Via-stub effects in millimeter wave printed circuit boards

The cost of multilayer printed circuit boards (PCB) for microwave applications depends on several parameters which affects the fabrication costs with different weights. In this work we consider the metallized via holes. Each type of via hole is related to the number of fabrication steps as it requires dedicated manufacturing iterations. In general, if the number of vertical transition typologies is reduced the fabrication complexity and costs is greatly reduced. On the other hand, limiting the typologies of vertical transitions is harmful in terms of performance, especially at millimeter wave applications. This work explores the effects of via stubs in multilayer through numerical simulations and analytical models.