A simple model for on-chip microstrip transmission lines in millimeter wave circuits

This work introduces a modified model for microstrip transmission lines (TL) over silicon substrates. It targets millimeter-wave circuits in modern chip fabrication technologies with thin dielectric height and slotted ground planes, where existing models fail to reproduce the line behavior. Different effects are discussed; this includes the effect of frequency and line geometry on the characteristic impedance, the effective dielectric constant and various types of losses including conductor loss and dielectric. Finally, a comparison to an EM simulator was made across a wide frequency span, which showed that the model is in good agreement with EM simulations.