Lecture 11

Passive Components
(Capacitors, Inductors, Terminations, Attenuators,
Power Dividers, Directional Couplers and Hybrids)

Sections: 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.5, 7.7

Homework: From Section 7.17 Exercises: 3, 4, 5, 9, 12, 13, 14,
17, 18
Acknowledgement: Some diagrams are from M. Steer’s book “Microwave and RF
Design” and from D. Pozar’s book “Microwave Engineering”
 Lumped Capacitors

 lumped capacitors are used in RF and microwave ICs

• on-chip capacitors
• standalone chip capacitors for HMICs
 frequency range – up to several GHz
 types of chip capacitors
• metal-dielectric-metal
• metal-dielectric-semiconductor (structure of MOS transistor)
• semiconductor junction (reverse biased p-n or Schottky barrier)

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 2

 Chip Capacitors

parallel-plate type interdigitated type

gap type

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 Lumped (On-chip) Planar Inductors

meander type

spiral type

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 Terminations
• terminations (loads) are 1-port devices designed to completely
absorb (ideally without reflection) the incident power
• the overall resistance of the termination must match Z0 of the
interconnect

• the overall geometry of the termination must conform to that of

the interconnect to minimize reflections

coaxial
Nikolova 2012 L11: P
ASSIVE COMPONENTS microstrip 5
 Attenuators
• attenuators are 2-port devices designed to reduce the signal’s power
• the power reduction is usually achieved by dissipation

• impedance match is
required at both ports
• attenuators of fixed
attenuation are called pads

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 6

 Lumped-resistor Pads: T-pads
• a pad is characterized by its attenuation factor
Pin
K
Pou
 Pin 
K dB  10log10  
 inP dB
 P dB
ou
P
 ou 

unbalanced T-pad
Z 01 ( K  1)  2 KZ 01Z 02
R1 
K 1
Z 02 ( K  1)  2 KZ 01Z 02
R2 
K 1
2 KZ 01Z 02
balanced T-pad R3 
K 1

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 7
 Lumped-resistor Pads: Π-pads

Z 01 ( K  1) Z 02
R1 
( K  1) Z 02  2 KZ 01

Z 02 ( K  1) Z 01
R2 
unbalanced Π-pad ( K  1) Z 01  2 KZ 02

 K  1  Z 01Z 02
R3   
 2  K

balanced Π-pad

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 Lumped-resistor Pads: Limitation on K
• if Z01 ≠ Z02, there is a minimum attenuation factor that can be achieved
2 Z 01 Z 01  Z 01 
K min  1 2
Z 02 Z 02  Z 02  1 

• if Z01 = Z02, Kmin = 1 and any attenuation factor that can be achieved

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 Distributed Attenuators
coaxial pad

microstrip pad

lossy material

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 3-port Networks: T-junctions and Power Dividers
• power dividers are often realized as T-junctions of transmission lines
• characterized by a 3 by 3 S-matrix
• limitations of 3-port networks: can a 3-port network be
simultaneously reciprocal, loss-free and matched at all ports to the
same impedance? No
 0 S12 S13  | S12 |2  | S13 |2  1 S 0
S12 13
S   S12 0 S23   | S12 |2  | S 23 |2  1 and S 23
 S 0
12
 S13 S23 0  | S13 |2  | S23 |2  1 S
S13 23  0

loss-free conditions at least 2 of the 3

cannot be satisfied parameters S12 , S13 , S23
must be zero
• a 3-port device should be either matched to a different impedance on
at least 1 port, or be lossy, or be non-reciprocal

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 3-port Networks: T-junctions and Power Dividers – 2
• 3-port power dividers can be matched on all 3 ports and can be
reciprocal if they are lossy (Wilkinson divider, resistive dividers)
• 3-port devices can be loss-free and reciprocal but only 1 or 2 of the
ports are matched
• let us first assume that ports 1 and 2 are matched
| S |2  | S |2  1 | S13 || S 23 | S  S  S  S  0
 0 S12 S13  12 13 12 13 23 33
S   S12 0 S23   | S12 |2  | S23 |2  1  S  S S  0
and S23 12 33 13
 S13 S23 S33  | S13 |2  | S 23 |2  | S33 |2  1 S
S13 23  0
| S12 | 1 | S33 | 1
| S13 || S23 | 0
 0 e j 0 
 S  e j 0 0 
 0 0 e j 
 
not a very useful
device
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 T-junction Transmission-line Power Dividers

