A tolerance study on 30 GHz planar filters based on Substrate Integrated Waveguide technology

This paper presents an investigation of the fabrication tolerance in waveguide filters operating at 30 GHz and implemented in Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) technology. Millimeter-wave filters are getting more and more attention in the literature, as the interest towards applications in this frequency band grows. Moreover, SIW technology appears as a very promising candidate for the realization of planar, easy-to-integrate filters at these frequencies, as it combines low cost and flexibility of classical planar technologies (microstrip and CPW) with the advantages offered by shielded waveguide structures. A set of tolerance analyses have been carried out with a full-wave simulator, based on the resolution performances offered by the fabrication process that was used to build the designed prototypes. The performance of 30 GHz filters was then experimentally evaluated and compared with theoretical results.