Antenna unit and array antenna

Abstract

The invention provides an antenna unit and an array antenna, and belongs to the technical field of communication. The antenna unit comprises a dielectric substrate. The first radiation structure is arranged on the dielectric substrate; the plurality of PCBs are arranged on one side, deviating from the first radiation structure, of the dielectric substrate and are stacked in sequence; wherein the plurality of PCBs comprise a feed structure and a second radiation structure; the feed structure is configured to feed the first radiation structure and the second radiation structure; orthographic projections of the first radiation structure and the second radiation structure on the dielectric substrate are at least partially overlapped, and working frequency bands of the first radiation structure and the second radiation structure are different.

Description

Antenna elements and array antennas Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure belongs to the field of communication technology, specifically relating to an antenna element and an array antenna. Background Technology

[0002] A phased array antenna typically consists of multiple antenna elements. During use, the radiation pattern or beam can be controlled by changing the relative phase of each antenna element. Phased array antennas can be applied in 5G communications to improve various aspects of 5G performance, including signal strength, gain, directivity, and bandwidth. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and provides an antenna element comprising:

[0004] Dielectric substrate;

[0005] A first radiating structure is disposed on the dielectric substrate;

[0006] Multiple PCBs are disposed on the side of the dielectric substrate opposite to the first radiating structure and are stacked sequentially; wherein,

[0007] The plurality of PCBs include a power feeding structure and a second radiating structure; the power feeding structure is configured to power the first radiating structure and the second radiating structure; the orthographic projections of the first radiating structure and the second radiating structure on the dielectric substrate at least partially overlap, and the two operate at different frequency bands.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first radiating structure includes a first patch electrode, and the second radiating structure includes a second patch electrode; the PCB board includes a dielectric layer and a conductive pattern layer disposed on the dielectric layer.

[0009] The conductive patterned layer on the dielectric layer closest to the dielectric substrate includes the second patch electrode;

[0010] The antenna unit further includes an isolation hole penetrating the second patch electrode, and a conductive pad located within the isolation hole and disposed in the same layer as the second patch electrode; a first gap exists between the second patch electrode and the conductive pad;

[0011] The power supply structure is directly connected to the first patch electrode through the conductive disk, and is also coupled to the second patch electrode through the conductive disk.

[0012] In some embodiments, the impedance of the feed structure is Z. diff The dielectric substrate has a length of L, a width of W, and a dielectric constant of ∈ rThe frequency of the antenna element is f r The above parameters satisfy:

[0013] In some embodiments, the center of the conductive disk coincides with the center of the isolation hole; the distance between the edge of the conductive disk and the edge of the isolation hole is g. s The diameter of the isolation hole is 2r. s ,

[0014] In some embodiments, the isolation hole includes a square hole or a circular hole.

[0015] In some embodiments, a conductive element is disposed between the conductive disk and the first patch electrode.

[0016] In some embodiments, the conductive element includes:

[0017] A first electrical component is disposed between the conductive disk and the dielectric substrate;

[0018] The second electrical component penetrates the dielectric substrate along the thickness direction and connects the first electrical component to the first patch electrode.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first electrical component includes any one of a welded portion, conductive adhesive, and a first spherical array structure.

[0020] In some embodiments, the conductive element includes a probe; one end of the probe is connected to the conductive pad, and the other end passes through the dielectric substrate and is connected to the first patch electrode.

[0021] In some embodiments, the plurality of PCBs includes a first PCB, a third PCB, and a plurality of second PCBs disposed between them, wherein the first PCB is further away from the dielectric substrate than the third PCB; the first PCB includes a first dielectric layer, and a first conductive pattern layer and a second conductive pattern layer located on opposite sides of the first dielectric layer along its thickness direction, wherein the first conductive pattern layer is further away from the dielectric substrate than the second conductive pattern layer; the second PCB includes a second dielectric layer, and a third conductive pattern layer located on the side of the second dielectric layer closer to the dielectric substrate; the third PCB includes a third dielectric layer, and a fourth conductive pattern layer located on the side of the third dielectric layer closer to the dielectric substrate; the fourth conductive pattern layer includes the second patch electrode;

[0022] The power supply structure includes at least one power supply section; the power supply section includes a power supply wire and a transmission line, and the power supply wire is connected to the conductive disk through the transmission line.

[0023] The first conductive pattern layer includes the feed line; the second conductive pattern layer and at least a portion of the third conductive pattern layer each include a transmission layer; the first dielectric layer, the third dielectric layer and each of the second dielectric layers are provided with a through-hole, and the through-hole is filled with a transmission post; the orthographic projection of the conductive disk on the dielectric substrate covers the orthographic projection of the first through-hole penetrating the third dielectric layer on the dielectric substrate; each of the transmission layers and each of the transmission posts are sequentially connected to form the transmission line.

[0024] In some embodiments, two of the feed sections constitute a feed section group, and the signals transmitted by the two feed lines in the feed section group have the same amplitude and opposite phase; the feed structure further includes at least one isolation section, which is disposed corresponding to the feed section group; the isolation section includes multiple isolation layers and isolation posts that electrically connect the multiple isolation layers; the isolation layers and / or the isolation posts are grounded;

[0025] The second conductive pattern layer and each of the third conductive pattern layers, at least a portion of which includes the isolation layer; at least a portion of the second dielectric layer also includes a through second via, the second via being filled with the isolation pillar; each of the isolation pillars and each of the isolation layers are sequentially connected to form the isolation portion;

[0026] The orthographic projection of the isolation layer on the dielectric substrate partially or entirely surrounds the orthographic projection of the two transmission pillars that penetrate the third dielectric layer in the power supply assembly on the dielectric substrate.

