Miniaturization Techniques of Substrate Integrated Waveguide Based on Multilayered Printed Circuit Board Platform

RESUMÉ Le guide d'ondes intégrées au substrat (GIS) est une structure à ondes guidées qui présente des avantages avec un facteur de qualité Q élevé et une excellente isolation ligne à ligne. La technique GIS a été largement utilisé dans la construction de composants passifs, tels que coupleurs, diviseurs, filtres, et déphaseurs. Certains dispositifs actifs ont également été développés avec facteur Q élevé et résonateurs en technologie GIS. En comparant à d'autres types de lignes de transmission planaire, le facteur de qualité Q important du GIS est une embouchure pour son intégration avec d'autres circuits classiques. Les techniques de miniaturisation du SIW sont donc devenues une urgence. Le travail dans cette thèse commence par l'examen et la discussion des techniques de miniaturisation existantes pour GIS, y compris les (ridge substrate integrated waveguide, RSIW), intégrés sur substrat à demi-mode (HMSIW) et les (folded substrata integrated waveguide, FSIW). L'impédance et la constante de propagation des lignes basées sur ces techniques de miniaturisation sont calculées en utilisant la méthode de résonance transversale (transverse resonant method, CRT). Bien que ces paramètres puissent être obtenus par des méthodes de simulation EM, un calcul rapide sera utile pour l’optimisation de la conception en utilisant l'analyse paramétrique. Une préoccupation particulière est axée sur la relation entre la constant d’atténuation et les paramètres géométriques. Les dimensions optimisées de chaque GIS miniaturisés sont proposés en se basant sur l'analyse paramétrique. Les paramètres de transmission de ces lignes de SIW miniaturisés peuvent être extraire en utilisant la méthode à double ligne. Sauf HMSIW, toutes les autres techniques de miniaturisation mentionnées ci-dessus pour la mise en œuvre de la plateforme multicouche. Parmi les techniques de fabrication diverses qui sont en mesure de fournir des substrats multicouches, le circuit imprimé multicouche est utilisé dans la conception des circuits rapportés dans cette thèse.---------- ABSTRACT Substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) is a guided-wave structure that enjoys the benefits of a high Q-factor and an excellent line-to-line isolation. SIW technique has been widely used in building passive components, such as couplers, dividers, filters, and phase shifters. Some active devices have also been developed with high Q-factor SIW resonators. Comparing to other types of planar transmission lines, the big form factor of SIW is a bottleneck for its integration with other conventional integrated circuits. Miniaturization techniques for SIW therefore become very urgent. The work in this dissertation starts with the review and discussion of existing miniaturization techniques for SIW, including ridge substrate integrated waveguide (RSIW), half-mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) and folded substrata integrated waveguide (FSIW). The impedance and propagation constant of the transmission lines based on these miniaturization techniques are calculated using transverse resonant method (TRM). Although these parameters can be extracted from full wave EM simulations, a fast computation be helpful in design optimization by using parametric analysis. One particular concern focuses on the relationship between attenuation constant and geometric parameters. Optimized dimensions of each miniaturized SIW are suggested based on the parametric analysis. The transmission line parameters of these miniaturized SIW transmission lines can be extracted using dual-line method. Except HMSIW, all other miniaturized techniques mentioned above need multilayer platform for implementation. Among various fabrication techniques which are able to provide multilayered substrate, multilayer printed circuit board is used in the design of the circuits reported in this dissertation. It is believed that the advantages of SIW circuit are important in millimeter wave applications, although the design might limit the operating frequency. Specifically, Rogers substrate R6002 is used in all our designs for proving the concepts investigated in this work. One principal step for using the SIW technology is to develop high-performance transitions and interconnects between substrate integrated circuits (SICs) and other types of transmission lines or circuits embedded in or surface mounted on the multilayer substrates. In this work, a novel transition between a microstrip line and an SIW in a multilayer substrate design environment is presented

Design of Tunable Beamforming Networks Using Metallic Ridge Gap Waveguide Technology

