Stripline: Advantages and Disadvantages

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:

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

Drawbacks or Disadvantages of Stripline

Despite its advantages, stripline also has some drawbacks:

• Complex and Expensive Fabrication: The structure is complex, making fabrication difficult and often more expensive.
• 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.
• Difficult Tuning and Troubleshooting: Because the entire structure is enclosed, tuning and troubleshooting can be challenging.