A substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure and array thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate-integrated notched mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure and array thereof, belonging to the field of microwave engineering technology. The structure comprises a dielectric substrate, a metal ground plane and a metal plane attached to the lower surface of the dielectric substrate. Air holes or air slots are provided along one side of the dielectric substrate. The air holes or air slots divide the dielectric substrate into three parts, namely dielectric blocks on both sides and a dielectric strip in the middle. The metal plane is located on the upper surface of the dielectric block. The metal plane and the metal ground plane are connected to form a common ground. Compared with traditional dielectric waveguides, this dielectric waveguide transmission structure is easier to achieve planar integration. The integrated design makes the dielectric waveguide transmission structure simple, stable and low-loss. It is suitable for the integrated planar circuit board manufacturing process for millimeter wave terahertz and other frequency bands, and is used for electromagnetic transmission in millimeter wave terahertz and other frequency bands.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of microwave engineering technology, and in particular to a substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure. Background Art

[0002] Dielectric waveguides are a crucial component of microwave and millimeter-wave technologies. As a medium for transmitting electromagnetic fields, they offer low loss and high efficiency, particularly in the millimeter-wave and terahertz frequency bands. With the rapid development of modern communications technology, performance requirements for microwave, millimeter-wave, and terahertz devices are increasing. Dielectric waveguide devices are widely used due to their superior performance.

[0003] Dielectric waveguide research spans multiple fields, including microwave and millimeter wave technology, communications, military applications such as radar and electronic warfare, and the development of new materials and processes. With the continuous advancement of science and technology and the increasing demand for applications, dielectric waveguide research will continue to deepen, providing more advanced and efficient solutions for modern communications, military, and other fields.

[0004] Traditional dielectric waveguides are dielectric blocks that cannot be directly integrated into circuit boards. When integrating a dielectric waveguide into a circuit board, it must be separately processed and then assembled into the circuit board, making planar integration difficult. In the prior art, Chinese invention patent application publication number CN107492714A, "Substrate-Integrated Mirror Dielectric Waveguide Leaky-Wave Antenna Based on Conventional PCB Processing," proposes wide bandwidth transmission within a central dielectric band, isolating the dielectric on either side by perforating to prevent energy leakage. However, this structure suffers from the following issues: the exposed dielectric on either side of the central transmission band absorbs electromagnetic waves, increasing the transmission loss of the dielectric waveguide. Furthermore, because the dielectric waveguide lacks metal shielding, when multiple dielectric waveguides are arrayed, coupling between adjacent dielectric waveguides is significant, interfering with electromagnetic wave transmission. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is how to design a dielectric waveguide transmission structure that is simple, stable, easy to integrate, and has low loss.

[0006] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solutions: a substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure, comprising a dielectric substrate, a metal ground plane attached to the lower surface of the dielectric substrate, and a metal plane. Air holes or air slots are provided along one side of the dielectric substrate. The air holes or air slots divide the dielectric substrate into three parts, namely dielectric blocks on both sides and a dielectric strip in the middle. The metal plane is located on the upper surface of the dielectric block, and the metal plane and the metal ground plane are connected to form a common ground.

[0007] Preferably, air holes are provided along one side of the dielectric substrate. The air holes are through holes penetrating the upper and lower surfaces of the dielectric substrate. The through holes are distributed in an array along one side of the dielectric substrate to form a through hole array.

[0008] Preferably, the metal plane and the metal ground plane are connected to form a common ground through a plurality of metallized through holes, and the plurality of metallized through holes are located on a side of the dielectric block opposite to the through hole array.

[0009] Preferably, the plurality of metallized through-holes form a metal pillar array, and the metal pillar array is located outside the through-hole array and parallel to the through-hole array.

[0010] Preferably, the dielectric strip is located at the center of the dielectric substrate and is used to transmit electromagnetic wave signals.

[0011] Preferably, the metal planes on both sides are separated by dielectric strips and through-hole arrays, forming a common ground with the metallized through-holes and the metal ground plane.

[0012] Preferably, the through hole array is rows of through holes, and the through holes are circular holes or rectangular holes.

[0013] Preferably, an air slot is opened along one side of the dielectric substrate, and the metal plane and the metal ground plane are connected to form a common ground through an outer metal plane, and the outer metal plane is located on a side of the dielectric block opposite to the air slot.

[0014] Preferably, the metal planes on both sides are separated by dielectric strips and air slots, forming a common ground with the outer metal plane and the metal ground plane.

[0015] The present invention also provides a substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide array, which is arranged by an array of substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structures.

