Planar Waveguide Arrays for Millimeter Wave Systems

Abstract

SUMMARYDesign of high gain and high efficiency antennas is one of the key challenges in antenna engineering and especially in millimeter wave communication systems. Various types of planar waveguide arrays with series-fed traveling wave operation have been developed in Tokyo Tech with the special focus upon efficiency enhancement as well as reduction of fabrication cost. In this review, four kinds of single layer waveguide arrays characterized with the series fed travelling wave operation are surveyed first. To cope with the bandwidth narrowing effects due to long line effects associated with the series fed operation, authors have introduced partially corporate feed embedded in the single layer waveguide. They further extended the study to cover fully corporate feed arrays with multiple layer waveguide as well; a new fabrication technique of diffusion bonding of laminated thin plates has the potential to realize the low cost mass production of multi-layer structures for the millimeter wave application. Secondly, the novel methods for loss evaluation of copper plate substrate are established for the design of post-wall waveguide arrays where dielectric loss and conductor loss is determined in wide range of millimeter wave band, by using the Whispering gallery mode resonator. This enables us to design the planar arrays with the loss taken into account. Finally, the planar arrays are now applied to two kinds of systems in the Tokyo Tech millimeter wave project; the indoor short range file-transfer systems and the outdoor communication systems for the medium range backhaul links. The latter has been field-tested in the model network built in Tokyo Tech Ookayama campus. Early stage progress of the project including unique propagation data is also reported.

Micromachined SU-8-Based Terahertz 8×8 Slotted Waveguide Antenna Array

“…More recently, investigations on achieving high gain and large bandwidth of the periodic reflective surfaces (PRSs) have been conducted at millimeter-wave [21][22][23] and lower THz frequency bands [24]. Slotted waveguide antennas are high gain antennas which are attractive to THz applications due to their planar structure, low losses, and handling high powers [25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. In addition to that, slotted waveguide antennas have structures which are very compatible with the micromachining fabrication Technology [11][12][13]32].…”

High-Gain and Wide-Bandwidth Filtering Planar Antenna Array-Based Solely on Resonators

“…Also, because they are mostly air-filled, they do not suffer from dielectric losses. Conventionally, a series-fed network is employed in a single waveguidelayer to design a planar array slotted waveguide antenna [2]- [8]. Such feeding networks offer unique features for the array such as using only a single waveguide-layer structure to form the whole antenna array, and hence simplifying the fabrication process.…”

Planar Center-Fed Leaky-Wave Antenna Arrays for Millimeter Wave Systems

“…Significant progress in development and practical application of compact electronic components and devices for centimeter and millimeter-wave radio communication systems, wireless computer networks, radars and sensors necessitates the development of new compact high gain and low cost antennas. However, design of planar high gain and high efficiency millimeter wave antennas still remains a serious challenge in antenna engineering [1][2]. Many planar antenna arrays using conventional transmission lines suffer from the increasing dielectric and conductor loss at millimeter wavelengths [2].…”

“…However, design of planar high gain and high efficiency millimeter wave antennas still remains a serious challenge in antenna engineering [1][2]. Many planar antenna arrays using conventional transmission lines suffer from the increasing dielectric and conductor loss at millimeter wavelengths [2]. The leading candidates for highgain planar antennas are various kinds of waveguide slotted antenna arrays with the antenna gain more than 30 dBi at 60 GHz and higher frequencies while their radiation efficiency is not less that 60 % [2].…”

“…Many planar antenna arrays using conventional transmission lines suffer from the increasing dielectric and conductor loss at millimeter wavelengths [2]. The leading candidates for highgain planar antennas are various kinds of waveguide slotted antenna arrays with the antenna gain more than 30 dBi at 60 GHz and higher frequencies while their radiation efficiency is not less that 60 % [2]. At the same time, leaky-wave antenna arrays (LWAA) [3][4][5][6][7] are also promising candidates for millimeter wave applications, because of such advantages, as a simple structure and a quite high radiation efficiency, as well as a low-cost printing technology of fabrication.…”