Surface-wave phenomena associated with open-circuited stripline terminations

Calculations are presented to show that surface waves can be launched into a substrate from an open-ended stripline termination; the launching efficiency depends on the substrate and stripline geometry, and theoretical estimates agree well with the measured data. The effect of these waves in stripline circuits, antennas and resonators is discussed, and a recommendation is made that involves using a trough termination to reduce the surface-wave launching efficiency.