Generation and observation of surface waves on dielectric slabs and coplanar structures

Surface waves have been transmitted and received in dielectric slabs using microwave and millimeter-wave wafer probes. Experimental results suggest that the TE/sub 0/ and TM/sub 0/ surface waves have been measured. Coupling between the coplanar waveguide (CPW) mode and surface wave modes has also been achieved experimentally. This coupling is primarily due to the TM/sub 0/ and TE/sub 1/ modes that propagate beyond the ground plane edges of the CPW. For dielectric slabs having a relative permittivity in the 9.9 to 12.9 range (i.e., alumina and GaAS), it was empirically determined that a CPW transmission line with a (W+2G)/T value less than 0.35 has minimal interaction with surface waves.<>