Waveguide-to-microstrip transition with integrated bias-T

A novel device, a waveguide-to-microstrip transition with an integrated bias-T, is presented. The substrate-based planar structure comprises a waveguide E-probe, shaped as a radial line. The probe couples the RF field of a full-height waveguide to a microstrip line or directly to an active component, e.g., a transistor or diode in a mixer or direct detector. The radial probe is connected on its wide side to another port via a specially shaped high impedance line that provides RF/DC isolation. This port can then be used to inject DC and/or extract IF signals. The design of the presented structure was done using CAD (3-D EM simulation) and an X-band device was produced and fully characterized. The measured performance is in excellent agreement with the simulations; the device has return loss better than -20 dB, insertion loss less or equal to -0.15 dB and isolation for the bias-T line better than -20 dB. RF bandwidth for the transition is 30% of the central frequency.