Wireless communication is a leap of development in the history of humanity. For the past 100 years, a considerable effort has been spent to develop better standards, and technologies for a higher speed wireless communication with high system capacity for different applications. This requires the design of a high-frequency, point-to-multipoint antenna array system to achieve the mentioned goals. In addition, the reconfigurability of this antenna system is essential to change the system characteristics to achieve acceptable performance in different situations. The main goal of this thesis is to design a reconfigurable beamforming network to work on the Ka-band for waveguide applications. Among different beamforming networks in the literature, the Butler matrix is chosen due to its higher efficiency and the smaller number of components required than other beamforming networks. The Butler matrix is designed using a dual-plane topology to avoid using crossovers. Ridge gap waveguide technology is chosen among different transmission lines to implement the Butler matrix for several reasons: It does not need dielectrics to operate, so its power handling capacity is defined by the gap height, and it has no dielectric losses. Its zero-field region represents the operating principle for some tunable devices introduced here and its contactless nature, which eases the assembly of waveguide parts at the millimeter-wave frequencies. The reconfigurability of the Butler matrix is implemented such that beamwidth, maximum gain, and beam direction may be all tuned for optimum system performance. To that end, several components are designed to achieve the required target, and strict requirements are placed on several components to achieve an acceptable cascaded-system performance. These components include a ridge gap waveguide 90o-hybrid working over a more than 30% bandwidth, which can provide several coupling levels ranging from 3 dB to 33 dB and a return loss and isolation better than 30 dB. Another component is a wideband reconfigurable power splitter that has a 40% bandwidth, a return loss better than 20 dB in the worst case and the ability to achieve all power splitting ratios including switching between the two guides. In addition, a wideband reconfigurable phase shifter is designed to have 33% bandwidth and phase shift tuning range from 0o to 200o. Two coaxial-to-ridge gap waveguide transitions are designed to work over a more than 100% bandwidth to facilitate testing different ridge gap waveguide components. Analysis of the asymmetric double ridge waveguide is introduced where its impedance is deduced and may be used to design a single to double ridge waveguide transition useful for the dual-plane Butler matrix introduced here. In addition, this concept is used to develop a wideband unequal power divider in the single ridge waveguide technology. At the end, the whole system is assembled to show its performance in different tuning states. The ability of the system to produce radiation patterns of different characteristics is demonstrated. The presented Butler matrix design is a promising beamforming network for several applications like radar, base stations for mobile communications, and satellite applications

Innovative Millimeter-Wave Components Based on Mixed Substrate Integrated Dielectric-Metallic Waveguides

RÉSUMÉ En recherche, un défi majeur pour l'onde millimétrique et les bandes Terahertz (THz) sont l'intégration des différents composants d'une manière compacte, efficace et à faible coût. La notion de circuits intégrés aux substrats (CIS) muni d'une variante de tradition pour une essentiel conception en simplifiant l'intégration du guide d'ondes rectangulaire (donc le GIS) avec d'autres lignes de transmission planaires telles que les lignes microbande et CPW. Bien que cette amélioré considérable conçue aux bandes de fréquences K et X, des limitations persistent dans des bandes plus élevées, en particulier la bande W. Nouvelles implémentations du concept de CIS en utilisant des guides d'ondes diélectriques, tels que le guide d’onde diélectrique non rayonnant (guide NRD), ont ainsi été proposées et avec un certain nombre de circuits à base de guide d’onde diélectrique non rayonnant intégrés aux substrats (SINRD) ont été conçus à des fréquences W-bande. Néanmoins, les critères de conception des guides rigides SINRD sont limités par leurs utilisations pratiques. Dans cette thèse, une version modifiée du guide SINRD, basée sur le guide image NRD (iNRD), est proposé. Ce travail sera le premier à étudier la faisabilité de la conception du guide iNRD avec le concept du CIS. La polyvalence du guide image SINRD résultant (iSINRD) sera démontrée par la conception d'un certain nombre de composants passifs qui fonctionnent à la fréquence centrale 94 GHz à la bande W. Plus précisément, les contributions suivantes ont été étudiées aux deux fréquences 88 GHz et 94 GHz:1.Une méthodologie de conception pour l’optimisation des circuits du classe NRD. À date, Cette méthode est l’alternative le plus simple et la méthode la plus informative.2.Un certain nombre de lignes de transmission pour guidage iSINRD qui sont conçus avec des différents profils de perforation et avec un nombre différent de lacunes sur la paroi métallique de l’image vertical.3.Des Guides iSINRD à angles aigus à large bande et à bande étroite.----------ABSTRACT A major challenge facing the millimetre-wave and terahertz (THz) research fields, is the integration of different components in a compact, efficient and low-cost fashion. The concept of substrate integrated circuits (SICs) provides a vital alternative to traditional design by simplifying the integration of the rectangular waveguide (thus the SIW) with other planar transmission lines such as microstrip and CPW lines. While this has substantially enhanced the design techniques at the X- and K-band frequencies, limitations still persist at higher bands, especially the W-band and beyond. New implementations of the SICs concept using dielectric waveguides such as the substrate integrated non-radiative dielectric (SINRD) guide, were thus proposed and a number of SINRD-based circuits were designed at the W-band frequencies. Nonetheless, the SINRD guide has rigid design criteria that limit its practical use. In this thesis, a modified version of the SINRD guide, based on the image NRD (iNRD) guide, is investigated. This work will be the first to investigate the feasibility of designing the iNRD guide with the SICs concept. The versatility of the resulting image SINRD (iSINRD) guide will be demonstrated by designing a number of passive components that operate at the W-band centre frequency of 94 GHz.Specifically, the following contributions have been made at the W band frequencies of 88 GHz and 94 GHz: 1.An optimised design methodology of the NRD-class circuits. This method is a simpler alternative to earlier methods and is more informative.2.A number of iSINRD guide transmission lines that are designed with different perforation profiles and with a different number of gaps in the metal wall.3.Broadband and narrowband iSINRD guide sharp corners4. Two different configurations of iSINRD guide directional couplers that support dual mode (LSM10 and TE20 modes) and dual band operation (one band for 0-dB coupling while the other for 3-dB coupling). The band pertinent to the 0-dB coupling is exclusive for one of the configurations. Thus, a total of six directional couplers are presented

