Design and optimization of embedded RF filters using a hybrid approach

One of the main goals in MMIC design is smaller chip size because this directly affects the cost of the device. One of the key barriers to high levels of integration and higher density in RF and microwave devices is the issue of circuit isolation. The modeling of coupling effects must be added to the modeling of single elements since these affect the performance of the devices especially in mixed signal designs. Some of the many unwanted parasitic effects that plague mixed signal designers are direct coupling of devices due to close proximity, substrate coupling, package resonances due to parallel plate mode formation, and radiation and surface waves excited by planar discontinuities. However, coupling of components can also be extremely useful in the design of filters and couplers. This paper discusses a method for modeling individual passive components as well as the coupling between devices using coupled lines, scalable models and segmentation techniques. This method is ideally suited for optimizing embedded components in mixed signal designs