Substrate-Integrated Millimeter-Wave Antennas for Next-Generation Communication and Radar Systems
the measurement systems are addressed. In the last part, the detailed setup configurations for achieving the maximum system dynamic range with the available commercial accessories are described, wherein the measurement of reflection coefficient, gain, and radiation pattern of a number of antennas at 60, 140, and 270 GHz bands with different feeding connections (coax, waveguide, and probe) are exemplified.
In Chapter 3, “Substrate Integrated mmW Antennas on LTCC” Zhi Ning Chen and Xianming Qing introduce the basic concepts of SIW antennas, in particular, SIW slot antennas. Then, design examples in LTCC are elaborated. The examples include planar high‐gain arrays operating at 60, 140, and 270 GHz. In particular, the three‐dimensional corporate feeding network is introduced by taking advantage of the LTCC process.
In Chapter 4, “Broadband Metamaterial‐Mushroom Antenna Array at 60 GHz Bands,” by Wei Liu and Zhi Ning Chen, the techniques for enhancing the bandwidth of patch antennas are reviewed first. Then, the bandwidth enhancement techniques are evaluated for substrates of high dielectric constant. In particular, the metamaterial mushroom antenna technique are introduced for the LTCC mmW antenna design due to the merits of low profile, broadband, high gain, high radiation efficiency, low mutual coupling, and low cross‐polarization levels.
Narrow‐wall‐fed Substrate integrated Cavity (SIC) Antenna at 60 GHz is discussed in Chapter 5, by Yan Zhang. This chapter addresses the unique challenges of mmW SIC antenna design. At first, the mmW cavity antennas are reviewed. Then, the selected state‐of‐the‐art SIC antennas are introduced and discussed. In particular, the technique to excite an SIC using a narrow‐wall slot is elaborated, and furthermore a 2 × 2 array with narrow‐wall‐slot fed SIW at 60 GHz is presented as an example.
Chapter 6, entitled “Cavity‐Backed SIW Slot Antennas at 60 GHz,” by Ke Gong, introduces the history and milestones of the cavity‐backed antennas (CBAs) first, together with some challenges for mmW applications. Then, the low‐profile design methods and fabrication techniques about CBAs are analyzed, especially for the substrate integrated CBAs. After that, the low‐profile SIW CBAs are reviewed. Their operating mechanisms are discussed, and methods for improving the performance, such as bandwidth enhancement, size reduction, and gain improvement, are presented. At last, a type of cavity‐backed SIW slot antennas with big‐aperture is presented as an example, with design details as a study case, including the antenna element. This type of antennas retains the advantage of conventional metallic CBAs, including high gain, high front‐to‐back ratio, and low cross‐polarization level, and also keep the advantages of the planar antenna including low profile, light weight, low fabrication cost, and easy integration with the planar circuit.
In Chapter 7, “Circularly Polarized SIW Slot LTCC Antennas at 60 GHz,” Yue Li first reviews the selected state‐of‐the‐art techniques for mmW circularly polarized (CP) antennas. Second, as a feasible example to achieve both wide impedance and axial ration (AR) bandwidths, an SIW‐fed slot antenna array with strip loading is introduced at 60 GHz using an LTCC substrate. The AR bandwidth enhancement property is systematically described with the potential adoption in various mmW CP applications.
Chapter 8, entitled “Gain Enhancement of LTCC Microstrip Patch Antenna by Suppressing Surface Waves,” by Zhi Ning Chen and Xianming Qing, introduces the technology to suppress the surface wave losses caused by the thick and high‐permittivity dielectric substrate in mmW antennas. First, the mechanism of generation of surface wave losses is discussed. Then the method to suppress the surface waves is addressed with an example of patch antenna. After that, the planar and via‐less antenna array operating at 60 GHz is exemplified for gain enhancement by suppressing the surface wave losses. The method to suppress the surface wave is to cut open‐air cavities around their radiating patches. The open‐air cavities reduce the losses caused by severe surface waves and dielectric substrate at mmW bands. The arrays are excited through either a microstrip‐line or stripline feed network with a grounded coplanar‐waveguide (GCPW) transition. The GCPW transition is designed so that the antenna can be measured with the patch array facing free space, therefore reducing the effect of the probe station on the measurement. The proposed antenna arrays with the open‐air cavities achieve gain enhancement of 1–2 dB compared with the conventional antenna array without any open‐air cavity across the impedance bandwidth of about 7 GHz at the 60 GHz band.
In Chapter 9, “Substrate Integrated Antennas for Millimeter Wave Automotive Radars,” Xianming Qing and Zhi Ning Chen introduce the PCB‐based high‐gain substrate integrated mmW antennas for car radar sensors. First, the general aspects of automotive radar are addressed including the classification, the frequency band regulation, system requirements, and antenna design considerations. Second, the selected state‐of‐the‐art antenna designs for 24‐GHz and 77‐GHz automotive radars are reviewed. After that, two types of antenna arrays are introduced. A compact co‐planar waveguide (CPW) center‐fed SIW slot antenna array is elaborated to achieve narrow H‐plane beamwidth and low sidelobe levels for 24‐GHz automotive radars. A transmit‐array on dual‐layer PCB is introduced for automotive 77‐GHz radar applications. With four SIW slot antennas as the primary feeds, the transmit‐array is able to generate four switched beams. The coplanar structure significantly simplifies the transmit‐array design and eases the fabrication, in particular, at mmW frequencies.
Chapter 10 is entitled “Sidelobe Reduction of Substrate Integrated Antenna Arrays at Ka‐Band.” Teng Li first introduces the synthesis technologies of low sidelobe array factors and the optimization methods. To accurately get the desired pattern, a brief analysis of mutual coupling is presented. Then, the selected state‐of‐the‐art feeding technology for SIW array antenna are reviewed. After that, the examples of the small array, monopulse array, and shaped beam array with sidelobe reduction and different feeding technologies are introduced for SIW array antenna at Ka‐band.
In Chapter 11, “Substrate Edge Antennas,” Lei Wang and Xiaoxing Yin introduce substrate edge antennas (SEAs), which radiate from the edges of the PCBs. To diminish the mismatch between the PCB edge and the free space, two types of planar strips are printed in front of the SEA aperture. With the printed strips, both the impedance bandwidth and the front‐to‐back ratio are improved. Aiming at increasing the aperture efficiency, two kinds of substrate‐integrated lenses are embedded in the SEAs. The phase‐correcting lenses are integrated into the SEAs, maintaining the compact profiles of SEAs. Moreover, a leaky‐wave SEA loaded with a prism lens is presented with a fixed‐beam over a wide frequency band. The prism lens is implemented by utilizing a dispersive metasurface. By compensating for the dispersion of the leaky‐wave SEA and the prism lens, fixed radiation beams are achieved over a 20% fraction bandwidth at Ka‐band.
1.10 Summary
The research, development, and applications of mmW antennas have a long history. With the fast progress in device technologies and rapid deployment of system for a variety of commercial applications, theory, and technologies related to mmW antennas have been extensively investigated and developed [54–64]. This book will address the critical design challenges of mmW antennas for wireless communications and radar systems.
References
1 1 ITU‐R Recommendation (2015). V.431: “Nomenclature of the frequency and wavelength bands used in telecommunications (Table I).” Geneva: International Telecommunication Union. https://www.itu.int/dms_pubrec/itu-r/rec/v/R-REC-V.431-8-201508-I!!PDF-E.pdf