Patent ID: 7151420

Claim:
A transmission line comprising: a substantially planar dielectric substrate having upper and lower opposing surfaces; a first slot formed through the upper surface of said dielectric substrate, said first slot having first and second opposing faces spaced apart from each other by an intervening space, both first and second opposing slot faces each have a conductive surface that is capable of carrying differential signals thereon; a planar ground conductor coupled to, and substantially covering the lower surface of the dielectric substrate, said ground conductor being at a reference potential for signals carried on the conductive surfaces on the opposing slot faces; and, a plurality of first conductive vias arranged in line along a first side of said first slot, each of the first conductive vias being electrically contacting the planar around conductor and extending through the substantially planar dielectric substrate from the lower surface to the upper surface, said plurality of first conductive vias being located adjacent to the conductive surface on said first opposing face; a plurality of second conductive vias arranged in line along a second side of said first slot, each of the second conductive vias being electrically contacting the planar ground conductor and extending through the substantially planar dielectric substrate from the lower surface to the upper surface, said plurality of second conductive vias being located adjacent to the conductive surface on said first opposing face; a plurality of first conductive pads spaced apart from each other and arranged in a line along a first side of said first slot, the first conductive pads being electrically connected to said first conductive vias; a plurality of second conductive pads spaced apart from each other and arranged in a line along a second side of said second slot, the second conductive pads being electrically connected to said second conductive vias.