Recent Advances of Hybrid Planar/NRD-Guide Technology for Millimeter-Wave Integrated Circuit Design

In this paper, we look at different possibilities and advantages of our early proposed hybrid planar and nonradiative dielectric (NRD) guide technology in the design of various millimeter-wave circuits. First of all, an overview of the NRD guide technology progress is presented. It indicates that the hybrid planar/NRD-guide (HP/NRDG) technology provides a straightforward assembly of MMIC circuits with NRD-guide. To begin with, a simple fabrication technique for NRD-guide is described, which allows the fabrication of complex NRD circuits in a single step. Then, a new magic tee junction based on HP/NRDG technology is presented with measured results. New mode suppressor topologies compatible with the HP/NRDG technology are discussed for spurious waveguide modes, the LSE10 mode and also the LSM10 mode. Finally a discussion is made on different design possibilities of HP/NRDG power amplifier topologies. The present overview of some of our ongoing research work on the HP/NRDG technology suggests that the realization of a low-cost millimeter-wave transceiver is possible.