Microstrip to coplanar waveguide transitional device

Abstract

A novel transition device is disclosed capable of being used in an integrated circuit comprising a substrate having a first planar surface upon which at least one circuit element is formed and a second planar surface upon which a ground metallization is formed, said first planar surface being spaced from and parallel to the second planar surface, said at least one circuit element being connected to a metal strip and having an open end terminating on said first planar surface, a coplanar grounding station disposed on the first planar surface and situated adjacent to and spaced from said open end, said coplanar grounding station being free of any electrically conducting path between said metal strip and said coplanar grounding station and between said ground metallization and said copolanar grounding station. The expression grounding station as used herein may be defined as a planar structure comprising of at least one metallized patch situated to and spaced from a strip transmission line, said patch lying parallel to and separated from a ground plane of said line, said patch not being electrically connected to said transmission line.