RF and Microwave Circuit Design

Preface

In recent years, the rapid expansion of communication applications at RF and microwave frequencies has created significant interest in this area of high-frequency electronics, both in industry and academia. This textbook provides a rigorous introduction to the theory of modern-day circuits and devices at RF and microwave frequencies, with an emphasis on current practical design.

One of the themes of the book is that of the design of high-frequency hybrid integrated circuits in which individual passive and active components are interconnected within a planar circuit structure. The traditional method of making such circuits is to assemble the components on a low-loss copper-clad printed circuit board, which has been etched with the required interconnection pattern. In recent years, the development of new materials and new fabrication techniques has created greater scope for the circuit designer, with the opportunity to use hybrid circuit structures at much higher frequencies, well into the millimetre-wave region. In particular, the use of a photoimageable thick-film and low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) materials has enabled low-cost, high-performance multilayer structures to be fabricated. The properties of these materials, and their application to RF and microwave circuits, are discussed in the book.

The book has been organized to provide a cohesive introduction to RF and microwave technology at undergraduate and Master's degree level. It assumes only a basic ...