Characterisation of RF Connectors and Components for Advanced 5G Applications

Abstract

Development of 5G and beyond technologies brings wireless communications systems to operate at higher frequencies and makes them more compact and integrated in nature. This places further challenges for component and system design, but at the same time the need for reliable RF interconnections becomes more and more important. This work investigates passive RF structures implemented on a lowpermittivity Panasonic dielectric substrate up to a frequency of 110 GHz with simulations and measurements. Two different test cases are considered: a simple transmission line with a TRL calibration structure as well as a Wilkinson power divider. Agreement between simulations and measurements is rather good, and the results show that the used substrate material is a viable alternative for RF applications around 100 GHz.