Ku-band bandpass filter using surface micromachined process

This paper presents a Ku-band microstrip bandpass filter (BPF) based on surface micromachining technique. Surface micromachining technique is used for simplicity and ease of fabrication. Full-wave electromagnetic simulations are performed to accurately predict the frequency response of the filter. The filter is fabricated on 600 ¿m-thick silicon substrate which is compatible with the new SiGe process. The fabricated filter occupies a chip area of 8 × 3 mm² and achieved an insertion loss of less than 2 dB and return loss of less than -20 dB throughout the operation band. The filter has a center frequency of 15 GHz with a 3 dB bandwidth of about 6 GHz covering the frequency ranges from 12 GHz to 18 GHz. This filter is widely used today in radar, satellite and terrestrial communications applications.