Development of miniaturized circuits for high-frequency applications using micromachining techniques

Wireless and personal communications systems require lightweight and compact high frequency circuits with optimum electrical performance. In order to advance current capabilities in these areas, two design approaches have recently been developed. One approach is directed toward circuit miniaturization and utilizes silicon micromachining techniques to realize integrated packages for individual circuit geometries. Another approach implemented to realize high-performance circuits involves dielectric membranes which support conducting lines. This paper presents the development of these concepts and discusses the fabrication techniques and the performance characteristics of some representative circuits.