Analysis of Band Pass Filter Printed on Isotropic and

Anisotropic Substrates by the WCIP Method

Valdemir P. S. Neto and Jurgen K. A. Nogueira Adaildo G. D’Assunção

Department of Electrical Engineering Department of Communication Engineering
Federal Rural University of Semi-Arid Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte
Caraúbas, Brazil Natal, Brazil
valdemir.neto@ufersa.edu.br, jurgenazevedo@hotmail.com adaildo@ct.ufrn.br

variation of the relative permittivity of the dielectric substrate

Abstract—This work presents the frequency response analysis is done. In addition, a WCIP simulation of the proposed filter
of a planar band pass filter using the WCIP method. The filter printed on anisotropic substrate is presented [7]. Similarly,
geometry is composed of a rectangular microstrip patch with a simulated results for the filter parameters are determined using
perforated complementary split ring resonator (CSRR). The Ansoft HFSS software. For comparison purpose, experimental
investigation of the filter properties is done considering the results for a filter prototype printed on FR4 substrate are
perforated patch geometry printed on isotropic and anisotropic measured. A good agreement between simulation (WCIP and
substrates. Simulations results are determined by WCIP method HFSS) and measurement results is verified.
and HFSS software, for comparison purpose, for the filter
resonant frequency, bandwidth, return loss, and insertion loss. A
prototype of the proposed band pass filter printed on isotropic
substrate was fabricated and measured. Simulation (WCIP and II. FILTER DESIGN
HFSS) and measurement results are in good agreement.
Fig. 1(a) shows the proposed filter structure. The
Keywords—band pass filter; rectangular resonator; CSRR; microstrip patch resonator is composed of a rectangular patch
WCIP. with length and width equal to 35.11 mm and 26.12 mm,
respectively. In addition, a complementary split ring resonator
I. INTRODUCTION (CSRR) with spiral shape is perforated in the metallic patch.
The spiral dimensions are shown in Fig. 1(a), as well.
The wave concept iterative procedure (WCIP) is an
iterative and full wave formulation that uses the transversal
wave concept to solve electromagnetic problems. Particularly,
the WCIP is an integral method that presents a general and
efficient solution for microwave planar circuits [1]-[4].
Therefore, the WCIP method is suitable for simulating,
designing and characterizing band pass filter geometries such
as the one composed of a rectangular patch with a perforated
complementary split ring resonator (CSRR).
The WCIP formulation is characterized by an iterative
relationship between two operators. The first operator takes
into account the boundary conditions in the spatial domain,
and the second operator takes into account the medium
characteristics in the spectral domain. The circuit surface is
discretized into 2D cells and characterized by a scattering (a)
operator matrix depending on boundary conditions. Then 2D-
FFT algorithms are used to pass from spatial to spectral
domain and vice versa to define the Modal Fourier Transform
(FMT) and Inverse Modal Fourier Transform (FMT-1).
Consequently, a high computational speed can be achieved.
The purpose of this work is focused on a WCIP
investigation of the properties of a band pass filter composed
of a rectangular microstrip patch with a perforated
complementary split ring resonator (CSRR). The filter main
characteristics such as central frequency, bandwidth (BW), (b)
insertion loss and return loss, [5], [6], are determined. Also,
an analysis of the sensibility of the filter in relation to Fig. 1. Proposed filter strucutre: (a) patch geometry and (b) prototype.

978-1-4673-9492-5/15/$31.00 ©2015 IEEE

 The filter prototype was fabricated on FR-4 dielectric
substrate with relative permittivity, εr = 4.4, substrate
thickness, h = 1.6 mm, and loss tangent, tgδ = 0.02.
Measurements were done using a network analyzer.
III. WCIP DESCRIPTION
The WCIP formulation is an integral method that uses the
plane wave concept to solve electromagnetic problems.
G
Particularly, in this work, we assumed incident A i and
G
reflected Bi waves on the circuit surface as shown in Fig. 2.
conditions in the circuit interface [2]. The operator Γ̂ takes
into account the propagation condition of the medium around
the circuit interface. The reflection operator Γ̂ is described in
the spectral domain. The change between spatial and spectral
domains is obtained using Modal Fourier Transform (FMT)
and Inverse Modal Fourier Transform (FMT-1) [2].
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Fig. 3 shows measured results of a filter printed on FR-4
substrate. From the curves it can be seen that the filter has a
central frequency, fc, at 4.01 GHz, with a maximum value of
insertion loss (S21) equal to -3.8 dB. The return loss (S11) at the
central frequency is -29.80 dB. The bandwidth (BW) of this
filter is determined from the frequency values at the
intersection points of S21 and S11 curves. In this case, the
measured bandwidth is BW = 0.189 GHz.

Fig. 2. WCIP Forumlation.

We can describe the incident and reflected waves as a

linear combination of the tangential component of the electric
and magnetic fields. The incident and reflected waves
expressions are
Fig. 3. Measured frequency results for the band pass filter.

G
Ai =
1
2 Z 0i
(EGi + Z0i (HG ×nG ))
Ti (1)
For comparison purpose, simulation results (by WCIP and
HFSS) and measurement results are plotted in Fig.4.

