Microstrip Ground Plane Openings for Wide Impedance Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microstrip boards face challenges in accommodating a wide range of impedances while maintaining suitable power handling specifications, making it difficult and costly to manufacture with multiple dielectric materials or varying thicknesses.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating impedance-offset openings in the ground plane and co-located depressions in the conductive heatsink to alter the effective dielectric constant, allowing for microstrip traces with varied impedances without requiring multiple dielectric materials or thicknesses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple dielectric materials or varying thicknesses are used to accommodate a wide range of impedances, then impedance versatility is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces impedance-offset openings in the ground plane at specific locations to create local variations in effective dielectric constant. This allows different impedance values to be achieved in different regions of the board without changing the overall dielectric material or thickness, thereby maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving impedance versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the electrical parameter (effective dielectric constant) by modifying the physical structure (ground plane openings) rather than changing the dielectric material properties. This allows impedance adjustment while keeping the dielectric material uniform, simplifying manufacturing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple dielectric materials or varying thicknesses are used to achieve varied impedances, then impedance adaptability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ground plane openings are strategically placed to create local impedance variations without requiring multiple dielectric materials or thickness variations. This maintains a uniform manufacturing process while achieving different impedance values, thereby reducing manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves impedance variation by changing the effective dielectric constant through structural modification (openings) rather than material substitution. This approach maintains manufacturing simplicity and reduces costs associated with multiple material handling and assembly processes.
3Ease of manufacture
If the ground plane is solid under all microstrip traces, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but impedance versatility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains a solid ground plane for most of the board to preserve manufacturing simplicity, while introducing localized openings in specific regions where impedance variation is needed. This selective modification achieves impedance versatility without complicating the overall manufacturing process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables microstrip boards to support a wide range of impedances efficiently, improving linear amplification, efficiency, and operating bandwidth without increasing manufacturing complexity or cost.
Implementation Method 1
The openings result in different effective dielectric constants and higher impedances for microstrip traces aligned with the openings
Data Source
AI summary
Microstrip technology boards including microstrip traces matched over a range of different impedances are described. The microstrip boards include impedance-offset openings in ground planes under certain microstrip traces. The openings result in different effective dielectric constants and higher impedances for microstrip traces aligned with the openings, as compared to microstrip traces aligned over metal ground planes. The microstrip boards can also be mounted to conductive heatsinks. The conductive heatsinks act as ground planes for the microstrip traces aligned with the impedance-offset ground plane openings. The conductive heatsinks can include depressions co-located with the ground plane openings. Impedances of microstrip traces aligned with the ground plane openings are thus a function of the dielectric constant of the central core of the boards, the thickness of the central core, and the thickness of the air gap provided by the heatsink depressions.