Miniaturized C-Band SIW Filters Using High-Permittivity Ceramic Substrates
Résumé
This paper introduces an effective way to build
efficient miniature C-band filters using high-permittivity
ceramics. The objective was to evaluate the feasibility of
such filters using commercial electromagnetic simulators and
a conventional fabrication process. For the demonstration,
the substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technology was
chosen. Compared with planar solutions, this configuration
offers good quality factors and good electrical performances
as a consequence. However, its dimensions are large, leading
to unacceptably large footprints for many applications. The
solution proposed in this paper is based on a ceramic substrate
with a permittivity of 90, which allowed us to work with shorter
wavelengths. In comparison with a standard alumina substrate
(permittivity εr = 9.9), this approach makes it possible to reduce
the footprint up to nine times. Two prototypes were realized on a
Trans-Tech ceramic substrate (thickness = 635 μm, εr = 90, and
tanδ = 9 · 10−4). The first prototype is a folded sixth-order SIW
filter including a cross coupling combining coplanar waveguide
probes and a thin microstrip line on an InterVia substrate. The
second one is a folded eighth-order SIW filter without cross
couplings. Here, we compare the sixth-order prototype with an
identical one built on alumina. The eighth-order filter, which had
no alumina counterpart, is a potentially useful alternative for
situations where complex technological steps must be avoided.