| This thesis concerns the synthesis of active devices in coupled-microstrip and coupled-coplanar technology. We first discuss several aspects of multiconductor transmission line (MTL) theory, including longitudinal dependencies of immittance functions. We next describe a frequency domain normal mode parameter extraction method for a symmetric, uniform, MTL section. This is applied to coupled microstrip and coplanar lines for distributed circuit parameter extraction from S-parameter simulation. Measurement techniques for characterization of MTL structures with multiple ports and multiple propagating modes are then discussed and applied. Finally, these analyses and tools form a basis for the synthesis of several matching networks strategies (stubs, reactances, transformers) to maximize power to a load for the unilateral and bilateral cases. Measurement of synthesized structures verifies the reflection reduction and power savings. Using these matching networks, a preliminary MTL transistor amplifier is presented, and a methodology for an advanced design technique with maximum accuracy is developed. |