Innovative Microwave and Millimetre-Wave Components and Sub-Systems Based on Substrate Integration Technology

RÉSUMÉ Avec le rapide développement des technologies microondes et millimétriques, les spécifications de conception des circuits et systèmes sont de plus en plus exigeantes. La tendance pour le développement des systèmes de communication se dirige vers un poids minimisé, une taille réduite, de multiples fonctions, une fiabilité accrue et un faible coût. Ainsi, des technologies microondes et millimétriques faibles coûts, performantes et convenant à une production de masse sont critiques pour développer avec succès des systèmes commerciaux. La technologie à guide d’ondes rectangulaire a toujours été parmi les plus populaires pour la fabrication des systèmes millimétriques. Cependant, une difficulté majeure est reliée à leur intégration avec des composants actifs et les autres types de lignes de transmission conventionnelles, telle que microruban ou coplanaire… Les technologies de Circuits Intégrés au Substrat (CISs), incluant la technologie Guide Intégré au Substrat (GIS), qui peut être intégrée dans les substrats diélectriques avec de faibles pertes d’insertion et de radiation, sont une famille de nouvelles structures à ondes guidées. Ces dernières permettent de faire un pont entre les structures planaires et non-planaires. Jusqu’à maintenant, les composants et les sous-systèmes micro-ondes basés sur la technologie GIS ont été largement étudiés et développés. Dans cette thèse, nous étudions d’avantage la technologie GIS afin de proposer et développer divers composants actif et passif micro-ondes et millimétriques innovant et originaux. Ces structures de composants innovants peuvent améliorer l’intégration entre les composants GIS et les autres composants planaires. Ainsi, un certain nombre de structures et composants sont proposés et appliqués dans la conception et la démonstration d’un réseau d’antennes intégré en ondes millimétriques et un sous-système d’antennes intelligentes à 60 GHz. Il est à noter que plusieurs composants étudiés dans ce travail ont été proposés et démontrés à des fréquences micro-ondes plus basses afin de faire une preuve de concept en permettant une fabrication facile des structures et des circuits. Ces circuits en basses fréquences peuvent facilement être adaptés pour des applications aux fréquences plus hautes.---------- ABSTRACT The tendency of modern microwave and millimetre-wave communication system development is towards small size, light weight, reliable, multifunctional and low-cost. Moreover, low-cost, mass producible, high-performance and high-yield microwave and millimetre wave technologies are crucial for developing successful commercial microwave and millimetre wave systems. Rectangular waveguide has always been among the most popular choices for the making of millimetre-wave circuits and systems. A major challenge, however, is related to its integration with active devices and other conventional planar transmission lines, such as microstrip or coplanar waveguide (CPW), etc. Substrate Integrated Circuits (SICs) techniques including substrate integrated waveguide (SIW), which can be integrated in planar dielectric substrate with low insertion loss, high Q and low radiation loss, present a family of novel guided wave structures. This scheme provides a bridge between planar and non-planar structures. Up to now, microwave components and sub-systems based on SIW technology have been widely studied and developed. In this thesis, we take a further study of SIW technology to propose and develop various innovative and original microwave and millimetre-wave passive and active components. These innovative component structures can improve the integration between SIW components and other planar components. Then, a certain number of proposed structures or components are applied in the design and demonstration of millimetre-wave integrated antenna arrays and 60 GHz smart antenna sub-system. Note that many components studied in this work were proposed and demonstrated at different lower microwave frequencies for the proof of concept purpose with easy-to-fabricate structures and circuits. Those low-frequency circuits can easily be scaled up for high-frequency applications

