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Electronic components

Ultrabroadband DC-Blocking Capacitors Realized via 3D-Printing Technology

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed an advanced technology to create ultrabroadband DC-blocking capacitors for frequencies up to 170 GHz. The innovative solution combines commercial surface-mounted devices (SMDs) with cutting-edge 3D-printing technology, enabling the creation of interdigitated finger capacitors with high-frequency behavior. The proposed solution is ideal for broadband optical systems in data communication applications, offering low loss and high-density packaging solutions.

Key Takeaways:

  • The researchers achieved a broadband behavior by combining commercially available SMDs with 3D-printing technology, resulting in an optimal choice for broadband optical systems.
  • The applied ultraprecise dispensing (UPD) technology enables printing multiple thin lines, forming an interdigitated finger capacitor with a small capacitance and beneficial high-frequency behavior.
  • The proposed solution utilizes an additional SMD capacitor with a high capacitance of 100 nF, providing a low cutoff frequency of only 16 kHz and a total loss of less than 2.21 dB.
  • The 3D-printed interdigitated finger structure has a small footprint of an SMD component in a 0201 package (600 x 300 μm), allowing high-density packaging solutions.
  • This approach results in lower costs compared to silicon capacitors or complex manufacturing solutions and benefits from the easy integration into commercially available printed circuit board (PCB) processes.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, a leading journal in the field of microwave engineering.
  • The researchers suggest that this technology can be used in various applications, including data communication, where high-frequency behavior is crucial.

Statistics:

  • The proposed solution offers a flat frequency response over the complete frequency range from 28.5 to 170 GHz.
  • The total loss of the presented DC block is less than 2.21 dB.
  • The 3D-printed interdigitated finger structure has a capacitance of 100 nF and a low cutoff frequency of only 16 kHz.
  • The researchers utilized a 3D-printing technology with a precision of 1 μm to achieve the desired results.

Sources:

  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - www.ieee.org/
  • IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques - ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=22
  • Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - Inst Radio Frequency Engn & Elect, D-76131 Karlsruhe, Germany

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