Improved Temperature-Compensating Microwave Attenuators

Improved passive temperature-compensating attenuators have been developed for use in processing radio signals at frequencies up to about 18 GHz. In general, temperature-compensating circuits and devices are needed to minimize (preferably, to eliminate) undesired temperature dependences of the overall gains of amplifiers, filters, and other microwave-signal-processing circuits. The role of a temperature-compensating attenuator is to provide a temperature-dependent amount of power dissipation complementary to the temperature-dependent gain or dissipation of other devices in the circuit, such that the overall gain or attenuation of the circuit varies minimally (preferably, not at all) with temperature.