• E-plane waveguide junction • H-plane waveguide junction

• microstrip T-junction – the characteristic impedance of the 2 output

ports is different from that of the input port
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 T-junction Transmission-line Power Dividers: TL Model
• loss-free divider
1 1 1
Yin  jB   
Z 2 Z3 Z 0
• if we ignore B (the susceptance of the junction discontinuity)
1 1 1
 
Z 2 Z3 Z0
port 2
matched to Z2
Z2
port 1
matched to Z0

Z3 port 3
matched to Z3
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 T-junction TL Power Dividers: Power Division Ratio
• let P2/P3 = K
1 V02 1 V02 1 V02 P2 Z3
Pin  , P2  , P3  K
2 Z0 2 Z2 2 Z3 P3 Z2
1 1 1  1
  Z2  Z0 1  
Z 2 KZ 2 Z 0  K
Z 3  Z 0 ( K  1)

• example: 3-dB power divider for input at Z0 = 50 Ω

K  1, Z 0  50  Z 2  Z3  100
• often Z2 and Z3 are later matched to Z0 using impedance
transformers
• shortcoming: the 2 output ports are not isolated from each other
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 T-junction Resistive Power Divider
• all ports are matched to Z0 (advantage)
• network is lossy (disadvantage)
• output ports are not isolated (disadvantage)
1 Z0  2 Z0 Z0 2
Z   Z 0    Z 0  Z in  Z   Z0  Z0
2 3  3 3 3 3
Z 2
V  V1  V1
Z0 / 3  Z 3
3 V1
V2  V3  V 
4 2

1 0 1 1
 S  1 0 1 Z
2 1 1 0 
 3-dB resistive splitter
Pin
 P32012
P2Nikolova  P P  ?C
loss
4 L11: ASSIVE OMPONENTS 16
 Wilkinson Power Dividers
• all ports are matched
• network is lossy for signals arriving from output ports or if
unbalanced
• output ports are isolated
output
Wilkinson 3-dB power divider

input

output

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 17

 3-dB Wilkinson Power Dividers for 50-Ω System Impedance

 this device can work as a power divider and a power combiner

• divider: splits the power at port 1 equally between ports 2 and 3
• combiner: adds up the input signals at ports 2 and 3 to produce
the output signal at port 1
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 3-dB Wilkinson Power Divider: Even/Odd Mode Analysis
every pair of voltages (Vg2,Vg3) can be represented as the superposition
of even-mode voltages (Ve,Ve) and odd-mode voltages (Vo,−Vo)
Vg 2  V e  V o V e  (Vg 2  Vg 3 ) / 2
 o
Vg 3  V e  V o V  (Vg 2  Vg 3 ) / 2

Z ?
r ?

midplane
r ?
Z ?
r 1

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 19

all impedances normalized to Z0
 3-dB Wilkinson Power Divider: Even Mode Analysis
even mode λ/4 impedance transformer
Vg 2  Vg 3  2V0

Z2
Z ine 
x 2

x0 x   / 4
• for a matched port 2 (or port 3) in an even-mode regime
Z2
Z in 
e 1 Z  2 V2e  2V0 / ( Z ine  1)  2V0 / 2  V0
2
• to find S12 in the even mode, we need the voltage at port 1 (V1e )
V ( x )  V  ( e  j  x  e j  x )   1  2 2
V1e  V0 j  ,  


 V2e  V( x   /4)  V   j (1  )  V0    1  2 2
 V1e  V (0)  V  (1  )  V1e  V0 j 2
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 3-dB Wilkinson Power Divider: Odd Mode Analysis
odd mode
Vg 2  Vg 3  2V0

open
r
Z ino 
short 2

• for a matched port 2 (or port 3) in an odd-mode regime

r
Z in   1  r  2
o V2o  2V0 / (0.5r  1)  2V0 / 2  V0
2
• to find S12 in the odd mode, we need the voltage at port 1 (V1o )
V1o  0 (port 1 is shorted, all power delivered to resistor)

