Broadband Tapered Microstrip Line-to-SIW Transition for C/X-Band Applications

This work proposes a broadband transition from tapered microstrip line-to-substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) using parallel half-mode SIW (HMSIW) for C/X-band applications. The proposed transition comprises four sections: a microstrip feed, tapered microstrip line, tapered parallel HMSIWs, and a waveguide section (SIW). Placing the parallel HMSIWs section between the tapered microstrip line section and the SIW part improves the S-parameters characteristics of the near-cut-off frequency. The HMSIWs section has a lower cut-off frequency than the SIW part, about 4.6 GHz. The lower cut-off- frequency is obtained by gradually altering the electromagnetic field mode to reduce reflection. Which helps convert from TEM mode to TM conversion. The proposed transition is designed, simulated, fabricated, and experimentally verified in order to compare between simulated and experimental results. For the back-to-back laboratory prototype of the transition, the experimental return loss results are less than 20 dB in the 4.6 to 11 GHz frequency range. At the same time, the measured minimum insertion loss is lower than 0.37 dB (maximum: 1.51 dB).