Compact Wideband SIW Filters Based on Thin-Film Technology

This study introduces two compact wideband substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) filters fabricated using thin-film technology. The wideband bandpass response is achieved by incorporating interdigital capacitor (IDC) structures into a half-mode SIW (HMSIW) transmission line. An equivalent LC circuit model is formulated to analyze the influence of IDC parameters on the generation of transmission zeros. For the first filter (BPF 1), a third-order IDC coupling configuration is employed, resulting in a 1 dB passband spanning 11 GHz to 18 GHz, a minimum insertion loss of 0.66 dB, three transmission zeros that enhance stopband performance, and a compact core dimension of 0.49λg×0.29λg. For further miniaturization, a modified HMSIW transmission line incorporating a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor at the equivalent magnetic wall is proposed. This design effectively reduces the transverse dimension of the waveguide while maintaining the original cutoff frequency. Utilizing this configuration, the second bandpass filter (BPF 2) was designed and fabricated employing double-layer ceramic thin-film technology. The resulting filter exhibits a 1 dB passband spanning 10 GHz to 18 GHz, a compact footprint measuring 0.44λg×0.23λg, a minimum insertion loss of 0.58 dB, and features three transmission zeros. The fabricated and measured results of both filters show good agreement with simulations. Compared with previously reported wideband SIW filters, the proposed designs demonstrate comprehensive advantages in fractional bandwidth, insertion loss, out-of-band suppression, and circuit size, providing effective filtering solutions for high-density integration of microwave and millimeter-wave RF systems.