(23) The non-reciprocal circuit device 10 according to the present embodiment further includes a conductor plate 61 provided between the permanent magnet 31 and the magnetic rotator 40 in the X direction, and a conductor plate 62 provided between the permanent magnet 32 and the magnetic rotator 40 in the X direction. Therefore, the central conductor 50 is provided between the two conductor plates 61 and 62 and is isolated from the permanent magnets 31 and 32. The conductor plates 61 and 62 have a width in the Y direction narrower than the width of the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 in the Y direction, and a height in the Z direction lower than the height of the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 in the Z direction. The conductor plates 61 and 62 are exposed on the upper surface 12, without being exposed from any of the side surfaces 13 and 14 and the mounting surface 11. As described above, because the entire upper surface 12 is covered with the connection conductor 25, conductor plates 61 and 62 are electrically connected to the fourth external terminal 24 via the connection conductor 25. The permanent magnets 31 and 32 and the magnetic rotator 40 are bonded to each other via the bonding layer 72.

(24) FIG. 6 is a YZ cross-sectional view for explaining a shape of the central conductor 50.

(25) As shown in FIG. 6, a YZ cross-section of the central conductor 50 is substantially circular. The first port 51 derived from the central conductor 50 extends in a lower left direction in FIG. 6 and is connected to the first external terminal 21. The second port 52 derived from the central conductor 50 extends in a lower right direction in FIG. 6 and is connected to the second external terminal 22. The third port 53 derived from the central conductor 50 extends in a directly downward direction (in a negative Z direction) in FIG. 6 and is connected to the third external terminal 23. However, it is not essential that the YZ cross-section of the central conductor 50 is circular, and can have a concave portion, a convex portion, a hole, a bifurcated branch, or a slit for adjusting the characteristics.

(26) In FIG. 6, positions of the conductor plates 61 and 62 are also shown, and it is understood that end portions of the conductor plates 61 and 62 are not exposed on the mounting surface 11 and the side surfaces 13 and 14. On the other hand, the end portions of the conductor plates 61 and 62 are exposed on the upper surface 12, thereby being connected to the connection conductor 25.

(27) FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining positions of the ports 51 to 53 provided in the central conductor 50.

(28) As shown in FIG. 7, in the present embodiment, when the extending directions of the ports 51 to 53 based on a central point C of the central conductor 50 are indicated respectively by straight lines L1 to L3, an angle 1 formed between the straight lines L1 and L2 is about 120 degrees, and an angle 2 formed between the straight lines L1 and L3 and an angle 2 formed between the straight lines L2 and L3 are respectively about 60 degrees. That is, the angle 2 is an acute angle, which is largely different from a derivation angle of ports (120 degrees respectively) in a general non-reciprocal circuit device.

(29) The reason why the non-reciprocal circuit device having this configuration functions as a non-reciprocal circuit device is that the third port 53 has substantially the same property as that of a virtual port 54. The virtual port 54 extends in a directly upward direction (a positive Z direction) from the central point C, and angles 3 formed between a straight line L4 corresponding to the virtual port 54 and the straight lines L1 and L2 are respectively about 120 degrees. That is, the central conductor 50 including the first and second ports 51, 52 and the virtual port 54 has the same configuration as that of the central conductor used in a general three-terminal non-reciprocal circuit device, and as is widely known, the non-reciprocal circuit device functions as an isolator or a circulator.

(30) A standing wave appearing in the virtual port 54 similarly appears in the third port 53 located opposite to the virtual port 54 by 180 degrees. Therefore, by using the third port 53 instead of the virtual port 54, the same function as that of the central conductor used in a general three-terminal non-reciprocal circuit device can be realized. It is not essential that the angle 1 formed between the straight lines L1 and L2 is exactly 120 degrees, and the angle can be designed to be 120 degrees or more in order to decrease the insertion loss between the first port 51 and the second port 52.

(31) However, in the present invention, the layout of the ports 51 to 53 derived from the central conductor 50 is not limited to the layout described above. Therefore, as in a first modification shown in FIG. 8, the third port 53 can be arranged at the same position as the virtual port 54. Alternatively, as in a second modification shown in FIG. 9, the layout in the first modification can be rotated by 180 degrees. However, in this case, the length of the first and second external terminals 21 and 22 in the Z direction become long. Therefore, if the frequency band to be used is high, particularly when the non-reciprocal circuit device is used in a frequency band equal to or higher than 20 GHz, the electrical property deteriorates due to inductance components of the first and second external terminals 21 and 22.

(32) On the other hand, according to the layout of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 6, it is not difficult to connect the third port 53 to a land pattern on a printed circuit board, and the length of the first and second external terminals 21 and 22 in the Z direction can be reduced. Therefore, the layout of the central conductor 50 according to the present embodiment can easily adopt a surface-mounted terminal arrangement, and is advantageous when the frequency band to be used is high, particularly when the non-reciprocal circuit device is used in a frequency band equal to or higher than 20 GHz.