Laminat-Basierte Integrationsplattformen für Millimeterwellen-RoF-Photodioden-Module

This thesis investigates the potential offered by cost-effective printed circuit technology (PCT) for the packaging of mm-wave photodiode (PD) modules, as an alternative to the commonly used integration approaches based on thin/ thick-films or co-fired ceramics. We will therefore analyze the limitations imposed by this technology, focusing on the loss mechanisms and the theoretical frequency limits due to the material properties of the laminates and the RF circuitry concepts, as well as limitations imposed by the resolution and tolerances achievable in the printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing processes. For the RF circuitry design, we will investigate characteristics and performances of traditional planar transmission lines (PTL), in particular microstrips and grounded coplanar waveguides (GCPW), and innovative substrate integrated waveguides (SIW). We will show that via holes play a fundamental role in the RF circuitry design, as they ultimately decide the highest possible frequency, independently of other parameters like conductor and dielectric loss, or etching inaccuracies. In fact, it is found that they are vital to guarantee a correct functioning of both GCPW and SIW, by avoiding board resonances and interferences between different lines. We will show that the current PCB via-hole technology allows the development of circuits working up to at least the upper limit of the W-band. As conventional microstrips are subject to higher radiation in the mm-wave region, GCPWs will be preferred for practical applications, also by virtue of their other practical advantages, such as easily accessible ground planes, increased design freedom, and extended impedance range. We will thus introduce the first concept of mm-wave PD modules with rectangular waveguide (WR) output for E-band Radio-over-Fiber (RoF) applications based on PCT integration boards. A particular feature of the proposed integration approach, is that a photonic transmitter can conveniently be assembled without any mechanical modifications of the WR, using standard off-the-shelf WR components, therefore simplifying the assembly process and reducing the cost of the module. We will also show that the availability of laminates with low moisture absorption as dielectric carrier furthermore opens up the possibility to develop quasi-hermetic packages without the need of dedicated radomes to seal the WR opening. The developed PD module will be used in mm-wave RoF demonstrators in order to prove the suitability of our approach for the development of commercial communication systems: We will be able to show a successful, error-free, 1-Gb/s, wireless connectivity in the 70-GHz communication band, with a power penalty limited to 1.5 dB. We will also present several additional prototypes, which include dedicated, on-board, biasing circuits, to allow integration of in-house-developed PDs and commercial amplifiers, and other solutions to reduce the loss of the signal power. In order to overcome the shortcomings of microstrips and GCPWs, such as unwanted radiation and increased power dissipation due to high current densities, we will then introduce for the first time the PCB SIW in the packaging of mm-wave photonic transmitters. The properties and advantages of this innovative transmission line in terms of low loss and high integration will be investigated and assessed, showing that its unique configuration allows a superior control of radiation and interferences, and drastically reduces losses. This suggests its use in all mm-wave systems where long on-board interconnects are required. A new integration approach for the development of quasi-hermetic PD modules with in-package antennas based on PCB SIW will thus be presented, focusing in particular on non-directive data distribution systems. It will be shown that compact, low-loss, and quasi-hermetic packaging solutions can conveniently be designed making use of the PCB SIW. We will furthermore introduce innovative GCPW-to-SIW transitions necessary for the integration of PDs on SIW platforms. Theoretically predicted performances will be compared with experimentally determined performances for a specifically optimized 60-GHz band GCPW-to-SIW transition. Also, the design and optimization of mm-wave antennas for indoor 60 GHz RoF systems will be presented, testing their performance against PCB manufacture inaccuracies. Finally, we will show an example of a fully characterized integration platform for PD modules, confirming the suitability of PCB SIW for the development of future, low-loss, and cost-effective photonic RoF transmitters.Diese Arbeit untersucht das Potenzial kostengünstige Leiterplattentechnik (PCT) für das Packaging von Millimeter-Wellen-Photodioden (PD) als Alternative zu den üblicherweise verwendeten Dünn-/ Dickschicht-Substraten oder co-fired Keramiken einzusetzen. Zunächst werden die physikalischen