On the optimization of the number of elements of MMIC low pass filter using EM simulation

This paper reports on an investigation into the effect of the number of elements in designing a new monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) filter. Eesof Libra was used to characterize the effect of the number of elements while the electromagnetic simulator Sonnet was used to simulate the field response of the filter. Results of our study show that higher order filters exhibit sharper skirts at the transition but at the expense of increased die size. Using electromagnetic simulation we were able to optimize the trade-off between die size and filter response. The new filter was also applied to several designs on both Si and GaAs substrates having different cut-off frequencies, thus proving the viability of such a structure.