Vertically transitioning between substrate integrated waveguides (SIWs) within a multilayered printed circuit board (PCB)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11658378-B2
Application number	US-201916600760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2019
Priority date	Oct 14, 2019
Publication date	May 23, 2023
Grant date	May 23, 2023

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for vertically transitioning signals between substrate integrated waveguides within a multilayered printed circuit board (PCB) are disclosed. A first substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) is provided in a first layer of the PCB, the first SIW having a first terminal portion. A second SIW is provided in a second layer of the PCB, the second SIW having a second terminal portion that overlaps with the first terminal portion, wherein a first ground plane separates the first SIW and the second SIW. A vertical transition comprising an aperture in the first ground plane that is disposed in an area defined by the overlap of the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion, such that a signal propagated in the first SIW transitions to the second SIW in a different layer through the aperture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus configured for vertically transitioning signals between substrate integrated waveguides within a multilayered printed circuit board (PCB), comprising:
a first substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) implemented in a first layer of the PCB, the first SIW having a first terminal portion;
a second SIW implemented in a second layer of the PCB, the second SIW having a second terminal portion that overlaps with the first terminal portion;
a first ground plane separating the first SIW and the second SIW; and
a vertical transition comprising an aperture in the first ground plane that is disposed in an area defined by the overlap of the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion, wherein the first SIW includes a first set of ground vias crossing the first SIW adjacent to a first side of the aperture and the second SIW includes a second set of ground vias crossing the second SIW adjacent to a second side of the aperture, such that the first set of ground vias and the second set of ground vias guide a signal through the aperture from the first layer to the second layer, and wherein the first layer of the PCB and the second layer of the PCB are separated by one or more additional layers including a second ground plane having a second aperture corresponding to the aperture of the first ground plane, and wherein the first set of ground vias extends from a bottom of the first ground plane of the first SIW to the second ground plane, and wherein the second set of vias extend from the first ground plane to a top of the second ground plane of the second SIW.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the first SIW comprises, disposed between the first ground plane and the second ground plane:
a first dielectric layer,
first side walls of periodic vias connecting the first ground plane and the second ground plane, and
the first set of ground vias, connecting the first ground plane and the second ground plane, disposed perpendicular to and between the first side walls at the first terminal portion; and

wherein the second SIW comprises, disposed between the first ground plane and a third ground plane:
a second dielectric layer,
second side walls of periodic vias connecting the first ground plane and the third ground plane, and
the second set of ground vias, connecting the first ground plane and the third ground plane, disposed perpendicular to and between the second side walls at the second terminal portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first set of ground vias and the second set of ground vias at least partially define the overlap of the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion such that the aperture in the first ground plane is formed between connection points of the first set of ground vias and the second set of ground vias to the first ground plane.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a width of the aperture is equal to a width of the waveguide of the first SIW and the second SIW, and wherein a length of the aperture is determined based on operational frequency, substrate material characteristics, and a thickness of the first ground plane, wherein the length of the aperture is oriented parallel to a direction of the overlap of the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion, and wherein the width of the aperture is oriented perpendicular to the direction of the overlap of the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a high-speed signaling bus channel.

6. A method of vertically transitioning a signal between a first substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) and a second SIW within a multilayered printed circuit board (PCB), comprising:
providing the first SIW implemented in a first layer of the PCB, the first SIW having a first terminal portion, and providing the second SIW implemented in a second layer of the PCB, the second SIW having a second terminal portion that overlaps with the first terminal portion, wherein a first ground plane separates the first SIW and the second SIW;
providing a vertical transition comprising an aperture in the first ground plane that is disposed in an area defined by the overlap of the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion, wherein the first SIW includes a first set of ground vias crossing the first SIW adjacent to a first side of the aperture and the second SIW includes a second set of ground vias crossing the second SIW adjacent to a second side of the aperture, such that the first set of ground vias and the second set of ground vias guide a signal through the aperture from the first layer to the second layer, and wherein the first layer of the PCB and the second layer of the PCB are separated by one or more additional layers including a second ground plane having a second aperture corresponding to the aperture of the first ground plane, and wherein the first set of ground vias extends from a bottom of the first ground plane of the first SIW to the second ground plane, and wherein the second set of vias extend from the first ground plane to a top of the second ground plane of the second SIW;
propagating a signal in the first SIW; and
receiving the signal in the second SIW through the apertures.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein a width of the aperture is equal to a width of the waveguide of the first SIW and the second SIW, and wherein a length of the aperture is determined based on operational frequency, substrate material characteristics, and a thickness of the first ground plane, wherein the length of the aperture is oriented parallel to a direction of the overlap of the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion, and wherein the width of the aperture is oriented perpendicular to the direction of the overlap of the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first SIW and the second SIW serve as a high speed signaling bus channel within which a high speed signal propagates.

9. The method of claim 6 ,
wherein providing the first SIW in the first layer of the PCB includes placing between the first ground plane and the second ground plane:
a first dielectric layer,
first side walls of periodic vias connecting the first ground plane and the second ground plane, and
the first set of ground vias, connecting the first ground plane and the second ground plane, disposed perpendicular to and between the first side walls at the first terminal portion; and

wherein providing the second SIW in the second layer of the PCB includes placing between the first ground plane and a third ground plane:
a second dielectric layer,
second side walls of periodic vias connecting the first ground plane and the third ground plane, and
the second set of ground vias, connecting the first ground plane and the third ground plane, disposed perpendicular to and between the second side walls at the second terminal portion.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first set of ground vias and the second set of ground vias at least partially define the overlap of the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion such that the aperture in the first ground plane is formed between connection points of the first set of ground vias and the second set of ground vias to the first ground plane.

11. A multilayered printed circuit board (PCB) comprising:
a first substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) implemented in a first layer of the PCB, the first SIW having a first terminal portion;
a second SIW implemented in a second layer of the PCB, the second SIW having a second terminal portion that overlaps with the first terminal portion;
a first ground plane separating the firs

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Myers Joshua C
• Hejase Jose A
• Tang Junyan
• Roy Paladhi Pavel
• Becker Wiren D
• Chun Sungjun
• Dreps Daniel M

Classifications

• H05K1/116

  Lands, clearance holes or other lay-out details concerning the surrounding of a via · CPC title

• H01P5/024 Primary

  between hollow waveguides · CPC title

• H01P5/02 Primary

  with invariable factor of coupling (H01P5/12 takes precedence {choke joints H01P1/04, H01P1/06}) · CPC title

• H05K1/0215

  Grounding of printed circuits by connection to external grounding means · CPC title

• H01P1/042

  Hollow waveguide joints · CPC title