Miniaturized planar ferrite junction circulator in the form of substrate-integrated waveguide: Research Articles

The theoretical analysis and engineering implementation of the planar substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) ferrite junction circulator have been proposed in this article. The ferrite junction circulator is implemented in the form of SIW, taking the features of low profile, small volume and easy integration with other planar circuits. The design strategies of the device have been introduced, including the design consideration of the microstrip transition. One C-band prototype of SIW ferrite junction circulator has been fabricated and measured. The experimental results indicate the bandwidth is about 33% at -15 dB isolation and the maximum isolation is near 40 dB. However, the insertion loss is a little big, owing to the imperfect dielectric material and fabrication inaccuracy. The SIW ferrite junction circulator and the microstrip transition are integrated into a same substrate, resulting in a very compact planar ferrite junction circulator and indicating potential applications in integrated communication and radar systems. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2008.