Canonical ridge waveguide filters in LTCC or metallic resonators

A new physical realization of an elliptic function filter response is proposed for achieving compact size, wide bandwidth, wide spurious free stopband and high-selectivity performance. The filter configuration can be implemented in conventional waveguide technology or embedded in a multilayer low-temperature co-fired ceramic structure for integration with other circuitry in a chip module. The filter is analyzed using rigorous mode matching. To validate the concept, prototypes of four- and six-cavity elliptic filters are designed following a systematic procedure. Approximate synthesis is used to obtain initial dimensions of the filter and the desired optimum response is obtained by means of a final full-wave optimization. The results are verified with other numerical methods and with the measurements of a fourth-order waveguide filter.