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 21

 3-dB Wilkinson Power Divider: S-parameters
• input impedance at port 1 when ports 2 and 3
are matched Z in ,2
Z  Z in,21  Z in,2  Z 2  2
Z in  Z in,2 / 2  1 Z in ,2

port 1 is matched when

ports 2 and 3 are matched circuit is symmetric
S11  0

• ports 2 and 3 are matched Z in ,2

in both even- and odd-
mode regimes, thus, for Z in ,2
any regime
S22  S33  0

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 22

 3-dB Wilkinson Power Divider: S-parameters (2)
• for both even and odd modes, the incident voltage at port 2 is V0
V1e  V1o V0 j 2  0 j
V2  V2  V0  S12  e
e o  
V2  V2 o 2V0 2
S12  S21 (reciprocity)
S13  S12 (symmetry)
• due to short or open mid-plane, ports 2 and 3 are decoupled (isolated)
S32  S23  0
1 0 1 1 
S 1 0 0 
j 2 1 0 0 
 
• Wilkinson’s power divider is loss-free if ports 2 and 3 are matched
• it has loss only if power is reflected from the output ports – it is
dissipated in the shunt resistor
Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 23
 3-dB Wilkinson Power Divider: Frequency Responses

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 Unequal 2-way Wilkinson Power Divider
• let the split power ratio be P3 / P2  K 2
• using even/odd mode analysis the following expressions are obtained
Z 02  K 2 Z 03  Z 0 K (1  K 2 )
1 K 2
Z 03  Z 0
K3
 1
R  Z0  K  
 K

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 N-way Equal-split Wilkinson Power Dividers
• parallel equal-split N-way Wilkinson power divider

• corporate arrangement of
2-way splitters

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 26

 4-port Networks: Scattering Parameters
• consider reciprocal matched loss-free 4-port network
 S  S S
S13  0 /  S13
 0 S12 S13 S14  23 14 24

 S  S* S  0 /  S24
 S12 0 S23 S24  S14 13 24 23
S
S13 S 23 0 S34   S  S S
S12 23 14 34  0 /  S12
 S14 
 S24 S34 0   S  S S
S14 12 34 23  0 /  S34
unitary conditions

 13 24 
 | S |2  | S |2  0
S14
 12 34 
 | S |2  | S |2  0
S 23

• one possible solution is S14  S23  0

directional-coupler solution

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 27

 4-port Networks: Directional Couplers or Hybrids

• directional-coupler solution S14  S23  0

unitary conditions

| S12 |2  | S13 |2  1 ()

| S12 |2  | S 24 |2  1 ( )
common symbols | S13 |2  | S34 |2  1 ()
| S 24 |2  | S34 |2  1 ( )

| S13 || S 24 |

| S12 || S34 |

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 Directional Couplers: Scattering Matrix
• choose reference planes so that
S12  S34  
S13   e jB1 , S 24   e jB2
2   2 1
(unitary condition)

S
12 S 
  
13 S  S
24 34  0    e 
jB1  e  jB2  0

  e jB1  e jB2 

 B1  B2    2n (set n  0)
case 1: B1 = B2 = π/2 case 2: B1 = 0, B2 = π
 0  j 0  0   0 
  0 0 j   0 0   
S S
j 0 0    0 0  
 0 j   0   0   0 
 
symmetrical coupler anti-symmetrical coupler
Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 29
 Directional Couplers: Scattering Matrix (2)
• similar result is obtained if we choose the reference planes so that
S12   e jA1 , S34   e jA2
S13  S 24    2   2 1

S
12 S
 
13  S  S
24 34  0    e 
 jA1  e jA2  0

 e jA1    e jA2

 A1  A2    2n (set n  0)
case 1: A1 = A2 = π/2 case 2: A1 = 0, A2 = π
0 j  0  0   0 
 j 0 0    0 0  
S S
 0 0 j   0 0  
 0  j 0  0   0 


always: if the “through” parameters are in phase, the phases of the

“couple” parameters must add to π and vice versa
Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 30
 Directional Couplers: Scattering Matrix (3)

 13 24 
 | S |2  | S |2  0
S14
 12 34 
 | S |2  | S |2  0
S23
• another solution to the above equations: | S13 || S24 |, | S12 || S34 |

• this is also satisfied by the directional-coupler solution

but here we also assume that | S14 | 0, | S 23 | 0 (no isolation)

• from the unitary conditions

| S12 |2  | S13 |2  | S14 |2  1

| S12 |2  | S24 |2  | S23 |2  1 ?
 | S14 || S23 |  0
| S13 |  | S34 |  | S23 |  1
2 2 2

| S24 |2  | S34 |2  | S14 |2  1

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 31

 Directional Couplers: Scattering Matrix (4)
• choose plane references such that “through” S-parameters are in phase
S12  S34  
S13   e jB1 , S 24   e jB2
24 34  0  B1  B2    2n
 S  S S
S12 (set n = 0)
13

