Vertical transitions in low temperature co-fired ceramics for LMDS applications

To realize the advantages of low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC), such as highly integrated and low cost microwave packages, a library of repeatable and low loss vertical transitions is necessary. This paper presents measured results of three LTCC vertical transitions: stripline to coplanar waveguide (CPW), CPW to CPW, and CPW to microstrip. A novel grounding structure for intermediate ground planes is presented and discussed. The measured results demonstrate vertical transitions with good performance across the LMDS range.