Microwave Filter Design

Chp4. Transmission Lines and Components

Prof. Tzong-Lin Wu

Department of Electrical Engineering

National Taiwan University

Prof. T. L. Wu

Microstrip Lines
Microstrip Structure

Inhomogeneous structure:
Due to the fields within two guided-wave media, the microstrip does not support
a pure TEM wave.

When the longitudinal components of the fields for the dominant mode of a microstrip
line is much smaller than the transverse components, the quasi-TEM approximation is
applicable to facilitate design.

Prof. T. L. Wu
Microstrip Lines
- Transmission Line Parameters
Effective Dielectric Constant (εre) and Characteristic Impedance(ZC)

εre

For thin conductors (i.e., t → 0), closed-form expression (error ≤ 1 % ):

 W/h ≤ 1:  W/h ≥ 1:

For thin conductors (i.e., t → 0), more accurate expressions:

 Effective dielectric constant (error ≤ 0.2 % ):  Characteristic impedance (error ≤ 0.03 % ):

Prof. T. L. Wu

Microstrip Lines
- Transmission Line Parameters

Guided wavelength
λ 300
λg = 0 or λg = mm
ε re f (GHz ) ε re

Propagation constant
2π
β=
λg

Phase velocity
Zo , β
ω c
υp = =
β ε re

Electrical length
θ = βℓ

Prof. T. L. Wu
Microstrip Lines
- Transmission Line Parameters

Losses
 Conductor loss
 Dielectric loss
 Radiation loss

Dispersion
 εre(f)
 Zo(f)

Surface Waves and higher-order modes

 Coupling between the quasi-TEM mode and surface wave mode become
significant when the frequency is above fs
c tan −1 ε r
fs =
2π h ε r − 1
 Cutoff frequency fc of first higher-order modes in a microstrip
c
fc =
ε r ( 2W + 0.8h )
 The operating frequency of a microstrip line < Min (fs, fc) Prof. T. L. Wu

Microstrip Lines
- Tx-Line

Synthesis of transmission line – electrical or physical parameters

Prof. T. L. Wu
Coupled Lines
Coupled line Structure

The coupled line structure supports two quasi-TEM modes: odd mode and even mode.

Odd mode
Electrical wall

Even mode
Magnetic Wall

Electric field
Magnetic field
Prof. T. L. Wu

Coupled Lines
– Odd- and Even- Mode
Effective Dielectric Constant (εre) and Characteristic Impedance(ZC)
Odd mode Even mode

Odd- and Even- Mode:

The characteristic impedances (Zco and Zce) and effective dielectric
constants (εore and εere) are obtained from the capacitances (Co and Ce):
 Odd-Mode:  Even-Mode:

 Cao and Cae are even- and odd-mode capacitances for the coupled microstrip
line configuration with air as dielectric.

Prof. T. L. Wu
Coupled Lines Odd mode

– Odd- and Even- Mode

Effective Dielectric Constant (εre) and Characteristic Impedance(ZC)

Odd- and Even- Mode Capacitances: Even mode

 Odd-Mode:  Even-Mode:

 Cp denotes the parallel plate capacitance between the strip and the ground plane:

 Cf is the fringe capacitance as if for an uncoupled single microtrip line:

 Cf ’ accounts for the modification of fringe capacitance Cf :

,
 Cgd may be found from the corresponding coupled stripline geometry:

 Cga can be modified from the capacitance of the corresponding coplanar strips:

, ,
Prof. T. L. Wu

Discontinuities And Components

– Discontinuities

Microstrip discontinuities commonly encountered in the layout of practical filters
include steps, open-ends, bends, gaps, and junctions.

The effects of discontinuities can be accurately modeled by full-wave EM simulator

or closed-form expressions and taken into account in the filter designs.

 Steps in width:  Open ends:

 Gaps:  Bends:

Prof. T. L. Wu
Discontinuities
– Steps in width

where

Note : Lwi for i = 1, 2 are the inductances per unit length of the appropriate
micriostrips, having widths W1 and W2, respectively.

Zci and εrei denote the characteristic impedance and effective dielectric
constant corresponding to width Wi, and h is the substrate thickness in
Prof. T. L. Wu
micrometers.

