Millimeter Wave Microstrip Broadband Bandpass Filters

Design and Test.

M. Detratti, B. Aja, J.P. Pascual, L. De La Fuente, E. Artal
Dpto. Ing. de Comunicaciones. ETSII y de Telecomunicacion. University of Cantabria
Avda. Los Castros s/n 39005 Santander. Spain,ain

A new design method to achieve, using commercial CAD software, accurately predictable response in
microstrip bandpassfilters is presented. Filters are based on conventional coupled line microstrip
technology and their frequency range is up to 50 GHz. The design method allows to avoid the inaccuracy
of electrical models at these frequencies due to the presence ofparasitic effects. Limitations of test
procedures using coaxial to microstrip transitions are discussed, and an electrical modelfor this transition
has been obtained. Using a very accurate test method, based on coplanar to microstrip transitions and
TRL calibration techniques, it is possible to get a very good agreement between simulation and test results.
connector) introduce big effects on measurements
INTRODUCTION masking the actual behaviour of the filter. An electrical
model for this transition has been extracted and
A millimeter Q-band pass filter centered at 44 GHz validated using a double coaxial to microstrip
with 20% bandwidth must be used in the Back End transition. Finally a more accurate test method using
Modules of the Planck space mission[1] radiometers to coplanar to microstrip transitions, based on TRL
fix the overall effective bandwidth. A conventional calibration with coplanar probes, has been used
coupled lines microstrip filter was selected because its obtaining very good agreement between simulations
low insertion loss, reduced weight and dimensions and tests results.
compatible with space requirements. Low dielectric
constant (,r =2.17) substrate with reduced height (h FILTER DESIGN METHODOLOGY
0.254 mm) is a good choice to avoid higher microstrip
modes up to and above 50 GHz and to have achievable Coupled line filters can be designed to produce a
lines and gaps dimensions. For a 50 Ohm impedance maximally flat response with a bandwidth up to 20%
system the values of line widths and gaps are in the
on the basis of a well understood procedure[2]. A three
limit of standard photo-chemical etching
manufacturing processes. Typical values are lower than resonator filter has been designed and optimised [3]
100 pim. Copper thickness (t = 18 pim) puts also a taking into account the physical restrictions on gap and
threshold for the minimum width and gap. As the 50 line width dimensions associated to the manufacturing
Ohm line width is 770 pim there is always an important process. Once obtained the desired schematic circuit
microstrip step discontinuity at the input of the filter. response, the filter was realized and mounted in a
Parasitic effects in this step cannot be well predicted by metallic box which houses the circuit and the 2.4mm
the standard electrical models and contribute connectors. The measured results are compared with
dramatically to the filter response at millimeter wave the simulation (figure 1). Also an EM simulation,
frequencies. featured by the same CAD tool, has been performed.of
both modes.
The new design method uses a soft transition (taper)
instead of one step to avoid such inaccuracies. After a Evident discrepancies can be observed and this is
careful evaluation of the CAD models to be used, caused by the fact that linear simulator tends to yield
comparing circuital or EM simulations with respect to results that do not reflect all of the physical parameters
tests results, the design has been restricted to microstrip that are associated with a practical layout of a device.
elements that provide good accuracy. Following this The causes of such discrepancies have been searched
method filters with better return losses and better for in order to derive a design methodology able to
insertion losses have been obtained using a predict accurately, using a commercial CAD, the
straightforward approach. frequency response of passive circuits up to mm-wave
frequencies.
Test of microstrip elements up to 50 GHz with high
accuracy need a good calibration and de-embedding The first thing to do is to eliminate all the inaccuracies
process. Coaxial transitions to microstrip (2.4 mm of the test method which can mask the actual behaviour
of the circuit. It can be shown that the presence of two simulations performed. The idea was to analyse all
several poles in the in-band response of the filter (5 the models to check which of them were the origin of
instead of the expected 2) and the very bad insertion such differences.
loss are caused by the double coaxial-to-microstrip
transition. An electrical model (fig.ure3) for this PIN over SUBSTRATE
transition has been derived from the direct analysis of PIN over AIR Open End Effect
the assembly (figure 2), and the comparison with the
measured results (figure 4) justifies our assumption.
-: I: Soldering
2.4 COAX. Glass SEAL ,-

S21
Microstrip Open Microstrip Step in
10_ Circuit Width

-10

-0 esrmn
Figure 3: Electrical model ofthe transition
30
430-

EM mulatbon

30 35 40 45 50
Frequency (GHz)

AO0 - sl model
o sl meas.
Sil 50 - s21 model
a s21 meas.

