Contactless Flange Made the Sub-THz VNA Calibration and Testing Faster and More Accurate

This paper presents contactless flanges designed for sub-THz VNA calibration and testing. Compared to standard waveguide flanges, no electrical contact is necessary between two flanges, which allows for a faster calibration and testing process. This type of contactless flange has the same exact mechanical dimensions as the standard waveguide flange and can be secured by using waveguide screws if needed, making it compatible with the standard waveguide flange. Both TRL and SOLT calibrations were performed on the VNA to compare the calibration speed with and without fastening screws. Multiple tests using contactless flanges were conducted on sub-THz components to demonstrate the repeatability of accurate measurement. It has been experimentally verified that accurate and reliable results can be obtained without tedious and time-consuming waveguide alignment and the careful waveguide screws attachment and adjustment during testing of sub-THz components.