Discontinuities
– Open ends

The fields do not stop abruptly but extend slightly further due to the effect of the
fringing field.

 Closed-form expression:

where

 The accuracy is better than 0.2 % for the range of 0.01 ≤ W/h ≤ 100 and εr ≤ 128 Prof. T. L. Wu
Discontinuities
– Gaps

where

 The accuracy is within 7 % for 0.5 ≤ W/h ≤ 2 and 2.5 ≤ εr ≤ 15

Prof. T. L. Wu

Discontinuities
– Bends

 The accuracy on the capacitance is quoted as within 5% over the ranges of 2.5 ≤
εr ≤ 15 and 0.1 ≤ W/h ≤ 5.
 The accuracy on the inductance is about 3 % for 0.5 ≤ W/h ≤ 2.
Prof. T. L. Wu
Components
– lumped inductors and capacitors

Lumped inductors and capacitors
The elements whose physical dimensions are much smaller than the free
space wavelength λ0 of the highest operating frequency (smaller than 0.1 λ0).

Design of inductors
 High-impedance line  Meander line

 Circuit representation
 Circular spiral  Square spiral

 Initial design formula for straight-line inductor

Prof. T. L. Wu

Components
– lumped inductors and capacitors

Design of capacitors
 Interdigital capacitor
Assuming the finger width W equals to the space and empirical formula for capacitance
is shown as follow

 Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor

Estimation of capacitance and resistance is approximated by parallel-plate

 Circuit representation

Prof. T. L. Wu
Components
– Quasilumped elements (1)

Quasilumped elements
Physical lengths are smaller than a quarter of guided wavelength λg. λg
l<
 High-impedance short line element 8

 Derivation -Y12

Y11+Y12 Y22+Y12

D − ( AD − BC )   cos β ℓ −1 
 cos β ℓ jZ c sin β ℓ 
Y11 Y12   B   jZ c sin β ℓ jZ c sin β ℓ 
A B   B
= 
=
C D   j 1 sin β ℓ Y Y  =  −1 cos β ℓ 
  cos β ℓ   21 22   −1 A  
 Z c   B B   jZ c sin β ℓ jZ c sin β ℓ 
1 1
inductive element: −Y12 = =
jZ c sin β ℓ jx
βℓ 2 βℓ  2 βℓ βℓ  2
βℓ βℓ
cos2 − sin −  cos + sin
2

cos β ℓ − 1  −2 sin tan

capacitive element: Y11 + Y12 = =
2 2  2 2 = 2 = j 2 = j B
jZ c sin β ℓ βℓ βℓ βℓ β ℓ Prof. T.Z cL. Wu 2
jZ c 2 sin cos jZ c 2 sin cos
2 2 2 2

Components
– Quasilumped elements (2)

Quasilumped elements λg
l<
 Low-impedance short line element 8

 Derivation
ι

Zc, β

A ( AD − BC )   Z c cos β ℓ Zc 
 cos β ℓ jZ c sin β ℓ 
 Z11 Z12   C   j sin β ℓ j sin β ℓ 
A B   = C = 
C D  =  j 1 sin β ℓ cos β ℓ 

 Z 21 Z 22   1 D   Zc Z c cos β ℓ 
 
 Z c   C C   j sin β ℓ j sin β ℓ 
Zc 1 sin β ℓ
capacitive element: Z12 = = B=
j sin β ℓ jB Zc
Z c cos β ℓ − 1 βℓ x x βℓ
inductive element: Z11 − Z12 = = jZ c tan = j = Z c tan Prof. T. L. Wu
j sin β ℓ 2 2 2 2
Components
– Quasilumped elements (3)

Quasilumped elements
 Open- and short-circuited stubs
(assuming the length L is smaller than a quarter of guided wavelength λg)

C L

λg λg
l< l<
8 8
Prof. T. L. Wu

Components
– Resonators

Prof. T. L. Wu
Loss Considerations for Microstrip Resonators

Unloaded quality factor Qu is served as a justification for whether or not the required
insertion loss of a bandpass filter can be met.

The total unloaded quality factor of a resonator can be found by adding conductor,
dielectric, and radiation loss together.
EM simulator

Quality factors Qc and Qd for a microstrip line

or

Prof. T. L. Wu