Improved Analysis of Dielectric Resonator Coupling using a Three-Dimensional Finite Difference Method

The increased frequency limit for the application of dielectric resonators (DR) up to the millimeter-wave range enforces the requirement to accurately characterize dielectric resonators in microwave circuits. In contrast to the generally applied methods, which incorporate several assumptions for simplification of the analysis, the presented method is based on a direct solution of Maxwell´s equations. It provides a great flexibility of the geometrical structure, and therefore allows a detailed investigation of the influence of the microstrip line and the shielding on the modes of the resonator. The general formulation of the method is described. Results are given for different structures and are compared to solutions derived by conventional methods.