A 249-GHz Impedance-Tunable Waveguide Transition Using a Microactuator and Flexible Conductive Membrane
A terahertz band (e.g., 150 GHz/300 GHz), with its broad bandwidth and potential for improved angular and distance resolution, is attracting attention for Beyond 5G/6G communication and sensing applications (radar, imager, etc.). However, as frequencies increase and wavelengths shorten, mechanical t...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Chao Qi Sangyeop Lee Takeshi Yoshida Tadahiko Shinshi |
| author_facet | Chao Qi Sangyeop Lee Takeshi Yoshida Tadahiko Shinshi |
| author_sort | Chao Qi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A terahertz band (e.g., 150 GHz/300 GHz), with its broad bandwidth and potential for improved angular and distance resolution, is attracting attention for Beyond 5G/6G communication and sensing applications (radar, imager, etc.). However, as frequencies increase and wavelengths shorten, mechanical tolerances during integration can significantly impact performance (reflection, transmission, etc.), necessitating effective compensation mechanisms. In this paper, we verify the performance variations caused by mechanical tolerances in transmission-line-to-waveguide transitions, which integrate chips, substrates, and waveguides to transmit signals generated by the chip or receive signals from external sources. To overcome these challenges, a tunable-membrane microactuator is proposed, which adjusts the position of the back-short in the transition by using a flexible conductive membrane and a microactuator (dimension: <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\phi 10$ </tex-math></inline-formula>mm<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times 16$ </tex-math></inline-formula>mm, maximum stroke of the membrane: 707.7<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathrm {\mu }$ </tex-math></inline-formula>m, accuracy<1<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathrm {\mu }$ </tex-math></inline-formula>m). The proposed waveguide transition comprises a transmission line and a probe integrated on the multi-layer substrate, along with waveguide flanges and the tunable membrane microactuator. Based on simulation and measurement results, this paper demonstrates the capability of the proposed technology to tune the reflection/transmission losses and frequency bandwidth characteristics of a 249-GHz waveguide transition. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ecba8ceba94b46978dd8d24feaa52ce2 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2169-3536 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IEEE |
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| series | IEEE Access |
| spelling | doaj-art-ecba8ceba94b46978dd8d24feaa52ce22025-08-20T03:14:58ZengIEEEIEEE Access2169-35362025-01-011311116311117410.1109/ACCESS.2025.358327911052303A 249-GHz Impedance-Tunable Waveguide Transition Using a Microactuator and Flexible Conductive MembraneChao Qi0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8109-2020Sangyeop Lee1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0266-9982Takeshi Yoshida2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3550-0112Tadahiko Shinshi3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9090-3160Institute of Integrated Research, Institute of Science Tokyo, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JapanInstitute of Integrated Research, Institute of Science Tokyo, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JapanGraduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, JapanInstitute of Integrated Research, Institute of Science Tokyo, Yokohama, Kanagawa, JapanA terahertz band (e.g., 150 GHz/300 GHz), with its broad bandwidth and potential for improved angular and distance resolution, is attracting attention for Beyond 5G/6G communication and sensing applications (radar, imager, etc.). However, as frequencies increase and wavelengths shorten, mechanical tolerances during integration can significantly impact performance (reflection, transmission, etc.), necessitating effective compensation mechanisms. In this paper, we verify the performance variations caused by mechanical tolerances in transmission-line-to-waveguide transitions, which integrate chips, substrates, and waveguides to transmit signals generated by the chip or receive signals from external sources. To overcome these challenges, a tunable-membrane microactuator is proposed, which adjusts the position of the back-short in the transition by using a flexible conductive membrane and a microactuator (dimension: <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\phi 10$ </tex-math></inline-formula>mm<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times 16$ </tex-math></inline-formula>mm, maximum stroke of the membrane: 707.7<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathrm {\mu }$ </tex-math></inline-formula>m, accuracy<1<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathrm {\mu }$ </tex-math></inline-formula>m). The proposed waveguide transition comprises a transmission line and a probe integrated on the multi-layer substrate, along with waveguide flanges and the tunable membrane microactuator. Based on simulation and measurement results, this paper demonstrates the capability of the proposed technology to tune the reflection/transmission losses and frequency bandwidth characteristics of a 249-GHz waveguide transition.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11052303/Impedance tuningwaveguide transitionmembranemicroactuatorBeyond 5G/6G |
| spellingShingle | Chao Qi Sangyeop Lee Takeshi Yoshida Tadahiko Shinshi A 249-GHz Impedance-Tunable Waveguide Transition Using a Microactuator and Flexible Conductive Membrane IEEE Access Impedance tuning waveguide transition membrane microactuator Beyond 5G/6G |
| title | A 249-GHz Impedance-Tunable Waveguide Transition Using a Microactuator and Flexible Conductive Membrane |
| title_full | A 249-GHz Impedance-Tunable Waveguide Transition Using a Microactuator and Flexible Conductive Membrane |
| title_fullStr | A 249-GHz Impedance-Tunable Waveguide Transition Using a Microactuator and Flexible Conductive Membrane |
| title_full_unstemmed | A 249-GHz Impedance-Tunable Waveguide Transition Using a Microactuator and Flexible Conductive Membrane |
| title_short | A 249-GHz Impedance-Tunable Waveguide Transition Using a Microactuator and Flexible Conductive Membrane |
| title_sort | 249 ghz impedance tunable waveguide transition using a microactuator and flexible conductive membrane |
| topic | Impedance tuning waveguide transition membrane microactuator Beyond 5G/6G |
| url | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11052303/ |
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