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Compact, broadband GCPW-to-AFSIW transition with enhanced PCB integration via stencil-based assembly

Bram Hoflack (UGent) , Samuel Rimbaut (UGent) , Laura Van Messem, Olivier Caytan (UGent) , Hendrik Rogier (UGent) and Sam Lemey (UGent)
(2026) IEEE ACCESS. 14. p.54812-54827
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Abstract
A compact and versatile transition from grounded co-planar waveguide to air-filled substrate-integrated waveguide (AFSIW) is presented, enabling broadband, low-loss interconnection of surface-mount RFICs to high-performance, cost-effective printed-circuit-board (PCB)-based AFSIW systems. The transition achieves broadband operation (up to 63 % fractional bandwidth) within a minimal footprint (below 0.57 lambda(1)& times;0.31 lambda(1) ) by leveraging a resonant rectangular aperture in combination with a microstrip and air-filled substrate-integrated waveguide (AFSIW) stub. Interfacing with AFSIW waveguides of varying height is enabled through the use of a stepped-impedance transformer. In addition, a novel stencil-based assembly process is proposed to ensure void-free stacking of immersion-silver (iAg)-finished PCBs, thereby minimizing insertion loss. First, a low-profile prototype for dense in-array IC integration is manufactured, achieving an average insertion loss (IL) below 0.58 dB across a 63.2 % bandwidth spanning [20.8-40] GHz, while maintaining a compact footprint of 0.52 lambda(1)& times;0.16 lambda(1) , with lambda(1)=20.8 GHz . To further reduce AFSIW transmission loss from 0.1 to 0.04 dB/cm, a second design tailored for interfacing with increased-height AFSIWs is realized by employing a stepped-impedance transformer without requiring depth-routing. This multi-layer transition achieves 27.3 % bandwidth over [22.8-30] GHz with an average insertion loss of 0.64 dB. These results confirm the proposed transition and assembly method as a reliable, broadband, low-loss, and scalable solution for next-generation AFSIW-based active antenna arrays.
Keywords
WAVE-GUIDE, MICROSTRIP LINE, PHASED-ARRAY, ANTENNA, COMMUNICATION, Apertures, Antennas, Feeds, Antenna arrays, Antennas and propagation, Phased arrays, Broadband antennas, Microwave antennas, Butler matrices, Circuits, Air-filled substrate-integrated waveguide (AFSIW), grounded co-planar waveguide (GCPW), millimeter-wave (mmWave), printed circuit board (PCB), substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW), transition

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MLA
Hoflack, Bram, et al. “Compact, Broadband GCPW-to-AFSIW Transition with Enhanced PCB Integration via Stencil-Based Assembly.” IEEE ACCESS, vol. 14, 2026, pp. 54812–27, doi:10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3681506.
APA
Hoflack, B., Rimbaut, S., Van Messem, L., Caytan, O., Rogier, H., & Lemey, S. (2026). Compact, broadband GCPW-to-AFSIW transition with enhanced PCB integration via stencil-based assembly. IEEE ACCESS, 14, 54812–54827. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3681506
Chicago author-date
Hoflack, Bram, Samuel Rimbaut, Laura Van Messem, Olivier Caytan, Hendrik Rogier, and Sam Lemey. 2026. “Compact, Broadband GCPW-to-AFSIW Transition with Enhanced PCB Integration via Stencil-Based Assembly.” IEEE ACCESS 14: 54812–27. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3681506.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Hoflack, Bram, Samuel Rimbaut, Laura Van Messem, Olivier Caytan, Hendrik Rogier, and Sam Lemey. 2026. “Compact, Broadband GCPW-to-AFSIW Transition with Enhanced PCB Integration via Stencil-Based Assembly.” IEEE ACCESS 14: 54812–54827. doi:10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3681506.
Vancouver
1.
Hoflack B, Rimbaut S, Van Messem L, Caytan O, Rogier H, Lemey S. Compact, broadband GCPW-to-AFSIW transition with enhanced PCB integration via stencil-based assembly. IEEE ACCESS. 2026;14:54812–27.
IEEE
[1]
B. Hoflack, S. Rimbaut, L. Van Messem, O. Caytan, H. Rogier, and S. Lemey, “Compact, broadband GCPW-to-AFSIW transition with enhanced PCB integration via stencil-based assembly,” IEEE ACCESS, vol. 14, pp. 54812–54827, 2026.
@article{01KPR5CNAWE684RVAZDBDKHFK0,
  abstract     = {{A compact and versatile transition from grounded co-planar waveguide to air-filled substrate-integrated waveguide (AFSIW) is presented, enabling broadband, low-loss interconnection of surface-mount RFICs to high-performance, cost-effective printed-circuit-board (PCB)-based AFSIW systems. The transition achieves broadband operation (up to 63 % fractional bandwidth) within a minimal footprint (below 0.57 lambda(1)& times;0.31 lambda(1) ) by leveraging a resonant rectangular aperture in combination with a microstrip and air-filled substrate-integrated waveguide (AFSIW) stub. Interfacing with AFSIW waveguides of varying height is enabled through the use of a stepped-impedance transformer. In addition, a novel stencil-based assembly process is proposed to ensure void-free stacking of immersion-silver (iAg)-finished PCBs, thereby minimizing insertion loss. First, a low-profile prototype for dense in-array IC integration is manufactured, achieving an average insertion loss (IL) below 0.58 dB across a 63.2 % bandwidth spanning [20.8-40] GHz, while maintaining a compact footprint of 0.52 lambda(1)& times;0.16 lambda(1) , with lambda(1)=20.8 GHz . To further reduce AFSIW transmission loss from 0.1 to 0.04 dB/cm, a second design tailored for interfacing with increased-height AFSIWs is realized by employing a stepped-impedance transformer without requiring depth-routing. This multi-layer transition achieves 27.3 % bandwidth over [22.8-30] GHz with an average insertion loss of 0.64 dB. These results confirm the proposed transition and assembly method as a reliable, broadband, low-loss, and scalable solution for next-generation AFSIW-based active antenna arrays.}},
  author       = {{Hoflack, Bram and Rimbaut, Samuel and Van Messem, Laura and Caytan, Olivier and Rogier, Hendrik and Lemey, Sam}},
  issn         = {{2169-3536}},
  journal      = {{IEEE ACCESS}},
  keywords     = {{WAVE-GUIDE,MICROSTRIP LINE,PHASED-ARRAY,ANTENNA,COMMUNICATION,Apertures,Antennas,Feeds,Antenna arrays,Antennas and propagation,Phased arrays,Broadband antennas,Microwave antennas,Butler matrices,Circuits,Air-filled substrate-integrated waveguide (AFSIW),grounded co-planar waveguide (GCPW),millimeter-wave (mmWave),printed circuit board (PCB),substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW),transition}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{54812--54827}},
  title        = {{Compact, broadband GCPW-to-AFSIW transition with enhanced PCB integration via stencil-based assembly}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3681506}},
  volume       = {{14}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}
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