Advantages and Disadvantages of Stripline in microwave domain

This page explores the advantages and disadvantages of stripline technology. We’ll cover the benefits and drawbacks of using stripline in various applications.

What is Stripline?

Introduction:

Stripline is a type of planar transmission line used in microwave applications. It’s created by etching a center conductor on a substrate. Essentially, it’s a structure where a center metal strip is sandwiched between two ground planes, one on top and the other on the bottom.

Figure 1: Normal stripline circuit with center metal strip sandwiched between two ground planes.

Here are some common types of striplines:

• Normal stripline
• Double conductor stripline
• Offset stripline
• Suspended stripline

Benefits or Advantages of Stripline

Here are the key advantages of using stripline:

1. Good Electro-magnetic Shielding: The center metal structure provides excellent electromagnetic shielding.
2. Lower Attenuation Loss: Stripline generally exhibits lower attenuation loss compared to other transmission line technologies.
3. Better Isolation: It offers better isolation between circuits.
4. Wide Bandwidth: Stripline is capable of operating over a wide bandwidth.

Drawbacks or Disadvantages of Stripline

Despite its advantages, stripline also has some drawbacks:

1. Complex and Expensive Fabrication: The structure is complex, making fabrication difficult and often more expensive.
2. Smaller Trace Width: The width of the stripline trace is smaller compared to a microstrip line with the same impedance (Z) and height (H). This can lead to the trace detaching from the dielectric substrate if not handled carefully.
3. Difficult Tuning and Troubleshooting: Because the entire structure is enclosed, tuning and troubleshooting can be challenging.