Proceedings of the 38th European Microwave Conference

Electromagnetic Bandgap Microstrip to

Parallel-strip Balun in Ultrawideband Applications
Pedro Luis Carro, Jesus de Mingo
Electronic Engineering and Communications, University of Zaragoza
Maria de Luna, 1, 50018, Zaragoza (Spain)
plcarro@unizar.es
mingo@unizar.es

Abstract— Electromagnetic Bandgaps (EBG) have emerged as more complex. On the one hand, in a MS-PS balun, the ground
a new technology which makes possible the design of more plane gets narrow to reach the parallel-strip line, so the number
compact filters. In last years, some studies have been carried of gaps is limited. On the other hand,as it will be study, the
out regarding planar transmission lines such as microstrip, or
coplanar, showing very promising results. Parallel-strip lines have inclusion of those gaps could decrease the balancing capacity.
also received a lot of interest during last years, since it has In this paper, we study the design and performance of
been proven that it is possible to design antennas for UWB a typical balun for UWB band applications (3.1 GHz-10.6
applications in this kind of technology. The baluns which are GHz) where a EBG technique has been applied in order
commonly used for feeding these structures show extremely large to get a stop-band above 10.6 GHz. First, the proposed
bandwidths, which may be not necessary,or even harmful taking
into account spurious, noise or coexistence with other systems. In geometry and the applied gaps will be showed. Finally, the
this paper, the design of a new UWB balun with filter capabilities electromagnetic performance and the influence of the gaps will
is presented, usign bandgaps so as to reduce this bandwidth in be discussed, taking the classical balun as reference, leading
excess. to some conclusions.
I. I NTRODUCTION
The printed parallel-strip transmission line, as a balanced
structure, has received the attention of some researchers, as
it can be used for building structures by means of similar
methods that those employed in microstrip designs show-
ing a balanced behaviour. Some passive devices, as hybrids
or filters have been presented [1], as well as antennas [2-
3]. These radiating structures have to be conected either
to power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers or other passive
devices which are usually unbalanced structures. Therefore,
a balanced-to-unbalanced structure must be designed. The
proposed balanced-to-unbalanced structures in the literature
show extremely large bandwidths, what is usually taken as
an advantage. However, as UWB Parallel-strip antennas, or
harmonics coming from power amplifiers, may radiate or be
in a band larger than expected, it is normally needed the use of
Fig. 1. Microstrip EBG filter structure
filters. This will require additional space as well as the balun.
It may be interesting try to reduce the bandwidth of this balun
so as to make more compact the whole system. II. S INGLE - PLANE C OMPACT EBG BALUN S TRUCTURE
In order to reduce the bandwidth, this work proposes the
Fig.1 shows a simple microstrip EBG structure. It consists
use of electromagnetic bandgaps (EBGs). Introducing periodic
of a series of slots made in one dimension and a simple
structures in the balun properly, a bandgap where the electro-
transmission line. This structure posses a bandgap, according
magnetic waves are not allowed to propagate are created. As
to the Bragg reflection condition [9], which relates the period
a consequence, a stop band, which can be wide enough,may
with the frequency f0 of the bandgap,
be created. Planar EBG structures implemented in microstrip
technologies have been studied [4-8], where planar periodic β · DT = π (1)
“holes” are etched in the ground plane, as it is easy to be
manufactured. Depending on the shape and periodicity of these where β is the wavenumber in the substrate material:
√
holes, different stop-band performances are obtained. 2π 2πf0 ef f
β= = (2)
The application in case of parallel-strip baluns is slightly λg c

978-2-87487-006-4 © 2008 EuMA 1137 October 2008, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

 where ef f is the effective permittivity of the substrate
material and c is the speed of light in free space. This structure
shows a wide-band stop band, which depends on the period.
In addition, the filling factor, defined as the ratio of the size of
the slot to the period, controls the deep of the stop band. As
we wish to have a similar performance in the UWB balun, the
same concept, although carefully, might be tried to be used in
the balanced-to-unbalanced structure.
Fig. 2. Standard exponential MS-PS Balun structure
Fig. 2 introduces a typical wide-band transition from mi-
crostrip to parallel-strip line. The performances of this device
will depend on the ground plane shape [10], and the length
must be, at least, λf d /4, where the wavelength is considered in
the worst case, i.e. the lower frequency. In this paper, we will
consider an exponential taper, which shows good behavior.
As the ground plane gets narrower to transform a microstrip
line to a parallel strip line, if the slot philosophy wants to be
applied, the slots should also be tapered. This leads to the
geometry of the structure that we propose, showed in Fig. 3.
Fig. 3. Proposed EBG balun structure with five tapered slots
In order to compute the parameters that defines the structure,
allowing it to work in ultrawideband (from 3.1 GHz to 10.6
1138
GHz), some parameters will be fixed. At the microstrip side,
the finite ground plane will have a size of 15 mm and the
input impedance will be set to 50Ω. At the parallel-strip side,
the width will be computed to set an impedance around 100Ω
since this is the equivalent to the unbalanced 50 Ohms. The
total balun length will be 40mm which is larger than the
minimum required. This is a price that has to be payed if the
considerable number of slots has to be placed in the transition.
We will design the balun with five slots (gaps) in the ground
plane as depicted in Fig.3.
All the dimensions were computed considering a FR4
substrate with a height of 1.54 mm, dielectric constant of 4.55
and tanδ = 0.02 (that is, taking into account the losses). This
substrate will have considerable hight losses. Nevertheless, it
is useful to show the stop-band capabilities.
III. S IMULATION R ESULTS
The electromagnetic performances where obtained using
the commercial simulator HFSS, based on the Finite Element
Method (FEM). As the operating frequency band corresponds
to a UWB system, from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz, the stop-band
has to be placed above 10.6 GHz. Therefore, all simulations
were carried out from 1GHz to 20GHz. Conductor losses were
not taken into account during the simulations.
It is important to point out that in this case it is difficult
to apply directly the Bragg condition to estimate the period.
Notice that in this structure the effective dielectric constant
depends on the length, and it is a mixture between both, mi-
crostrip and parallel-strip line. However, an initial estiamtion
to have a frequency stop-band around 14 GHz gives a period
approximately of 5mm.
Several simulations were carried out to compute the slot
width (filling factor), the period and the rest of dimensions.
The slot width was finally set to 0.5 mm and the period to 3
mm. The slot length is summarized in table I:
TABLE I
G AP DIMENSIONS IN THE EBG BALUN
Slot 1 2 3 4 5
Size(mm) 6.4 6.4 6.4 5.4 4.4
As pointed by other authors, the filling factor is very impor-
tant to obtain a good stop band. In addition, the position of the
first slot referred to the beginning of the transition (4mm) was
very important to obtain a good frequency performance. Figure
4 shows the scattering parameters showing the exponential
balun and the the EBG performances.
It is observed that, taking into account the UWB condition
S11 < −10dB the cutoff frequency of the structure is about 11
GHz, whereas the standard balun is above 18GHz. In addition,
the stop-band is deep (the stop-band level is more than -30
dB).
In order to find out how the bandgap improves as the number
of slots is increased, the structure has been simulated with only
one slot, with two slots..., up to the final solution (see Fig. 5).
 Comparison Non EBG vs 5-gap Balun Performances Evolution in the EBG-balun with gap number
0 0