[0016] The advantages provided by the present invention are:

[0017] 1. The present invention provides isolation air holes or air slots on a dielectric substrate, which divide the dielectric substrate into three parts. The dielectric strip in the middle is used to transmit electromagnetic wave signals, and the dielectric blocks on both sides play a supporting role. The metal ground planes are connected to the metal planes to form a common ground. Compared with traditional dielectric waveguides, this dielectric waveguide transmission structure is easier to achieve planar integration. The integrated design makes the dielectric waveguide transmission structure simple, stable, and low-loss. It is suitable for the integrated planar circuit board manufacturing process of millimeter wave terahertz and other frequency bands, and can be used for electromagnetic transmission in millimeter wave terahertz and other frequency bands.

[0018] 2. The present invention forms a common ground by connecting two metal planes on the upper surface of the dielectric block with a metal ground plane. When integrated with the manufacturing process of integrated planar circuit boards such as millimeter wave terahertz, other devices can be designed and placed on the metal plane.

[0019] 3. The present invention provides a metallized through hole or an outer metal plane. The metallized through hole plus the metal planes on both sides, or the outer metal plane plus the metal planes on both sides can form a shield to prevent the exposed medium from absorbing electromagnetic waves. When multiple dielectric waveguides are designed into an array, they can be more dense and the coupling between the dielectric waveguides is very small. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure provided in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 A top view of the substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure provided in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 Transmission and reflection coefficient curves of the substrate-integrated notched mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure loaded with probe excitation provided in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an ideal transmission structure of a substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide provided in Example 2 of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 Transmission and reflection coefficient curves of the substrate-integrated notched mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure loaded with probe excitation provided in Example 2 of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an array of substrate-integrated notched mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structures provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] In the figure: 1 metal ground plane, 2 dielectric substrate, 3 metal plane, 4 through hole array, 5 metalized through hole, 6 dielectric strip, 11 outer metal plane, 12 air slot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the following describes the technical solutions of the present invention in a clear and complete manner with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings. It is apparent that the embodiments described are only a portion of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] Example 1

[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, this embodiment provides a substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure, including a dielectric substrate 2, a metal ground plane 1 attached to the lower surface of the dielectric substrate 2, and a metal plane 3. A plurality of through holes are arranged in an array along a side edge of the dielectric substrate 2, penetrating the upper and lower surfaces of the dielectric substrate 2, forming a through hole array 4. The through hole array 4 divides the dielectric substrate 2 into three parts, namely dielectric blocks on both sides and a dielectric strip 6 in the middle. The metal plane 3 is located on the upper surface of the dielectric block. A plurality of metallized through holes 5 are provided on the side of the dielectric block opposite to the through hole array 4. The metallized through holes 5 are connected to the metal ground plane 1 and the metal plane 3 to form a common ground.

[0030] The plurality of metallized through-holes 5 form a metal pillar array, which is located outside the through-hole array 4 and parallel to the through-hole array 4 .

[0031] The dielectric strip 6 is formed by separating the dielectric substrate 2 by the through-hole array 4 . The dielectric strip 6 is located at the center of the dielectric substrate 2 and is used for electromagnetic wave signal transmission.

[0032] The dielectric substrate 2 provides structural support, as do the dielectric blocks on either side. Metal planes 3 are located on the top surfaces of the dielectric blocks. These metal planes 3 are separated by dielectric strips 6 and via arrays 4, forming a common ground with the metallized vias 5 and the metal ground plane 1.

[0033] The through hole array 4 is a row of through holes, which are small round holes or small rectangular holes, forming air holes that pass through the upper and lower surfaces of the dielectric substrate 2 to play an isolation role.

[0034] Figure 3 The transmission and reflection coefficient curves of the substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure loaded with probe excitation are shown. The solid line is the reflection curve, and the dashed line is the transmission curve. Loading the excitation probes on both sides of the dielectric strip reveals the transmission and reflection characteristics of this transmission structure, showing good transmission coefficient from 18.5 GHz to 25 GHz, insertion loss of approximately 3 dB, and reflection coefficient less than -10 dB. The insertion loss is higher than that of an ideal structure, primarily due to the semi-exposed probes in the air and through-holes, which result in some electromagnetic leakage. Insertion loss can be reduced by adjusting the through-hole radius and spacing, and loss can also be reduced and transmission performance improved by optimizing the through-hole layout.