G
B i=
1
2 Z 0i
(EGi − Z 0i (HG Ti
G
×n )) (2)

The WCIP is based on a relationship between incident and

reflected waves. Therefore, the iterative process is based on a
recurrence relationship of the incident and reflected waves.
These relationships are described in the spatial and spectral
domain.
G G G
A i = ŜB i + A 0i (3)
G G
Bi = Γˆ Ai (4)

In (3), Ŝ is a scattering operator defined in the spatial (a)

domain. This operator takes into account the boundary
 For each anisotropic dielectric substrate, the anisotropy
ratio is approximately given by η = ε 1 ε 2 . In this work, the
frequency behavior of filters on Epsilam-10, with
ε 1 = 13 and ε 2 = 10.3 , and pyrolytic boron nitride (PBN),
with ε1 = 5.12 and ε 2 = 3.4 , are investigated.
Figure 5 presents the insertion and return loss simulated
results obtained by WCIP and HFSS for the proposed filter on
Epsilam-10 substrate. The curves indicate that the filter has a
simulated central frequency by WCIP equal to 2.6 GHz with a
return loss S11= – 16.6 dB and an insertion loss at the central
frequency equal to S21= – 1.10. The bandwidth is 0.150 GHz.
HFSS results are in good agreement. The central frequency
simulated by HFSS is 2.61GHz and the bandwidth is 0.140
GHz. The insertion loss and return loss results are – 0.31 dB
and -13.7 dB, respectively.
(b)
Fig. 4. Simulation and measurements results for the proposed filter: (a)
insertion loss and (b) return loss.

Fig. 4(a) depicts insertion loss curves for the proposed

band pass filter, while Fig. 4(b) shows the corresponding
return loss curves. Based on the curves shown in Fig. 4(a), the
WCIP method presents a maximum insertion loss (S21) value
is equal to –3.016 dB, while the HFSS value is – 3.06 dB.
Similarly, the curves for the return loss (S11) indicate that by
WCIP simulation, the filter has a central frequency at 4 GHz
with S11 = – 31.16dB, while the HFSS results are 3.96 GHz,
for the central frequency, and -32.55dB, for the return loss,
respectively. Table I resumes the results of the frequency
response of the proposed filter considering simulation and
measurement results.

TABLE I. PROPOSED FILTER SIMULATION (WCIP AND HFSS) AND

MEASUREMENT FREQUENCY RESPONSE RESULTS Fig. 5. Frequency response of the band pass filter printed on anisotropic
Epsilam-10 substrate.
Frequency Response of Band Pass Filter
Parameter
WCIP HFSS Measurement
fc (GHz) 4.00 3.96 4.01
Thereafter the proposed filter geometry was investigated
S21(dB) -3.01 -3.16 -3.80
on a PBN substrate. The frequency response is shown in Fig.
S11(dB) -31.16 -32.55 -29.80 6. Tthe WCIP results indicate that the band pass filter on
boron nitride is centered at 3.62 GHz with bandwidth of 0.670
BW (GHz) 0.189 0.250 0.220
GHz, insertion loss of -0.37 dB, and return loss of -13.73 dB.
The HFSS simulation insertion loss, shows bandwidth equal to
In this work, the properties of the proposed band pass filter 0.68 GHz at 3.63 GHz, insertion loss of -0.52 dB, and return
on anisotropic substrate were investigated taking into account loss of -9.3 dB.
the effect of the dielectric anisotropy on its performance [8].
Uniaxial anisotropic substrates with optical axis in z-direction
are assumed. The anisotropic dielectric behavior can be
described by a permittivity tensor as follows:

⎡ε xx = ε 1 0 0 ⎤
I
ε = ε 0 ⎢⎢ 0 ε yy = ε 1 0 ⎥
⎥
(5)
⎢⎣ 0 0 ε zz = ε 2 ⎥⎦

Fig. 6. Frequency response of the band pass filter printed on anisotropic PBN
substrate.
Figure 7 shows the influence of the substrate anisotropy on
the central frequency of the proposed filter as a function of
anisotropy ratio η . Results are obtained for a fixed value of
ε1 while the permittivity of the optical axis ε 2 is varied. It
can be seen that the central frequency increases with the
anisotropy ratio. It should be mentioned that η = 1
corresponds to band pass filters on isotropic substrates.
Fig. 7. Central frequency versus anisotropy ratio.
From Fig. 5 we can see that the use of uniaxial anisotropic
dielectric substrates reduces the band pass filter resonant
frequency when compared to the use of isotropic substrates
with permittivity values higher than the material effective
permittivity. Therefore, the size of the filter on an anisotropic
dielectric substrate should be reduced if the goal is to design a
filter to resonate at about the same frequency of that
corresponding to the filter on isotropic substrate.
V. CONCLUSION
An analysis of the influence of the substrate dielectric
anisotropy on the frequency response of a band pass
microstrip filter with a rectangular patch with a perforated
complementary split ring resonator (CSRR) was described.
The analysis was performed using WCIP method. The
proposed filter has a good selectivity and a compact size.
Results for the frequency behavior of the filter were obtained
using WCIP and HFSS simulation, for comparison purpose.
For the isotropic substrate, the filter was manufactured and
measured. An excellent agreement between HFSS and WCIP
results for the proposed filter geometry on anisotropic
substrates was verified. Similarly, an excellent agreement
between HFSS, WCIP, and measured results for the proposed
filter geometry on FR-4 isotropic substrate was verified. The
obtained results show that the WCIP formulation is an
efficient method to analyze planar filters.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was supported by CNPq, under covenant
573939/2008-0 (INCT-CSF) and under contract 552659/2011-
8, CAPES, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte
(UFRN), and Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid
Region (UFERSA).
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