Multi-layered PCB distributed filter

In this paper, multi-layered print circuit board distributed resonators and filters are introduced. Here, the individual elements of the distributed resonator are made as part of a multi-layered print circuit board, commonly used in the circuitry of transceiver boards. In this way, the unused real estate available on the board is used effectively. As a demonstrator of the proposed technology, a 2-pole filter fabricated using a 5-layer substrate and consisting of a matrix of 11 × 11 elements per resonator is fabricated and its performance is measured. Due to a large number of individual elements, which perform dimensional averaging of manufacturing inaccuracies, the filter obtained in this way not only requires no post-production tuning, but it also has an extremely low profile of 5^o, which is the lowest profile to be reported in the literature. The filter was made to operate at a centre frequency of 1.8 GHz with an absolute bandwidth of 65 MHz. The measured and computed results are in good agreement.