A Simulation Study of Radiation Characteristics of a Microelectronic Probe

The electromagnetic characteristics of a ground-signal-ground (GSG) microelectronic probe are simulated in the frequency range of DC to $\mathbf{6 0} \mathbf{~ G H z}$. The fine models of the GSG probe and the associated impedance standard substrate (ISS) are first built in SolidWorks® and then transferred to the full-wave solver HFSS® for electromagnetic simulations. The simulated reflection coefficient and peak realized gain of the GSG probe are presented and discussed. It is shown that the GSG probe has been well matched over the frequency range. More importantly, it is found for the first time that the peak realized gain of the GSG probe depends on both the termination and frequency. From DC to 32 GHz, the peak realized gain is higher for the open termination, while from 33 to 47 GHz, the peak realized gain is higher for the load termination. The peak realized gain is comparable for both terminations from 48 to 60 GHz.