35 40 45 50
Frequency (GHz)

co
0 Figure 4: Comparison between simulated (electrical model)
-30
-Schemabc and mesured coaxial-microstrip-coaxial transition
-40 -4 Measurenmeryt
EM simulabon
-50-

Substituting the coupled line model with the

30 35 40
Frequency (GHz)
45
Figure]: First test and siulations
To remove this effect a commercial test fixture[4] and
a TRL calibration test method have been used. The
effect of the connectors can thus be de-embedded,
eliminating most of the inaccuracies. The frequency
response of the new assembly, compared with the
simulations, is the one showed in fig.5. Note that the
measurements, due to test fixture limitations, are valid
only up to, approximately, 45 GHz.
50 equivalent model of another compatible CAD
simulator[5], showed how the shift in frequency can be
well predicted and a close agreement between circuital
and EM simulations is observed.
Different conclusions were drawn for the mismatching
problem. To obtain the desired frequency response in
terms of pass band and matching, very small coupled
lines widths are required (<1OOtm). If connected to a
50Q (;770tm) line these small values generate an
important discontinuity at the input of the filter. At this
frequencies all the parasitic effects of this step are not
well characterized in the simulator (even the 2.5D EM
simulation is not able to predict the correct behaviour),
suggesting the change of the abrupt transition with a
microstrip taper. This softer transition is well modelled
in the simulator and good concordance is observed
between schematic and EM response.

DESIGN EXAMPLE AND TEST

Following the described procedure a new filter has

Figure 2: Photograph of the coaxial to microstrip transition
The measurement shows a shift in the pass band
response and a bad matching if compared with the
simulations. It can be stated that these results are
caused almost entirely by the inaccuracies of the
models (at least at these frequencies). A fact which is
also witnessed by the noticeable difference between the
been designed in a straightforward manner, with the
only help of the circuital (schematic) simulator and
few optimisation passes. The realized circuit is shown
in figure 6.
To obtain an accurate measurement up to 50 GHz, a
coplanar to microstrip transition connected to a
coplanar probe station has been used (fig.7, [6]). Even
in this case a TRL calibration was used, and the effect
of the two very short bonding wires (100tm) used to
connect the probe to the circuit is negligible.

-S21 Smulabon
-40 -+- S21 Measurement
Sl1 Smulabon
-50
S11 Measurement
-60
co
0
30 35 40 45 50
Frequency (GHz)
-Schematic
-40 _e Measure

-50
EM simulation Figure 8: Test versus schematic simulation
-60
30 35 40 45 50
Frequency (GHz)
CONCLUSIONS

10 \
Sil This paper has described a design methodology to
achieve predictable frequency response in microstrip
-10
filters (but the result could be extended to any passive
circuit) using a commercial CAD software. After a
m -20
20 ( careful evaluation of the validity of the CAD models,
-30
-Schematic comparing simulated and accurately measured results,
-40 _e Measure
EM simulation
the design is restricted to microstrip elements that can
-50
be well characterized.
-60
30 35 40 45 50
Frequency (GHz) The coupled line filter designed with the described
procedure offers very good performance at Q band with
Figure 5: Second Test compared with the original a return loss better than 12 dB and an attenuation better
simulations
than 1.5 dB, with excellent agreement with the
simulated results.
A can be seen in (fig.8) an excellent agreement
between simulation and measure is obtained. The filter
presents a passband of more than 20% around 44GHz ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
with return losses better than 12 dB and very good
insertion losses (<1.5dB in the whole band). This work has been co-financed by the Spanish
"Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia" by the grant
reference ESP2001-4543-PE.

REFERENCES

(1) ESA Astrophysics Home page of Science

team of Planck: http:Hastro.estec.esa.nl/Planck/

(2) G. Matthaei, L.Young and E.M.T.Jones,

Microwave filters, Impedance-Matching Networks, and
Coupling Structures, Norwood, M.A., USA, Artech
House 1964.
Figure 6: Photograph of the filter (3) ADS version 1.5, Agilent Technologies

(4) Intercontinental Microwave, 1515 Wyatt

Drive, Santa Clara, CA, 95054-1586, USA

(5) HP MDS version 7.2, Agilent Technologies

(6) J micro Technology, 3744NW Bluegrass

Place, Portland, OR 97229, USA

Figure 7: Detail of the coplanar to microstrip transition