 S  S S
14 24  0  e
S13  jB1 S  e j (  B1 ) S   0  S  S   0
23 23 14 23 14
 S  S S
14 34  0  S 23  S14  0

S12 23 S14  S23  0

• the same result would be obtained if we set reference planes so that

S12   e jA1 , S34   e jA2
S13  S24  
the directional-coupler solution is after all the only solution
a reciprocal, loss-free and matched 4-port network is always a
directional coupler with one pair of ports decoupled (input/isolated)
Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 32
 Directional Couplers: Performance Parameters

P1 I  D  C , dB
Coupling: C  10log10  20log10 | S31 | dB
P3 
P3 | S31 | the ideal coupler
Directivity: D  10log10  20log10 dB I  , D  
P4 | S41 |
P1
Isolation: I  10log10  20log10 | S 41 | dB
Nikolova 2012 L11: P CP4
ASSIVE OMPONENTS 33
 Hybrid Couplers
• a particular case of a directional coupler with C = 3 dB (equal
power split between the through and coupled ports)
    1/ 2
• S-matrix of the quadrature hybrid (symmetrical coupler of C = 3
dB): 90° phase shift between the through and coupled ports
0 1 j 0
1 1 0 0 j 
S
2  j 0 0 1
 0 j 1 0 
• anti-symmetrical hybrid (180° hybrid): 0° phase shift between the
through and coupled ports if ports 1 or 3 are excited and 180° phase
shift if ports 2 or 4 are excited)
0 1 1 0 
1 1 0 0 1
S
2 1 0 0 1 
0 1 1 0 
Nikolova 2012
  34
 Quadrature Hybrid

0 1 j 0
1 1 0 0 j
S
2j 0 0 1
 0 j 1 0 

even-odd mode
analysis of the
equivalent circuit
helps understand
how this hybrid
works
equivalent circuit
(normalized to Z0)
Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 35
 Quadrature Hybrid: Even-Odd Mode Analysis

even-mode excitation

odd-mode excitation
Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 36
 Quadrature Hybrid: Even-Odd Mode Analysis (2)
find the ABCD matrices in both modes V1  AV2  BI 2
I1  CV2  DI 2
• even mode
 A B   1 0  0 j / 2   1 0  1  1 j 

C D  e  j 1   j / 2 0   j 1  2  j 1 y j
  
shunt  /4 TL shunt
OC stub OC stub
l  /8 l   /8

• odd mode

 A B    1 0  0 j / 2   1 0 1 1 j 

C D  o   j 1   j / 2 0    j 1  2  j 1  yj
  
shunt  /4 TL shunt
SC stub SC stub
l   /8 l  /8

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 37

 Quadrature Hybrid: Even-Odd Mode Analysis (3)
• obtain reflection and transmission coefficients from ABCD matrices
Ae,o  Be,o  Ce,o  De,o (1  j )
 e,o  S11e,o   e  0, Te  
Ae,o  Be,o  Ce,o  De,o 2
2 1 j
Te,o  S21e,o   o  0, To 
Ae,o  Be,o  Ce,o  De,o 2

• scattered waves at all four ports

B1  0.5( e   o ) B1  0 0 1 j 0
B2  0.5(Te  To ) B2   j / 2 j  1 0 0  j
S
B3  0.5(Te  To ) B3  1/ 2 2  j 0 0 1
 0 j 1 0 
B4  0.5( e   o ) B4  0

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 38

 Quadrature (90°) Hybrid Performance
• relatively narrow-band (10 to 20 %)

microstrip 90° hybrid

1 2

4 3
Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 39
 Coupled-line Directional Couplers: Coupled Lines

strip lines / edge-coupled strip lines / broadside-coupled

microstrip lines / edge-coupled

equivalent circuit for TEM propagation

L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 40

 Coupled Lines: Even / Odd Mode Analysis (Symmetric Lines)

Ce  C11  C22 even mode

L LCe
Z 0e  
Ce Ce
1

v p Ce

Co  C11  2C12 odd mode

1 strip
Z 0o 
v p Co

assume same phase velocity for even and odd mode

 e  o  
Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 41
 Single-section Coupled-line Directional Coupler