Grenzen dieser PCT-Technologie hinsichtlich eines Einsatzes bei höchsten Frequenzen untersucht. Die materialbedingten Verlustwinkel im Millimeter-Wellen-Bereich aber auch Abstrahlverluste im Zusammenhang mit verschiedenen planaren Schaltungs¬konzepten werden sowohl theoretisch als auch experimentell untersucht. Zum Einsatz kommen hierbei neben konventionellen planaren Übertragungsleitungen (PTL), wie Mikrostreifen und Grounded-Coplanar-Waveguides (GCPW), auch innovative Substrat-Integrierte-Wellenleiter (SIW). Weiterhin wird der Einfluss prozessbedingter Parameter, wie die minimal erreichbare Strukturgröße sowie Fertigungs¬toleranzen, auf das Hochfrequenzverhalten analysiert. Die Arbeit wird zeigen, dass Durchkontaktierungen (engl. Via Holes) eine fundamentale Rolle spielen. Unabhängig von anderen Einflussgrößen wie den dielektrischen Verlusten, den Abstrahlverlusten oder Fertigungstoleranzen begrenzt die minimal erreichbare Strukturgröße der Vias das Hochfrequenz¬verhalten der PCT-Technologie. Es wird theoretisch und experimentell nachgewiesen, dass die Vias für GCPW und SIW auf PCT-Technologie erforderlich sind, um geringe Ausbreitungsverluste zu gewährleisten, sowie um Resonanzen im Übertragungsverhalten und elektrischen Überkoppeln zwischen benachbarten Leitungen zu unterdrücken. Die Arbeit zeigt, dass die aktuelle PCB-Technologie die Entwicklung von planaren Hochfrequenz-Schaltungen erlaubt, die bis zur oberen Grenze des W-Bands (ca. 110 GHz) anwendbar sind. Da Mikrostreifenleitungen bekanntermaßen erhöhte Abstrahlverluste im Millimeterwellen-Bereich aufweisen, werden für technologische Realisierungen GCPWs vorgezogen. GCPW bieten gegenüber Mikrostreifenleitungen auch weitere Vorteile, wie leicht zugängliche Erdungsebenen, eine erhöhte Gestaltungsfreiheit und einen deutlich erweiterten Abstimmbereich der Leitungs-Impedanz. Basierend auf der PCT-Technologie und einer planaren GCPW-Schaltung wird im Folgenden ein neuartiger Ansatz für die Anbindung von hochfrequenten InP-basierten Photodioden-Chips an einen Rechteckhohlleiter entwickelt. Ein besonderes Merkmal des in dieser Arbeit vorgeschlagenen Integrationsansatzes besteht darin, dass sich das Photodioden-Modul ohne eine mechanische Modifikation des Hohlleiters realisieren lässt, was hinsichtlich Montageprozess und -kosten einen deutlichen Vorteil darstellt. Die Arbeit zeigt auch, dass die Verwendung von Laminaten mit geringer Feuchtigkeitsaufnahme weiterhin die Möglichkeit eröffnet, quasi-hermetische Module ohne die sonst erforderlichen Radome zu realisieren. Da eine wesentliche Anwendung für solche hochfrequenten Photodioden-Module im Bereich der Funkkommunikation und speziell für die Entwicklung von Punkt-zu-Punkt-Funkverbindungen im E-Band (60-90 GHz) liegt, konzentriert sich diese Arbeit auf die Entwicklung einer PCT-Integrationstechnologie für E-Band-Photodioden-Module mit WR-12 Hohlleiter. Die Arbeit beschreibt das Design und die Herstellung der GCPW-PCT-Schaltung. Die theoretisch simulierten Streuparameter der GCPW-PCT-Schaltung werden mit experimentellen Werten verglichen, bevor im Anschluss näher auf die erfolgreiche technologische Realisierung eines Prototyp-Photodioden-Moduls mit WR-12-Hohlleiterausgang eingegangen wird. Die Funktionalität des entwickelten PD-Moduls wird durch Einsatz in einer 70-GHz-Funkstrecke nachgewiesen. Es gelingt die Funkübertragung eines 1-Gbit/s-Datensignals im regulierten 70-GHz-Frequenzbereich (71-76 GHz). Die Arbeit zeigt im Anschluss weitere Prototypen, welche die Integration von hausintern entwickelten Photodioden und kommerziellen RF-Verstärkern erlauben, sowie Lösungen zur Reduzierung des Signalleistungsverlusts. Obwohl die verwendeten GCPW im Vergleich zu Mikrostreifenleitungen geringere Abstrahlverluste aufweisen, kommt es bei hohen Frequenzen doch zu einer unerwünschten Dämpfung durch Strahlungs- und ohmsche Verluste aufgrund der hohen Stromdichten in der GCPW-Schaltung. Zur weiteren Reduzierung dieser Verluste werden in dieser Arbeit daher erstmalig SIW-PCB-Schaltungen für die Integration von Millimeterwellen-Photodioden vorgeschlagen und entwickelt. Die Vorteile dieser innovativen Leitungsstruktur hinsichtlich der elektrischen Dämpfung im Millimeterwellen-Bereich werden theoretisch und experimentell untersucht. Es kann gezeigt werden, dass die SIW-PCT gegenüber den GCPW-PCT signifikant geringere Verluste aufweisen, was insbesondere für den Einsatz in planaren Hochfrequenz-Schaltungen mit vergleichsweise langen Verbindungsleitungen vorteilhaft ist. Die Arbeit präsentiert eine neue Integrationstechnologie auf Basis planarer SIW-PCB-Schaltungen für quasi-hermetische PD-Module mit In-Package-Antennen. Es werden kompakte, verlustarme und quasi-hermetische SIW-basierte Lösungen für 60-GHz-PD-Module hergestellt und experimentell untersucht. Abschließend wird die Eignung der SIW-PCB-Technologie für die Entwicklung zukünftiger, verlustarmer und kostengünstiger photonischer Millimeter-Wellen-Funktransmitter diskutiert

