Microstrips & Microwave transistors
ETT 06202 Microwave Technology
Microstrip tuned circuits
• At higher frequencies, standard techniques for realizing such
components become increasingly harder to implement. Instead,
transmission lines, specifically microstrip, are used.
• Microstrip is a type of electrical transmission line which can be
fabricated using printed circuit board [PCB] technology, and is used
to convey microwave-frequency signals.
microstrip
• consists of a conducting strip separated from a ground plane
by a dielectric layer known as the substrate.
• Microwave components such as antennas, couplers, filters,
power dividers etc. can be formed from microstrip, the entire
device existing as the pattern of metallization on the
substrate.
• Advantages: Microstrip is thus much less expensive than
traditional waveguide technology, as well as being far lighter
and more compact
• The disadvantages of microstrip compared with
waveguide are the generally lower power handling
capacity, and higher losses. Also, unlike waveguide,
microstrip is not enclosed, and is therefore
susceptible to cross-talk and unintentional radiation.
microstrip
• For lowest cost, microstrip devices may be built on an
ordinary FR-4 (standard PCB) substrate. However it is
often found that the dielectric losses in FR4 are too high at
microwave frequencies, and that the dielectric constant is not
sufficiently tightly controlled. For these reasons, an alumina
substrate is commonly used.
• On a smaller scale, microstrip transmission lines are also built
into monolithic microwave integrated circuits [MMIC]s.
• Microstrip is very similar to stripline and coplanar waveguide
[CPW], and it is possible to integrate all three on the same
substrate
microstrip
• Microstrip is preferred for reactive circuits at the higher
frequencies because it is simpler and less expensive than
stripline, but stripline is used where shielding is necessary
to minimize noise and cross talk.
• The tuned circuits are created by using a copper pattern
printed-circuit board (PCB) upon which are mounted the
transistors, ICs, and other components of the circuit.
• The PCB is usually made of G-10 or FR-4 fiberglass or a
combination of fiberglass and Teflon.
• The bottom of the PCB is a thin solid copper sheet that
serves as a ground plane and one side of the transmission
line.
• The copper strip is the other conductor of the transmission
line.
Impedance matching
• Impedance: is the effective resistance of an
electric circuit or component to alternating
current, arising from the combined effects of
ohmic resistance and reactance.
• In electronics, impedance matching is the
practice of designing the input impedance of
an electrical load or the output impedance of
its corresponding signal source to maximize the
power transfer or minimize signal reflection from
the load.
microstrip
• Both open and shorted segments of line can be
used, although shorted segments are preferred because
they do not radiate as much as open segments.
• An important characteristic of microstrip is its impedance.
• the characteristic impedance of a transmission line depends
on its physical characteristics, in this case, e.g., on the
width of the strip and the spacing between the strip and
the copper ground plane, which is the thickness of the PCB
material.
• The dielectric constant of the insulating material is also a
factor. Most characteristic impedances are less than 100Ω;
50 Ω is the most common, followed closely by 75 Ω. Values
higher than 100 Ω are used for cases when impedance-
matching requirements demand it.
microstrip
• One-quarter wavelength transmission line can be used
to make one type of component look like another.
Figure How a one-quarter wavelength microstrip can
transform impedances and reactances
Microstrip can be used to create almost any tuned
circuit necessary in an amplifier, including resonant
circuits, filters, and impedance-matching networks.
Common microstrip patterns and their
equivalents
Figure: shows the physical configurations for equivalent coils and capacitors in microstrip form.
• When series capacitance or capacitive coupling is needed, a small capacitor can be created
by using the ends of microstrip lines as tiny capacitor plates separated by an air dielectric
• it is often possible to visualize or even draw the equivalent circuit of a microstrip amplifier by
observing the pattern on the PCB.
Coupling between microstrips
• Microstrip can also be used to realize coupling from one circuit
• One microstrip line is simply placed parallel to another segment of
microstrip.
• The degree of coupling between the two depends on the distance
of separation and the length of the parallel segment.
