Realization of High-Performance Broadband Quadrature Directional Couplers in UMS PH25 Technology

The problem of the realization of broadband quadrature directional couplers in UMS (United Monolithic Semiconductors) PH25 is thoroughly investigated. The limitations of the selected technology are discussed with respect to directional couplers’ design. It is shown that, in such technologies, two major problems have to be overcome to achieve the high-performance of the resulting integrated couplers, i.e., the realization of appropriate coupling together with appropriate characteristic impedances, and the equalization of inductive and capacitive coupling coefficients that are inherently different in inhomogeneous dielectric structures. Three different solutions that allow for achieving strong coupling in the selected UMS PH25 process were selected and experimentally investigated, showing the possibility of such circuits’ realization. In each of the presented integrated couplers, capacitive compensation techniques were applied for coupling coefficients’ equalization.