A Novel Broadband Microstrip to Waveguide Transition at W band

with High Manufacturing Tolerance Suitable for MMIC Packaging

Mousumi Sarkar #1, Arijit Majumder #2
SAMEER, Kolkata Center
#

Kolkata, India
1
mousumi.kundu@mmw.sameer.gov.in
2
arijit@mmw.sameer.gov.in

Abstract — This paper presents a novel broadband microstrip axis of waveguide is parallel to the planer circuit and so there is
to waveguide transition using substrate integrated waveguide no limitation in the size of planer circuit but its experimental
(SIW) at W band suitable for MMIC packaging. The microstrip
line is first transformed to SIW and then SIW is transformed to result shows only 5.2% of 10 dB return loss bandwidth. A
air filled reduced height rectangular waveguide with height being compact transition is reported in [13] gives good result but only
equal to the substrate thickness. The reduced height waveguide is 15% relative bandwidth. A transition via iris coupling [14]
brought to full height through a λ/4 chebyshev stepped impedance shows 15.9% bandwidth. A full band inline transition has been
transformer. Design is robust and suitable for manufacturing with reported in [15] but its bandwidth decreases if the top air gap is
little variation in performance due to assembly. One back to back
transition is developed. Experimental result shows that return loss larger than 0.025 mm which is not sufficient to incorporate dc
of better than 10 dB is achieved over a bandwidth of 26 % with bias for the MMIC components. When top air gap is increased
insertion loss of 0.52 dB at centre frequency for single transition. to 0.4 mm, usuable bandwidth decreases to 17.6%.
Index Terms — MMIC; microstrip to waveguide transition; In this paper the design and development of inline microstrip
broadband; W band. to waveguide transition at W band is reported. The design
incorporates air gap of 0.4 mm above the substrate to include
I. INTRODUCTION dc bias circuit for MMIC. If the top air gap decreases, the usable
bandwidth increases and covers full W. In this design
In the last decade different systems for imaging [1], microstrip is first transformed to SIW and then SIW is
communication [2], radar [3] are developed in planer transformed to waveguide. The side wall is realized using a
technology [4,5] using hybrid microwave integrated circuit series of plated through holes (PTH) in the substrate in SIW. So
(HMIC) or monolithic microwave integrated circuit ( MMIC ) generation of higher order modes due to composite material
at W band. But in subsystems like antenna, high-Q filter, high- (dielectric and air in the gap as in the dielectric loaded
Q oscillator, circulator etc. waveguide is still preferred due to waveguide) is limited. Rogers 5880 substrate with εr=2.2 and
lower loss. Also the measurement systems in W band are still substrate height of 0.254 mm is used for the design. The design
largely in waveguide. So to characterize the circuits and can be extended to any substrate by incorporating a taper
systems developed in HMIC or MMIC using measurement transition from microstrip line to SIW [16]. But in the present
system having a waveguide interface and to connect them to case the SIW design parameters are chosen in such a way that
any waveguide based components for final system integration, its impedance matches to the microstrip 50Ω impedance
broadband low loss microstrip to waveguide transition is a without any requirement for taper transition. SIW is then
necessity. To keep the overall package cost to minimum a transformed to air filled rectangular waveguide whose height is
transition is required which is mechanically simple and can be equal to the substrate thickness using a tapered section of
easily integrated in a modular assembly. In the past, different substrate. Reduced height waveguide is then brought to full
microstrip to waveguide transition is reported in literature e.g. height using a 3-stage quarter-wave Chebyshev transformer for
E plane probe transition [6], antipodal finline transition [7], broader bandwidth.
transition using ridged waveguide [8], transition using
suspended strip line [9] etc. For probe transition input and
output port are in perpendicular to each other and it requires II. DESIGN AND SIMULATION
precision tuning in the short circuited waveguide on the A. Microstrip to SIW transition
backside of the transition. Transition using ridged waveguide
[8] requires elaborate machining with only 19.9% of 10 dB The microstrip to SIW transition essentially consists of a 50
return loss bandwidth. Antipodal finline requires 90 degree Ω microstip line followed by a SIW. SIW is synthesized using
twist between input output. One new type of transition is two rows of PTH in the substrate. The key design parameters
described based on the principle of slot coupled and capacitive for the SIW as illustrated in Fig. 1 are diameter of the vias (d),
coupled antennas radiating into the waveguide in [10-11]. But spacing between vias (p) and spacing between the two rows of
in those structures waveguides are on the backside of the vias (ar). Design rules relating d and p is given by [17].
substrate and perpendicular to the substrate and bandwidth is
also limited. B. Boukari et. al. [12] shows a transition where the

