Patent ID: 7049901

Claim:
A parallel plate wave-guide structure in a layered medium for transmitting complementary signals, comprising: a) at least two parallel complementary signal conductor plates, placed in substantially close proximity thereby providing coupling that favors odd mode propagation, separated by a conductor-to-conductor dielectric material, and having a controlled impedance contained between the at least two parallel complementary signal conductor plates; b) at least two parallel reference plates forming a parallel plate reference system parallel to and surrounding the at least two parallel signal conductor plates such that a controlled impedance in relation to the parallel plate reference system and the at least two parallel complementary signal conductor plates is maintained; c) a plurality of reference-to-conductor dielectric materials that are contained between each of the at least two parallel complementary signal conductor plates and a corresponding parallel reference plate, forming at least two independently controlled impedance paths; d) a partial rectangular wave-guide structure comprised of the parallel plate reference system, such that each of the at least two parallel reference plates are electrically interconnected in a periodic manner; wherein a controlled impedance path for transverse wave components traveling in the partial rectangular wave-guide structure is provided, such that dielectric paths contained within the partial rectangular wave-guide structure have identical path lengths; and wherein the partial rectangular wave-guide structure defines at least two independent propagation paths with at least two independently controlled impedance characteristics accommodate a matching requirement of a given loading characteristic.