MICROSTRIP DISCONTINIUTIES:Quasi

static analysis and characterization

INTRODUCTION:

• Microstrip circuits invariably incorporate transmission line discontinuities

of one type or another
• A discontinuity in a microstrip is caused by an abrupt change in the
geometry of the strip conductor. Therefore, electric and magnetic field
distributions are modified near the discontinuity.
• The altered electric field distribution gives rise to a change in
capacitance, and the changed magnetic field distribution can be
expressed in terms of an equivalent inductance.
• The analysis of a microstrip discontinuity involves the evaluation of
these capacitances and inductances and can either be based on quasi-
static considerations or carried out more rigorously by fullwave analysis.
• Quasi-static analysis involves calculations of static capacitances and low-
frequency inductances
CHARACTERIZATION OF VARIOUS DISCONTINUTIES

• In quasi-static techniques for evaluating discontinuity

capacitances and inductances were described .
• The results of these types of analyses for various microstrip
discontinuities will be presented now.
• Closed-form expressions for these discontinuities (wherever
available) and the ranges of their validity are included here.
OPEN ENDS

• An open-end discontinuity occurs frequently in a number of

circuits such as resonators, matching stubs, parallel coupled
filters, and in microstrip antennas.
• The equivalent circuit of an open end is represented by an
excess capacitance Coc which can be transformed into an
equivalent length of transmission line, ∆ℓoc as shown in
Figure (a)
• The equivalent capacitance shown in Figure (b) is what is
usually calculated, whereas the equivalent line length
representation Figure (c) is more convenient for circuit design
GAPS IN MICROSTRIP

• The characterization of a gap in a microstrip is useful in the

design of, for example,dc blocks, end coupled filters, and
coupling elements to resonators.
• A microstrip gap and its equivalent circuits are shown in
Figure 3.17. There are three sets of published data for gap
capacitance [1, 4, 9]. The available results are shown in Figure
3.18. The two sets of points shown in Figure (b) . The
capacitances Codd and Ceven are related to Cp and Cg by
STEPS IN WIDTH

• Steps in width exist at junctions of two microstrip lines that

have different imped-
• ances. This type of discontinuity is encountered when
designing matching trans-
• formers, couplers, filters, and transitions. The configurations
of a step discontinuity
• and its equivalent circuit are shown in Figure 3.21.
BENDS
• A microstrip bend may be formed by two lines of equal or
unequal impedances and is normally used for introducing
flexibility in the layout of the circuit design.
• The equivalent circuit of a microstrip bend with lines of equal
impedances is shown in Figure 3.25.
• The most common form of microstrip bend used in circuits and
inves-tigated analytically is a right-angled bend (fb = 90°).
T JUNCTIONS
• The T-junction is perhaps the most important discontinuity in
a microstrip as it is found in most circuits such as impedance
networks, stub filters, and branch-line couplers.
• A microstrip T-junction and its equivalent circuit are shown in
Figure 3.28
CROSS JUNCTIONS
• common application of a cross junction is for the realization of
low impedance stubs.
• one of the possible solutions is to employ two stubs in
parallel, connected on either side of the main line.
• The impedance of each of the equivalent stubs is equal to
twice the impedance of the simulated stub.
Capacitance C+ has been calculated by Silvester and Benedek [8],
and their results are shown in Figure
NOTCH

• A notch or a narrow transverse slit in the strip conductor of a

microstrip line can be introduced to realize a series
inductance.
• Notch discontinuity and its equivalent circuit is given by
The value of the series inductance LN can be obtained from the
approximate relation
RF SHORT AND VIA HOLES

• In RF and microwave circuits, shorts and via holes are frequently

used for dc and RF ground connections.
• Via holes are also used for interconnections of metal layers in a
multilayer technology.
• Low-loss and low-inductance grounds are very important to
achieve good gain, noise figure, insertion loss, VSWR, output
power, PAE, stability, and wide bandwidth performance in
amplifiers.
• In MICs/MMICs, one needs the backside ground metalization to
be connected with the minimum possible inductance path to
the top side of the substrate having RF microstrip ground pads
1) WRAP AROUND GROUND

• Wrap-around ribbons, or ground straps, are used for low-

inductance ground connections in hybrid MICs, and their
equivalent circuit model may be represented by a simple
inductor.
• The inductance of the ribbon/strap is given by
2) VIA HOLE CONNECTION

• Via hole connections are integral parts of transistors,

inductors, transformers, and Lange Couplers
• In multilayer MICs, the thickness of separating dielectric layers
is much larger than polyimide thickness.
3) VIA HOLE GROUND MODEL

• Several different techniques have been applied to develop via

hole models.
• These include analytical methods, quasistatic approach,
fullwave analysis, time domain measurements, and S-
parameter measurement-based models
An analytical model of a via hole is a series combination of an
inductance Lvia and resistance Rvia of a cylindrical via hole
shown in Figure