(33) In the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 according to the present embodiment, the external terminals 21 to 23 do not overlap on the permanent magnet 31 or 32. Therefore, an inductance of the external terminals 21 to 23 does not increase as in a conventional non-reciprocal circuit device 100 shown in FIG. 14. Accordingly, even if the frequency band to be used is very high, a preferable electrical property can be acquired.

(34) Table 1 shows electrical properties of the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 according to the present embodiment and the conventional non-reciprocal circuit device 100 shown in FIG. 14. Values indicated in Table 1 are obtained in the case where the length of the non-reciprocal circuit device in the X direction is 2 millimeters, the width thereof in the Y direction is 1.25 millimeters, and the height thereof in the Z direction is 1.25 millimeters, respectively.

(35) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 CONVENTIONAL EMBODIMENT INSERTION LOSS 26.5 GHz 1.87 dB 0.65 dB 29.5 GHz 1.17 dB 0.62 dB ISOLATION 26.5 GHz 12.8 dB 17.3 dB 29.5 GHz 6.8 dB 23.8 dB

(36) As shown in Table 1, it is understood that in the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 according to the present embodiment, the insertion loss is low and the isolation property is high in frequency bands of 26.5 GHz and 29.5 GHz, as compared with the conventional non-reciprocal circuit device 100.

(37) Next, a manufacturing method of the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 according to the present embodiment is described.

(38) First, as shown in FIG. 10, a permanent magnet 30A and a ferrite core 40A are prepared as an aggregate substrate and a conductive pattern is formed on the surfaces of the permanent magnet 30A and the ferrite core 40A. Specifically, a conductive pattern 30B is formed substantially on the whole surface of the permanent magnet 30A, and rectangular conductive patterns 40B are regularly formed on the surface of the ferrite core 40A. As a forming method of the conductive patterns 30B and 40B, for example, a screen printing method can be used. The conductive patterns 40B are portions that eventually become the conductive plate 61 or 62.

(39) Next, the permanent magnet 30A and the ferrite core 40A are stacked on each other via the adhesive layer 72 and integrated by performing vacuum theremopressing, to manufacture a stacked body 73 shown in FIG. 11. After manufacturing two stacked bodies 73, as shown in FIG. 11, a conductor plate 50A is provided between the two stacked bodies 73 via the bonding layer 71, and these are integrated by performing the vacuum theremopressing. The conductor plate 50A is configured by a plurality of central conductors 50.

(40) FIG. 12 is a plan view for explaining a positional relation between the conductor pattern 40B and the conductor plate 50A. As shown in FIG. 12, the positional relation between them is adjusted so as to overlap one conductor pattern 40B on the two central conductors 50. The central conductors 50 adjacent to each other in the Y direction are coupled by the port 51 or 52, and the central conductors 50 adjacent to each other in the Z direction are coupled by the port 53. Therefore, individual central conductors are not separated from each other.

(41) After the aggregate substrate is diced along a dicing line D shown in FIG. 12, the external terminals 21 to 24 and the connection conductor 25 are formed on each individual piece, to complete the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 according to the present embodiment.

(42) By using such a manufacturing method, a large number of non-reciprocal circuit devices 10 can be manufactured simultaneously, thereby enabling to reduce the manufacturing cost. Further, as shown in FIG. 12, because the conductor pattern 40B overlapping on the two central conductors 50 is used and the conductor pattern 40B is cut in the Y direction, the conductor plates 61 and 62 can be exposed on the upper surface 12.

(43) At the time of mounting the completed non-reciprocal circuit device 10 on the printed circuit board, the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 is mounted in a state in which the non-reciprocal circuit device 10 is rotated by 90 degrees so that the X direction as the stacking direction becomes horizontal. Accordingly, as described above, the external terminals 21 to 23 do not need to intersect the permanent magnet 31 or 32, and thus the high frequency characteristics do not deteriorate as those in the conventional non-reciprocal circuit device 100.

(44) FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication apparatus 80 using the non-reciprocal circuit device according to the present embodiment.

(45) The communication apparatus 80 shown in FIG. 13 is provided in a base station, for example, in a mobile communication system, and includes a reception circuit unit 80R and a transmission circuit unit 80T that are connected to a transmission/reception antenna ANT. The reception circuit unit 80R includes a reception amplifying circuit 81, and a reception circuit 82 that processes a received signal. The transmission circuit unit 80T includes a transmission circuit 83 that generates a speech signal, a video signal, and the like, and a power amplifying circuit 84.

(46) In the communication apparatus 80 having such a configuration, non-reciprocal circuit devices 91 and 92 according to the present embodiment are used in a route from the antenna ANT to the reception circuit unit 80R and a route from the transmission circuit unit 80T to the antenna ANT. The non-reciprocal circuit device 91 functions as a circulator, and the non-reciprocal circuit device 92 functions as an isolator including a termination resistor R0.

(47) It is apparent that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but may be modified and changed without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.