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Subelement E6
CIRCUIT COMPONENTS
Section E6E
Piezoelectric crystals and MMICs: quartz crystal oscillators and crystal filters); monolithic amplifiers
What is a crystal lattice filter?
  • A power supply filter made with interlaced quartz crystals
  • An audio filter made with four quartz crystals that resonate at 1-kHz intervals
  • A filter with wide bandwidth and shallow skirts made using quartz crystals
  • Correct Answer
    A filter with narrow bandwidth and steep skirts made using quartz crystals
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Which of the following factors has the greatest effect in helping determine the bandwidth and response shape of a crystal ladder filter?
  • Correct Answer
    The relative frequencies of the individual crystals
  • The DC voltage applied to the quartz crystal
  • The gain of the RF stage preceding the filter
  • The amplitude of the signals passing through the filter
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What is one aspect of the piezoelectric effect?
  • Correct Answer
    Physical deformation of a crystal by the application of a voltage
  • Mechanical deformation of a crystal by the application of a magnetic field
  • The generation of electrical energy by the application of light
  • Reversed conduction states when a P-N junction is exposed to light

Ever used piezo ignition for your gas stove or oven? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezo_ignition

This is using the same property: you press a button (usually hard!) to deform a crystal and as a result you get a nice little spark due to a (brief) high voltage.

So if you deform the crystal, you get a voltage. You can also apply a voltage to deform the crystal.

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What is the most common input and output impedance of circuits that use MMICs?
  • Correct Answer
    50 ohms
  • 300 ohms
  • 450 ohms
  • 10 ohms

MMICs (or "mimics") are Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits designed for use in the 300 MHz to 300 GHz frequency range. They are typically designed to have a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms at both the input and output. This allows them to be cascaded in a circuit without the need for additional impedance matching components. This impedance also matches most up with most microwave test equipment allowing for easier connections.

Hint: MMIC's "mimic" the common impedance of your transmission line

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Which of the following noise figure values is typical of a low-noise UHF preamplifier?
  • Correct Answer
    2 dB
  • -10 dB
  • 44 dBm
  • -20 dBm

Noise figure (NF) is the ratio between the noise the receiver produces and the theoretical minimum noise for a perfect receiver:

\[\text{noise figure}=\frac{\text{receiver noise}}{\text{theoretical minimum noise}}\]

Since it is a ratio, and each value is measured in dB, dB will cancel. We can thus eliminate both values given in dBm.

Real-world receivers can never be as good as a perfect receiver, so the noise figure ratio will always be greater than unity. If this ratio is strictly positive, we cannot have negative values.

The only remaining answer is 2 dB.

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What characteristics of the MMIC make it a popular choice for VHF through microwave circuits?
  • The ability to retrieve information from a single signal even in the presence of other strong signals.
  • Plate current that is controlled by a control grid
  • Nearly infinite gain, very high input impedance, and very low output impedance
  • Correct Answer
    Controlled gain, low noise figure, and constant input and output impedance over the specified frequency range
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Which of the following techniques is typically used to construct a MMIC-based microwave amplifier?
  • Ground-plane construction
  • Correct Answer
    Microstrip construction
  • Point-to-point construction
  • Wave-soldering construction

Microstrip transmission lines consist of a conductive strip of width "W" and thickness "t" and a wider ground plane, separated by a dielectric layer (a.k.a. the "substrate") of thickness "H" as shown in the figure below. Microstrip is by far the most popular microwave transmission line, especially for microwave integrated circuits and MMICs. The major advantage of microstrip over stripline is that all active components can be mounted on top of the board.

TIP: MICROwave = MICROstrip

www.microwaves101.com/encyclopedias/microstrip

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How is power-supply voltage normally furnished to the most common type of monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC)?
  • Correct Answer
    Through a resistor and/or RF choke connected to the amplifier output lead
  • MMICs require no operating bias
  • Through a capacitor and RF choke connected to the amplifier input lead
  • Directly to the bias-voltage (VCC IN) lead
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Which of the following must be done to insure that a crystal oscillator provides the frequency specified by the crystal manufacturer?
  • Provide the crystal with a specified parallel inductance
  • Correct Answer
    Provide the crystal with a specified parallel capacitance
  • Bias the crystal at a specified voltage
  • Bias the crystal at a specified current

Load capacitance is an important specification when using parallel-resonant oscillation mode.

http://www.maximintegrated.com/en/app-notes/index.mvp/id/726

Silly memory aid: provide "Crystal" with a "cap" (capacitance).

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What is the equivalent circuit of a quartz crystal?
  • Correct Answer
    Motional capacitance, motional inductance and loss resistance in series, with a shunt capacitance representing electrode and stray capacitance
  • Motional capacitance, motional inductance, loss resistance, and a capacitor representing electrode and stray capacitance all in parallel
  • Motional capacitance, motional inductance, loss resistance, and a capacitor represent electrode and stray capacitance all in series
  • Motional inductance and loss resistance in series, paralleled with motional capacitance and a capacitor representing electrode and stray capacitance

Remember:

series RLC + shunt capacitance.

The only answer that includes the mention of a shunt capacitor is the correct choice.

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Which of the following materials is likely to provide the highest frequency of operation when used in MMICs?
  • Silicon
  • Silicon nitride
  • Silicon dioxide
  • Correct Answer
    Gallium nitride

MMIC = Monolithic microwave integrated circuit

From Wikipedia:

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a binary III/V direct bandgap semiconductor commonly used in bright light-emitting diodes since the 1990s. The compound is a very hard material that has a Wurtzite crystal structure. Its wide band gap of 3.4 eV affords it special properties for applications in optoelectronic[4][5], high-power and high-frequency devices. For example, GaN is the substrate which makes violet (405 nm) laser diodes possible, without use of nonlinear optical frequency-doubling.

Its sensitivity to ionizing radiation is low (like other group III nitrides), making it a suitable material for solar cell arrays for satellites. Military and space applications could also benefit as devices have shown stability in radiation environments.[6] Because GaN transistors can operate at much hotter temperatures and work at much higher voltages than gallium arsenide (GaAs) transistors, they make ideal power amplifiers at microwave frequencies. (Emphasis added)

An easy way to remember this one is it is the only non-Silicon answer.

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What is a "Jones filter" as used as part of a HF receiver IF stage?
  • An automatic notch filter
  • Correct Answer
    A variable bandwidth crystal lattice filter
  • A special filter that emphasizes image responses
  • A filter that removes impulse noise

Think "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls"

The Jones Filter is a special type of crystal lattice filter that allows for a variable bandwidth.

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