Substrate-integrated divider networks in LTCC with optimized tolerance / isolation properties for Ka-Band satellite systems

Low Temperature Cofired Ceramics (LTCC) technology is increasingly used for creating high-rel solutions, especially in class S products deployed in space. Current research, executed by the german and european space agencies, focuses inter alia on new, compact beam forming networks for Ka-band multiple feed per beam antennas. These networks consist of a high number of dividers and must provide a high isolation between neighbouring cells to ensure compliance with frequency plan regulations. While the LTCC process brings a number of advantages, its thick film printing process and the tolerances of available resistive paste systems introduce difficulties in implementing typical Wilkinson divider networks. This paper presents a novel concept to implement tolerance-optimized dividers, taking special focus on the properties of the LTCC process.