Microstrip Attenuators and Terminations Realized with Periodic Electromagnetic Structures

The theory of electromagnetic periodic structures is applied in the analysis of resistive microstrip attenuators. The attenuator is realized by means of a line whose characteristic impedance Zo is a real number equal to a prefixed normalization impedance, and whose attenuation constant a is very high. Small size, high reliability wide band attenuators and terminations, directly built on dielectric substrate have suitable performances to be used in MICs and MMICs.