-5 -5

-10 -10
Scattering parameters(dB)

-15 -15

Return Losses S (dB)

1 gap
2 gaps

11
-20 -20
3 gaps
-25 -25 4 gaps
5 gaps
-30 -30

-35 -35

-40S Non EBG -40

21

-45S21 five gaps -45

S11 Non EBG
-50 -50
S11 five
2 gaps 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Frequency (GHz) Frequency (GHz)
UWB constrain

Evolution in the EBG-balun with gap number

0
Fig. 4. Scattering parameters of the standard and EBG baluns
-5
Non EBG
-10 1 gap
2 gaps
As seen in these figures, as the number of slots is increased,

Insertion Losses S (dB)

-15 3 gaps
the filter selectivity grows. After the third slot, this selectivity 4 gaps

21
-20 5 gaps
remains constant, whereas the fade in the stop-band improves.
-25
As far as the return losses are concerned, the last slots
improves slightly this parameter in the lower band, but the -30

global levels are kept. -35

As observed, this structure can improve the coexistence with -40

other systems above 11 GHz. -45

-50
IV. BALANCE S TUDY 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Frequency (GHz)
In spite of that typical electromagnetic performance seems
to agree with the expected EBG behaviour, when the structure Fig. 5. Influence of the number of slots in the band gap structure
needs to work as a balun (for instance, in antenna feeders),
the performance of the balance might be influence. In fact, the
slots will delay the current density, or will introduce losses not are slightly delayed, which is translated into a non perfect
expected in the top layer. balance. However, it does not seem to be a large error, although
The study of the balance is not an easy task, but some this must be studied more in detail.
estimations may be made by means of the current density,
comparing the results to the standard balun. A method for V. C ONCLUSION
evaluating the balance current consist in perform a current
decomposition into even and odd parts, that is, if Ju , Jd are An EBG balun structure has been proposed in order to
the current densities in the strips, reduced the excess in bandwidth wich may be harmful in
UWB band communications. The proposed balun is based on
Jeven + Jodd periodic slots etched in ground planes, and its performances
Ju =
2 and dimensions have been obtained by the Finite Element
Jeven − Jodd Method (HFSS). These simulations show a wide and deep
Jd =
(3) stop-band place above 11 GHz and with stop-levels around
2
-30 dB. The influence of the bandgap has been showed by a
The difference between Jeven , Jodd is the source of the
current analysis, showing that the balance at the parallel-strip
unbalance. As a result, the current densities should be equal
line is changed, although this error may not be very large.
to obtain a perfect balance-to unbalance structure.
The figures corresponding to the current densities are Fig.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
6 and Fig.7. This figures show different time intervals (ωt) in
the standard and the EBG cases and they have been obtained This work has been funded by the Ministry of Education
at 4 GHz and in the point J (see Fig. 3). and Science and the European funds of Regional Develop-
Two different conclusions are obtained from these curves. ment (FEDER) under the projects TEC 2007-64536/TCM ,
One the one hand, the standard balun shows perfect symmetry TEC 2004-04529/TCM, the Gobierno de Aragon for WALQA
respect to the x-axis. This symmetry is broken in the case of technology park and the European Union through the Pro-
the EBG balun. On the other hand, as expected, the currents gram Marco under the project PULSERS PHASE-2 (Pervasive

1139
 Current Density Standard balun
250
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Phase=0º
0
0 0.25 0.5 0.75 1 1.25 1.5
Strip Length (mm)

Fig. 6. Current density in the strips at the PS-side. Standard balun

Current Density EBG balun

250

Phase=135º
200
Current Density (A/m)

150

Phase=90º
100

Phase=45º
50

Phase=0º
0
0 0.25 0.5 0.75 1 1.25 1.5
Strip Length (mm)

Fig. 7. Current density in the strips at the PS-side. EBG balun

Ultra-wideband Low Spectral Energy Radio Systems PHASE

2) (IST - 027142).

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