Stripline/Microstrip Transition in Multilayer Circuit Board

Abstract

A stripline-to-microstrip transition has been incorporated into a multilayer circuit board that supports a distributed solid-state microwave power amplifier, for the purpose of coupling the microwave signal from a buried-layer stripline to a top-layer microstrip. The design of the transition could be adapted to multilayer circuit boards in such products as cellular telephones (for connecting between circuit-board signal lines and antennas), transmitters for Earth/satellite communication systems, and computer mother boards (if processor speeds increase into the range of tens of gigahertz). The transition is designed to satisfy the following requirements in addition to the basic coupling requirement described above: (1) The transition must traverse multiple layers, including intermediate layers that contain DC circuitry. (2) The transition must work at a frequency of 32 GHz with low loss and low reflection. (3) The power delivered by the transition to top-layer microstrip must be split equally in opposite directions along the microstrip. Referring to the figure, this amounts to a requirement that when power is supplied to input port 1, equal amounts of power flow through output ports 2 and 3. (4) The signal-line via that is necessarily a part of such a transition must not be what is known in the art as a blind via; that is, it must span the entire thickness of the circuit board