A full-wave mixed potential mode-matching method for the analysis of planar or quasi-planar transmission lines

A full-wave mixed potential mode-matching method is presented for the analysis of planar and/or quasi-planar transmission lines. The transmission lines studied consist of layered (stratified) and nonlayered dielectric substrates and metal strips of finite thickness. The y-directed hybrid transverse electric (TE) and transverse-magnetic (TM) Hertzian potentials, perpendicular to the interfaces between each layered region, are employed in the layered regions. The nonlayered regions consist of dielectric step discontinuities that destroy the layered configuration in the horizontal plane, allowing a systematic and easy to handle full-wave formulation of the transmission line problem. The relative convergence criterion needs to be satisfied to obtain accurate electromagnetic field solutions. Theoretical results are in very good agreement with published data for various transmission line structures. Applications of the formulation to the proximity effects of microstrip and microslab lines are illustrated