Configurable Perforated Air-Filled Substrate Integrated Waveguide (AFSIW) For Generic High-Performance Systems on Substrate

In this article, the patent pending configurable perforated air-filled substrate integrated waveguide (PAFSIW) is presented. First, a theoretical and experimental study of the proposed PAFSIW topology is introduced. Specifically, it is demonstrated that a low-cost Hi- T_g FR4 PAFSIW transmission line can handle over 190 W (up to 1340 W, determined from extrapolation of the experimental results) of continuous wave (CW) power at 20 GHz with an enhanced thermal dissipation compared with its AFISW counterpart. Then, configurable phase shifters, resonators, and filters based on the PAFSIW transmission line sections are introduced. Those components are fabricated using the conventional printed circuit board (PCB) and the through-hole mounting (THM) process to demonstrate the PAFSIW versatility and fabrication-tolerance robustness. The proposed PAFSIW extends the capabilities of the high-performance AFSIW technological platform as it provides genericity, manufacturing process robustness, and an alternative to improve thermal dissipation. The authors expect its implementation in highly configurable microwave- and millimeter-wave circuits for future generic systems on substrate.