General Multiple Order Prism Vector Finite Macroelements for Planar Microwave Circuits and EBGs

We present a class of mixed order prism macroelements, appropriate for an efficient analysis of 3-D planar microwave circuits and electromagnetic bandgaps (EBGs). The multiple order concept used in this context implies arbitrary orders of variation toward different directions and is substantially different, compared to the well-known mixed order property, associated to any tangentially continuous vector element. Prism elements of first order in the planar directions and arbitrary high orders along the prism axis are developed by this approach.