5. Conclusion

This article deals with an important point concerning guides, and more specifically planar lines, namely their technological implementation in microwave and millimeter-band applications. The best-known and some more recent technological processes have been described. Some typical geometrical data and substrate characteristics were presented. Aspects concerning design aids were then discussed, in particular the use of distribution matrices. It was shown that knowledge of this matrix for each element of a system enables the characterization of the whole. However, elements must only interact through their connections. If this is not the case, rigorous electromagnetic simulation is required. Another important aspect of lines and guides was also discussed. It concerns their performance in terms of losses and maximum allowable power. The different types of losses were discussed, and the calculation...