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 42

 Single-section Coupled-line Coupler: Even / Odd Mode Analysis
even mode
I1e  I 3e , I 2e  I 4e
V1e  V3e ,V2e  V4e
Z 0  jZ 0e tan(  L)
Z in  Z 0e
e
Z 0e  jZ 0 tan(  L)
Z e V
V1e  V0 e in
, I1e  e 0 Z ine
Z in  Z 0 Z in  Z 0
odd mode I1e   I 3e , I 2e   I 4e
V1e  V3e ,V2e  V4e
Z 0  jZ 0o tan(  L)
 Z 0o
Z ino
Z 0 o  jZ 0 tan(  L)
Z o V
V1o  V0 o in
, I1o  o 0 Z ino
Z in  Z 0 Z in  Z 0
Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 43
 Coupled-line Coupler: Even / Odd Mode Analysis (2)
set to zero
V1 V1e  V1o 2( Z ine Z ino  Z 02 )
Z in    Z in  Z 0 
I1 I1e  I1o Z ine  Z ino  2Z 0

to match port 1, Zin = Z0; then

Z 02  Z ine Z ino
 Z 0  jZ 0 e tan(  L)   Z 0  jZ 0o tan(  L) 
 Z 02  Z 0e Z 0o    Z  jZ tan(  L) 
Z
 0e  jZ 0 tan(  L )   0o 0 
 Z 0  Z 0e Z 0o

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 44

 Coupled-line Coupler: Even / Odd Mode Analysis (3)

the coupled-port voltage is then

 Z e
in Z o
in 
V3  V3  V3  V1  V1  V0  e
e o e o  o 
Z
 in  Z 0 Z in  Z 0 
C tan(  L) Z  Z 0o
 V3  V0 j , where C  0e
1  C 2  j tan(  L) Z 0e  Z 0o

the through-port voltage is obtain in a similar way

1 C2
V2  V0
1  C 2 cos(  L)  j sin(  L)

the isolation-port voltage is obtained as V4  0

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 45

 Coupled-line Coupler: Even / Odd Mode Analysis (4)

if L = λ/4, then
V3 V2 Z 0e  Z 0o
 C,   j 1  C , V4  0 C 
2
V0 V0 Z 0e  Z 0o
coupling

for given Z0 and C

1 C
Z 0  Z 0e Z 0o Z 0e  Z 0
Z 0e  Z 0o  1 C design formulas
C 1 C
Z 0e  Z 0o Z 0o  Z 0
1 C

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 46

 Single-section Coupled-line Coupler

microstrip single-section coupler

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 47

 Multi-section Coupled-line Couplers
• broadband performance (decade bandwidths)
• low coupling levels
• significant length – same phase velocity for even and odd modes is
important!

3-section binomial

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 48

 Lange Couplers
• interdigitated line geometry
• provide strong coupling: 6 dB, 3
dB
90°
• wide bandwidths: octave, decade
is possible
• the 3-dB Lange coupler is a
quadrature hybrid
• the design is based on that of a
coupled-line directional coupler

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 49

 Lange Couplers: Equivalent Circuits
for 4 lines of same widths and spacings

Z 0o  Z 0e
Z e 4  Z 0e
3Z 0 o  Z 0 e
Z 0o  Z 0e
Z o 4  Z 0o
3Z 0 o  Z 0 e
Z 0e , Z 0o - even and odd
impedances of a pair of lines

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 50

 180° Hybrids
0 1 1 0
 j 1 0 0 1
S
2 1 0 0 1
0 1 1 0 

modes of operation:
hybrid
• input signal at port 1 is split equally into two in-phase signals at
ports 2 and 3 (port 4 is isolated)
• input signal at port 4 is split equally into two out-of-phase signals at
ports 2 and 3 (port 1 is isolated)
power combiner
• signals at ports 2 and 3 are added to produce the signal at port 1
• signals at ports 2 and 3 are subtracted to produce the signal at port 4
Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 51
 180° Ring (Rat-race) Hybrid
• rigorous analysis through even/odd mode analysis – ring-line
impedance must be 2 Z 0
• narrow-band performance

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 52

 Tapered Coupled Line Hybrid

• wide bandwidth (decade or more)

• any power-division ratio can be achieved in principle
• the hybrid is analyzed using even-odd mode analysis

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 53

 Coupled Planar Line Couplers (Multi-layer PCB designs)

Nikolova 2012 L11: PASSIVE COMPONENTS 54