Embedded ridge waveguide filters

An evanescent mode ridge waveguide filter, comprising:

• a plurality of contiguous layers of dielectric material including a top and bottom ground plane therein forming top and bottom walls, and a plurality of mutually spaced apart ridge waveguide filter sections therein, each comprised of a matrix of metallized blind vias which protrude through a predetermined number of layers of said plurality of contiguous layers, said matrices being arranged in mutually aligned sets of vias,
• a plurality of metallized wall vias located on both sides of the ridge waveguide filter sections defining thereby a perimeter of the filter, and
• patterns of electrically conductive material selectively fabricated on outer surfaces of said layers of dielectric material so as to electrically short circuit each matrix of vias of the respective ridge waveguide filter sections and the wall vias, whereby inductance of the vias is reduced and the ridge waveguide filter sections act substantially as discrete solid filter sections.