Peter Linner

CAD models for multilayered substrate interdigital capacitors

Conformal mapping-based models are given for interdigital capacitors on substrates with a thin superstrate and/or covering dielectric film. The models are useful for a wide range of dielectric constants and layer thicknesses. Capacitors with finger numbers n/spl ges/2 are discussed. The finger widths and spacing between them may be different. The results are compared with the available data and some examples are given to demonstrate the potential of the models.

Composite right/left handed transmission line phase shifter using ferroelectric varactors

A composite right/left handed (CRLH) transmission line (TL) phase shifter, using ferroelectric (Ba/sub 0.25/Sr/sub 0.75/TiO/sub 3/) varactors as tunable element, is presented for the first time. It is theoretically and experimentally demonstrated how the unique features of CRLH TLs, enables a differential phase shift with flat frequency dependence around the center frequency. The experimental prototype is a coplanar design integrated on a high resistive Si substrate. It includes four CRLH T-unit cells and has a physical length of 3850/spl mu/m. The ferroelectric varactors are realized in parallel plate version. Under 15-V dc bias applied over each varactor, the differential phase shift is flat around 17GHz and has an absolute value of 50/spl deg/.

Ultrawide-band tunable true-time delay lines using ferroelectric varactors

This paper reports on compact tunable true-time delay lines based on ferroelectric (Ba/sub 0.25/Sr/sub 0.75/TiO/sub 3/) varactors integrated on high-resistivity silicon. The delay lines are based on lumped elements, physically implemented as synthetic coplanar-strip lines. An approximate analytical design procedure, exactly valid for /spl omega//spl rarr/0, is proposed. The physical size of the fabricated delay lines is 2.0/spl times/0.33 mm/sup 2/, including bias pads. Measurements are performed from room temperature (RT) down to 80 K. The measurements reveal ultrawide-band characteristics for both group delay and insertion loss. At RT, the absolute group delay is /spl tau//sub /spl delta//(RT, 0 V) /spl ap/70 ps with tunability of 20% under 20-V dc bias, the insertion less than 3.5 dB, and the reflection loss better than 12 dB below 20 GHz. At 145 K, the absolute group delay is increased to /spl tau//sub /spl delta//(145 K, 0 V) /spl ap/100 ps with a tunability of 50% under 20-V applied bias. At 7 GHz, the insertion loss is 3 dB, resulting in figures-of-merit of 0.03 dB/ps and 50 ps/mm. The leakage current at RT is less than 0.1 /spl mu/A.

Experimental Investigation of the Accuracy of an Ultrawideband Time-Domain Microwave-Tomographic System

The measurement accuracy of an ultrawideband (UWB) time-domain microwave-tomographic system is investigated. In order to make an assessment of the random variation of the measurements, the measurement repeatability of the system is evaluated by comparison with an UWB frequency-domain system. A phantom is imaged with the time-domain microwave-tomographic system, and the reconstructed images are compared with those obtained by using the frequency-domain system. The results suggest that with the averaging tens of measurements, the time-domain system can achieve the same level of measurement repeatability as that of the frequency-domain system in the interesting frequency range of microwave tomography. The imaging results, however, indicate that the phantom reconstruction does not require such high measurement accuracy. The permittivity profile of the phantom reconstructed from the nonaveraging time-domain measurements is very similar with that obtained by means of the frequency-domain system.

Lower order modes of YBCO/STO/YBCO circular disk resonators

Lower order modes in a single crystal strontium titanate (STO) circular disk resonator are studied experimentally. Superconducting epitaxial YBCO films form the parallel-plates of the resonator. Due to the extremely high dielectric constant of STO, the electric fields are concentrated between the plates, while there is a substantial magnetic fringing field which affects both the resonant frequencies, Q-factors, and tunability of all modes, especially the TM/sub 110/ and TM/sub 210/.

A General Statistical Equivalent-Circuit-Based De-Embedding Procedure for High-Frequency Measurements

A general equivalent-circuit-based method for the de-embedding of scattering parameters is presented. An equivalent circuit representation is used to model the embedding package. The parameters in the models are estimated with a statistical method using measured data from all de-embedding standards jointly together. Hence, it is possible to assess parameter estimates and their variance and covariance due to measurement uncertainties. A general de-embedding equation, which is valid for any five-port with a defined nodal admittance matrix, is derived and used in the subsequent de-embedding of measured device data. Different equivalent circuit models for the embedding network are then studied, and tradeoffs between model complexity and uncertainty are evaluated. Furthermore, the influence of varying number and combinations of de-embedding standards on the parameter estimates is investigated. The method is verified, using both measured and synthetic data, and compared against previously published work. It is found to be more general while keeping or improving accuracy.

Accuracy Evaluation of Ultrawideband Time Domain Systems for Microwave Imaging

We perform a theoretical analysis of the measurement accuracy of ultrawideband time domain systems. The theory is tested on a specific ultrawideband system and the analytical estimates of measurement uncertainty are in good agreements with those obtained by means of simulations. The influence of the antennas and propagation effects on the measurement accuracy of time domain near field microwave imaging systems is discussed. As an interesting application, the required measurement accuracy for a breast cancer detection system is estimated by studying the effect of noise on the image reconstructions. The results suggest that the effects of measurement errors on the reconstructed images are small when the amplitude uncertainty and phase uncertainty of measured data are less than 1.5 dB and 15 degrees, respectively.

Development of a Time Domain Microwave System for Medical Diagnostics

In this paper, a time-domain system dedicated to medical diagnostics has been designed, a prototype has been built and its performance has been evaluated. Measurements show that the system has a 3-dB bandwith of about 3.5 GHz and a signal to noise ratio over 40 dB in the frequency range about 800 MHz to 3.8 GHz. The system has been used to perform a microwave tomographic image reconstruction test. The same target was reconstructed based on data measured with a network analyzer. A comparison between the images shows very small differences, and proves the functionality of the time domain system.

Design of broadband lumped element baluns

This paper reports on a small size broadband lumped element balun suitable for integration in MMICs. The design is an extension of the well known lattice balun, which independent of frequency has 180/spl deg/ phase difference between the output ports, but suffers from a narrow amplitude bandwidth. It is shown how the amplitude bandwidth of the lattice balun may be improved by replacing inductors with low-pass T-sections, and the capacitors with high-pass T-sections. Scalable closed-form design equations for various bandwidths are derived. To validate the concept a prototype operating at 1 GHz has been fabricated with SMT chip components soldered on a PTFE laminate. It exhibits amplitude balance better than /spl plusmn/0.25 dB and phase balance better than /spl plusmn/8/spl deg/, over more than one octave bandwidth. The effective chip-area is 7/spl times/9 mm/sup 2/.

Attempt of the metallic 3D printing technology for millimeter-wave antenna implementations

3D metallic printing technology is attempted to implement millimeter-wave (mmWave) antennas. Based on laser beam melting (LBM) technology, the cost and turnaround time of metallic horn antenna fabrication is effectively reduced compared with traditional milling and injection moulding. A conical and a pyramidal horn antenna are printed in 316L stainless steel, both of which demonstrate satisfactory performance compared with simulation, as well as comparable performance with commercial horn antennas. Surface roughness of the printed horn antennas are measured and analyzed, showing improvement upon former designs. The 3D printing technology proves its great potential for further exploration.