978-1-5386-8221-0/18/$31.00 ©2018 IEEE

 TABLE I
DESIGN PARAMETERS
h1 h2 h3 h4 L Wt W

0.32 0.42 0.91 1.27 1 0.2 2.54

Fig. 1. SIW structure with design parameters

d (1)

p 2 (2)
(a)

where λg is the guide wavelength of SIW.

The equivalent waveguide width (ae) is given by [18]
a a .
(3)

(b)
The design parameters for SIW is d = 0.2 mm, p = 0.3 mm,
ar = 2.1 mm. Its wave impedance is computed using 3D-EM
simulation and is set to 50 Ω. The line width of 50 Ω microstrip
line for the substrate chosen is 0.76 mm. The line is directly
connected to designed SIW. HFSS model and simulated result
is shown in Fig. 2. Return loss of better than 17 dB is achieved
over full W band.
B. SIW to Rectangular Waveguide Transition (c)
SIW to rectangular waveguide transition is realized using a
tapered substrate inserted in a rectangular waveguide whose
S Parameters (dB)

height is equal to the substrate height. Then the reduced height

waveguide is brought to full height using Chebyshev stepped
impedance transformer which widens the bandwidth. The
transition is optimised in HFSS. Return loss of better than 15
dB is achieved in simulation over full W band with insertion
loss better than 0.1 dB. 3D-EM model and simulated result are (d)
shown in Fig. 3. The optimised design parameters (in mm) are Fig. 3. SIW to rectangular waveguide transition (a) Ansys
summarized in Table I. HFSS model (b) Side view (c) Top view (d) Simulated result

C. Microstrip to Rectangular Waveguide Transition

The microstrip to rectangular waveguide transition is realized
by combining the microstrip to SIW transition and SIW to
rectangular waveguide transition. The simulation and
optimization is carried out using 3D EM solver Ansys HFSS.
(a)
Two such microstrip to waveguide transition is simulated back
to back as shown in Fig. 4. It includes 0.4 mm gap above the
substrate of microstrip line to include capacitor, resistor etc. for
S Parameters (dB)

DC bias circuit. The simulated result as shown in Fig. 4 shows

that return loss better than 10 dB is achieved over a bandwidth
of 23.37 GHz (24.5 % relative bandwidth). Over the bandwidth
insertion loss is better than 0.4 dB. E-field propagation between
two transitions is shown in Fig. 5.
(b)
Fig. 2. Microstrip to SIW transition (a) Ansys HFSS model
(b) Simulated result of transition
 S Parameters (dB)
(a)
(a)

S Parameters (dB)
S Parameters (dB)

(b) (b)
Fig. 4. Microstrip to rectangular waveguide transition
connected back to back (a) Ansys HFSS model (b) Simulated

S Parameters (dB)
result

Fig. 5. E field pattern between transitions (c)

Fig. 6. Tolerance analysis with variation of (a) h of ± 25 micron,
(b) W of ± 50 micron (c) hbox of ± 100 micron

