Mechanisms of dielectric resonant oscillators for microwave and millimeter-wave integrated circuits

In the area of microwave and millimeter-wave devices and circuits, conventional metal waveguide components such as guides, cavities, filters, attenuators, couplers, etc., have proven so costly that many potential applications are not feasible. For instance, if one wanted to use millimeter-wave components for terminal homing through clouds or inclement weather, the millimeter-wave propagation characteristics would be desirable; but, the cost of placing receivers on every shell or missile would be prohibitive. Similar conclusions have been reached concerning other applications such as unattended receivers for electronic warfare, low altitude radar, and secure communications. To overcome this cost barrier, several proposals have been made for millimeter-wave integrated circuits.