Novel Antennas for mm-Wave and Microwave Systems

The emergence of high-performance antennas based modern manufacturing technology and novel additive processing is becoming a hot topic. Specifically, the substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) has demonstrated its impact in miniaturization, planarization, and low-cost manufacturing of transmission lines, while 3D printing technology has enabled the creation of customized, high-performance antennas. The research into SIW and 3D printed antennas are emergence for the advancement of wireless communication systems. In this thesis, novel millimeter-wave and microwave antennas based on modern and newly emerged additive manufacturing are investigated. First of all, in terms of novel antenna designs based on traditional manufacturing, several SIW-based planar directional antennas are presented in achieving high gain, miniaturization, easy integration and design simplification. They are i) SIW H-plane horn antenna with gradient air slots, ii) SIW H-plane horn antenna with an embedded air cavity; iii) SIW H-plane horn antenna loaded with linear dipole directors. Then, in terms of novel antenna designs based on 3D printing technologies, a variety antenna structures were proposed and studied. They are i) Fused deposition modelling (FDM) printed E-plane horn for gain enhancement; ii) Liquid crystal display (LCD) printed horn antennas for size reduction; iii) LCD printed horn antenna for beam-steering; iv) LCD printed rod antenna with modified permittivity for high gain; v) LCD printed dielectric lens for high directivity. All antenna designs including the concepts and design process presented are theoretically analyzed and introduced. They are fabricated and measured. The main contribution includes the novel antenna designs in both modern and additive manufacturing technologies for superior radiation performance and various design purposes