III. TOLERANCE ANALYSIS

Tolerance analysis has been carried out in simulation with
different design parameters. The critical parameters like step
heights of rectangular waveguide (h) is varied with ±25 micron
tolerance. Waveguide width (W), spacing between vias (p) are
varied with ± 50 micron tolerance. Diameter of vias (d),
(a)
Substrate width (Wsub) and box height above the microstrip line
(hbox) is varied with ±100 micron tolerance. Results of the
analysis is shown in Fig. 6. It shows that small change in ‘h’
S Parameters (dB)

produces larger change in S parameters whereas little change in

S parameters is observed for larger change in W and hbox which
is reflected in calculated standard deviation. Standard deviation
is calculated for each variation at lower and higher cut-off
frequency and overall bandwidth of 10 dB return loss
(b)
bandwidth. Standard deviation is also calculated of insertion
Fig. 7. (a) Fabricated prototype (b) Measured result
loss at centre frequency (95 GHz), lower and higher cut off
frequency of 10 dB return loss Bandwidth (83.77 GHz, 107.14 better than 10 dB and insertion loss is better than 1.9 dB with
GHz respectively) for each variations of the parameters minimum of .52 dB at centre frequency.
mentioned above. Results are summarized in Table II.
V. CONCLUSION
IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESULT An inline microstrip to waveguide transition is reported in
A back to back transition has been fabricated as shown in Fig. this article which is simple to assemble and which include
7 (a). It is realized in split-block configuration. Substrate is sufficient top gap over microstrip line for incorporation of DC
placed in the groove of the bottom part and the top part has the bias circuit of active device. Experimental result closely
λ/4 step transition in the waveguide. matches to simulated one. In measurement return loss of better
Fabricated prototype is measured using Keysight’s Vector than 10 dB is achieved over 24.4 GHz bandwidth with
Network Analyser along with extender modules. 3 dB minimum insertion loss of .52 dB at 93.5 GHz. So the transition
bandwidth of 24.37 GHz (26% relative bandwidth) is achieved is useful for broadband multi-chip packaging with waveguide
as shown in Fig. 7 (b). Within this bandwidth return loss is based input / output port.
 TABLE II
TOLERANCE ANALYSIS
Parameter Tolerance Standard deviation Standard deviation Standard Standard deviation Standard deviation of Standard deviation of
of lowest frequency of highest frequency deviation of Insertion Loss at Insertion Loss at lowest Insertion Loss at lowest
of 10 dB return loss of 10 dB return loss of centre frequency (95 frequency of 10 dB frequency of 10 dB
Bandwidth Bandwidth Bandwidth GHz) Bandwidth (83.77 GHz) Bandwidth (107.14 GHz

Waveguide ± 25 µ 0.1609 1.4946 1.6433 0.0248 0.1885 0.2424

height

Waveguide ± 50 µ 0.3634 0.1471 0.2340 0.0065 0.6432 0.0403

width

PTH ± 50 µ 0.0474 0.3265 0.3 0.0518 0.0487 0.1619

distance

Substrate ± 100 µ 0.0239 0.0980 0.0877 .0067 0.0126 0.0409

width

PTH ± 100 µ 0.1869 0.3990 0.5707 0.0052 0.1461 0.1072

diameter

Microstrip ± 100 µ 0.5621 0.7625 1.2851 0.0050 2.8102 0.1286

box height

[9] E. S. Li, G. X. Tong and D. C. Niu, "Full W -band Waveguide-to-

microstrip Transition With New E-plane Probe," in IEEE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, vol. 23, no. 1, pp.
4-6, Jan. 2013.
We are thankful to Director, SAMEER, MeitY for her help [10] W. Grabherr, W. G. B. Huder and W. Menzel, "Microstrip to
and encouragement and for allowing us to carry this work. We waveguide transition compatible with MM-wave integrated
are also thankful to Mechanical Division of SAMEER, Kolkata circuits," in IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and
for their support in all related fabrication. Techniques, vol. 42, no. 9, pp. 1842-1843, Sep 1994.
[11] H. Iizuka, T. Watanabe, et al. "Millimeter-wave microstrip line to
waveguide transition fabricated on a single layer dielectric
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