• The closer the spacing and the longer the parallel run, the greater
the coupling.
• There is always signal loss by such a coupling method, but it
can be accurately controlled.
Microstrip turns
• Although microstrip performs best when it is a straight line, 90° turns are often
necessary on a PCB. When turns must be used, a straight right-angle turn, like
that shown in Fig (a) is forbidden because it acts as a low-pass filter across the
line.
• An abrupt 90° bend in a microstrip will cause a significant portion of the signal
on the strip to be reflected back towards its source, with only part of the signal
transmitted on around the bend. One means of effecting a low reflection bend,
is to curve the path of the strip in an arc of radius at least 3 times the
strip-width.
However, a far more
common technique,
and one which
consumes a smaller
area of substrate, is to
use a mitred bend.
See figure (c)
A microstrip hybrid ring
• A special form of microstrip is the hybrid ring shown in Fig.
• The total length of the microstrip ring is 1.5λ.
• There are four taps or ports on the line, spaced at
one-quarter wavelength (λ/4) intervals, which can be used
as inputs or outputs.
Microstrip hybrid ring operation
• Now, a signal is applied to port 1, and some interesting
things happen. Output signals appear at ports 2 and 4, but
their levels are at one-half the power of the input.
• Thus the circuit acts as a power divider to supply two
signals of equal level to other circuits. There is no output at
port 3.
• The effect of applying a signal at port 4 is similar. Equal
half-power outputs appear at ports 1 and 3, but no signal
appears at port 2.
• If individual signals are applied simultaneously to ports 1 and
3, the output at port 2 will be their sum and the output at
port 4 will be their difference
• The unique operation of the hybrid ring makes it
very useful for splitting signals or combining them.
Power splitter examples
Transistors used in microwave systems
• Today, although vacuum tubes and microwave tubes such
as the klystron and magnetron are still used, especially for
higher-power applications, most microwave systems use
transistor amplifiers
• Over the years, semiconductor manufacturers have learned
to make transistors work at these higher frequencies.
• Special geometries are used to make bipolar transistors that
provide both voltage and power gain at frequencies up to
100 GHz. Microwave FET transistors have also been created
such as the MESFET
• The use of gallium arsenide (GaAs) and silicon Germanium
(SiGe) rather than pure silicon has further increased the
frequency capabilities of MOSFETs and bipolars.
Microwave transistors
• Microwave transistors, whether they are bipolar or FET types, operate
just as other transistors do.
• The primary differences between standard lower-frequency transistors
and microwave types are internal geometry and packaging.
• Note the very short leads. Both packages are designed for surface
mounting directly to microstrip on the PCB.
The transistor in Fig.(b) has four leads, usually two emitter (or source) leads plus the base (or gate)
and the collector (or drain). The two emitter leads in parallel ensure low inductance.
Some transistors of this type have two base or two collector leads instead of two emitter leads.
Microwave transistor
• CMOS digital integrated circuits, which are made with
MOSFETs, can operate up to 10 GHz.
• RF and linear/analog circuits made with CMOS and used in
low-power microwave radios as well as in optical fiber
transmission circuits can achieve operation up to 10 GHz.
But beyond 10 GHz, special devices are necessary.
• GaAs MESFETs, a type of JFET using a Schottky barrier
junction, can operate at frequencies in excess of 5 GHz. A
variant of the MESFET called a high electron mobility
transistor (HEMT) extends the frequency range beyond 20
GHz by adding an extra layer of semiconductor material
such as AlGaAs.
•
Microwave transistor
• A highly popular device known as a heterojunction
bipolar transistor (HBT) is making even
higher-frequency amplification possible in both
discrete form and integrated circuits.
• A heterojunction is formed with two different types
of semiconductor [Link] popular
combinations are indium-phosphide (InP) and
silicon-germanium (SiGe).
• The InP HBTs operate at frequencies up to 50 GHz, and
SiGe HBTs have been developed to operate up to 200 GHz.
• Most microwave amplifiers are designed to have
input and output impedances of 50 V.