[0035] Example 2

[0036] The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that in this embodiment, an air groove is provided along one side of the dielectric substrate 2, and the air groove divides the dielectric substrate 2 into three parts. Figure 4As shown, the substrate-integrated notched mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure of this embodiment includes a dielectric substrate 2, a metal ground plane 1 and a metal plane 3 attached to the lower surface of the dielectric substrate 2. Two air slots 12 are provided on the upper surface of the dielectric substrate 2 along one side of the dielectric substrate 2. The air slots 12 divide the dielectric substrate 2 into three parts: dielectric blocks on both sides and a dielectric strip 6 in the middle. The metal plane 3 is located on the upper surface of the dielectric block. An outer metal plane 11 is attached to the side of the dielectric block opposite the air slots 12. The outer metal plane 11 forms a common ground plane with the metal ground plane 1 and the metal plane 3.

[0037] Dielectric strip 6 is formed by separating the dielectric substrate 2 by air slots 12. Located at the center of the dielectric substrate 2, dielectric strip 6 is used for electromagnetic wave signal transmission. The air slots act as an isolation barrier, blocking the entire dielectric substrate. The metal planes 3 on either side are separated by dielectric strip 6 and the air slots, forming a common ground with the outer metal planes 11 and metal ground plane 1.

[0038] Figure 5 The transmission and reflection coefficient curves for a substrate-integrated notched mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure loaded with probe excitation are shown. The solid line is the reflection curve, and the dashed line is the transmission curve. Loading the excitation probes on both sides of the dielectric strip achieves the transmission and reflection characteristics of this ideal transmission structure, demonstrating good transmission coefficients from 18.5 GHz to 25 GHz, insertion loss of approximately 2 dB, and reflection coefficients less than -10 dB. The higher insertion loss is due to the probes being partially exposed to air, resulting in some electromagnetic leakage.

[0039] The present invention provides isolation air holes or air slots on a dielectric substrate, which divide the dielectric substrate into three parts. The dielectric strip in the middle is used to transmit electromagnetic wave signals, and the dielectric blocks on both sides play a supporting role. The metal ground planes are connected to the metal planes to form a common ground. Compared with traditional dielectric waveguides, this dielectric waveguide transmission structure is easier to achieve planar integration. The integrated design makes the dielectric waveguide transmission structure simple, stable, and low-loss. It is suitable for the integrated planar circuit board manufacturing process of millimeter wave terahertz and other frequency bands, and can be used for electromagnetic transmission in millimeter wave terahertz and other frequency bands.

[0040] Example 3

[0041] like Figure 6 As shown, this embodiment provides a substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide array, which is obtained by arranging the substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure array of Example 1 or Example 2.

[0042] The present invention provides a metallized through hole or an outer metal plane. The metallized through hole plus the metal planes on both sides, or the outer metal plane plus the metal planes on both sides, can form a shield to prevent the exposed medium from absorbing electromagnetic waves. When multiple dielectric waveguides are designed into an array, they can be more dense and the coupling between the dielectric waveguides is very small.

[0043] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure, characterized by: The invention comprises a dielectric substrate, a metal ground plane attached to the lower surface of the dielectric substrate, and a metal plane. Air holes or air slots are provided along one side of the dielectric substrate. The air holes or air slots divide the dielectric substrate into three parts, namely dielectric blocks on both sides and a dielectric strip in the middle. The metal plane is located on the upper surface of the dielectric block. The metal plane and the metal ground plane are connected to form a common ground. When the air holes are provided along one side of the dielectric substrate, the air holes are through holes penetrating the upper and lower surfaces of the dielectric substrate. The through holes are arranged in an array along one side of the dielectric substrate to form a through hole array. The metal plane and the metal ground plane are connected to form a common ground via multiple metallized through holes. The multiple metallized through holes are located on the side of the dielectric block opposite to the through hole array.

2. The substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of metallized through holes form a metal column array, and the metal column array is located outside the through hole array and parallel to the through hole array.

3. The substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dielectric strip is located at the center of the dielectric substrate and is used to transmit electromagnetic wave signals.

4. The substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metal planes on both sides are separated by dielectric strips and through-hole arrays, forming a common ground with the metallized through-holes and the metal ground plane.

5. The substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A through-hole array is a row of through-holes, which are circular or rectangular holes.

6. The substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: When an air slot is opened along one side of the dielectric substrate, the metal plane and the metal ground plane are connected to form a common ground through the outer metal plane, and the outer metal plane is located on the side of the dielectric block opposite to the air slot.

7. The substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The metal planes on both sides are separated by dielectric strips and air slots, forming a common ground with the outer metal planes and the metal ground plane.

8. A substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide array, characterized in that: The substrate-integrated notch mirror dielectric waveguide transmission structure array according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is arranged.

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