[0027] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of each of the isolation layers onto the dielectric substrate forms a ring; the line connecting the two transmission pillars penetrating the third dielectric layer lies on a diameter of the ring.

[0028] In some embodiments, the inner diameter of the ring is D. coax The radius of the transmission column is r. h The distance between the two transmission pillars is s, and the impedance of the feed structure is Z. diff The above parameters satisfy:

[0029] In some embodiments, the power supply structure includes two power supply groups, namely a first power supply group and a second power supply group; the first power supply group is configured to feed in a signal in the horizontal polarization direction, and the second power supply group is configured to feed in a signal in the vertical polarization direction.

[0030] The power supply structure further includes two isolation sections, namely a first isolation section and a second isolation section; the first isolation section is correspondingly arranged with the first power supply section group, and the second isolation section is correspondingly arranged with the second power supply section group; the number of isolation layers in the first isolation section is greater than the number of isolation layers in the second isolation section.

[0031] In some embodiments, the antenna unit further includes a beam chip; the beam chip is disposed on the side of the plurality of PCBs facing away from the dielectric substrate; the beam chip is electrically connected to the feed structure.

[0032] In some embodiments, the beam chip is connected to the feeding structure via a second ball grid array structure.

[0033] In some embodiments, a second gap exists between the second radiating structure and the dielectric substrate.

[0034] This disclosure also provides an array antenna that includes the antenna elements described above.

[0035] In some embodiments, the array antenna includes array elements; the array element includes four antenna units, and each antenna unit shares a beam chip.

[0036] The orthographic projection of each antenna element onto the plane where the beam chip is located overlaps with the beam chip, and the four antenna elements are rotationally symmetrical about the center of the beam chip.

[0037] In some embodiments, the feeding structure of each antenna element includes two feeding section groups, each feeding section group includes two feeding sections, and each feeding section includes a feeding wire; the feeding wire is connected to the beam chip;

[0038] The beam chip has multiple pins on each of its four sides, and each feed line is electrically connected to one pin; the pins connected to different feed groups in the same antenna unit are located on two adjacent sides of the beam chip. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional structural diagram of an antenna element provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0040] Figure 2 is a top view of the antenna element shown in Figure 1.

[0041] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional perspective structural diagram of an antenna unit provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0042] Figure 4a shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the antenna element shown in Figure 3;

[0043] Figure 4b shows a top plan view of the antenna element shown in Figure 3;

[0044] Figure 5 is a top view of the second patch electrode and conductive disk provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0045] Figure 6 is a top view of the isolation section and transmission line provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0046] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional structural diagram of another antenna element provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0047] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional structural diagram of another antenna element provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0048] Figure 9 is a three-dimensional perspective structural diagram of the antenna unit cell 1 provided in the embodiment of this disclosure;

[0049] Figures 10 and 11 show schematic diagrams of the simulation results for antenna element cell1;

[0050] Figure 12 shows a three-dimensional perspective view of antenna cell 2;

[0051] Figure 13 shows a three-dimensional perspective view of antenna cell 3;

[0052] Figure 14 shows a three-dimensional perspective view of antenna cell 4;

[0053] Figure 15 shows a three-dimensional perspective view of antenna cell 5;

[0054] Figure 16 shows a bottom view schematic diagram of an array antenna;

[0055] Figure 17 shows a top view of one of the array elements in Figure 16.

[0056] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 100, antenna element; 200, array antenna; 10, glass substrate; 20, PCB board; 30, feeding structure; 40, beam chip; 50, second ball grid array structure; 11, first patch electrode; 12, second patch electrode; 13, isolation hole; 14, conductive pad; 31, feeding assembly; 32, feeding part; 321, feeding wire; 322, transmission line; 3221, transmission layer; 3222, transmission post; 33, isolation part; 331, isolation layer; 332, isolation post; 5, conductive component; 51, probe; 52, first electrical component; 53, second electrical component; 521, soldering part; 522, conductive adhesive; 523, first ball grid array structure. Detailed Implementation

[0057] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0058] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this application shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms “a,” “an,” “an,” “the,” and similar words used in this application do not indicate quantity limitation and may indicate singular or plural. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and any variations thereof used in this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or modules (units) is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may also include steps or units not listed, or may include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices. The terms “connected,” “linked,” “coupled,” and similar words used in this application are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. “Multiple” used in this application refers to two or more. “And / or” describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships may exist; for example, “A and / or B” can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship. The terms "first," "second," and "third" used in this application are merely to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of objects. "Above," "below," "left," and "right" are only used to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0059] As used herein, "parallel" and "perpendicular" include the described situation and situations similar to the described situation, within an acceptable deviation range, which is determined by those skilled in the art taking into account the measurement under discussion and the error associated with the measurement of a particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "parallel" includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, where an acceptable deviation range for approximate parallelism may be, for example, within 5°; "perpendicular" includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, where an acceptable deviation range for approximate perpendicularity may also be, for example, within 5°. It should be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being on another layer or substrate, it may be that the layer or element is directly on the other layer or substrate, or it may be that there is an intermediate layer between the layer or element and the other layer or substrate.

[0060] In related technologies, most designs for 5G communication focus on 28 or 39 GHz and are series-fed dual-band antennas. However, due to their large size and poor isolation and polarization purity performance, they are not suitable for phased array applications.

[0061] In view of the above, this disclosure provides an antenna element that substantially eliminates one or more of the problems caused by the limitations and defects of related technologies. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the antenna element of this disclosure, and Figure 2 is a top structural schematic diagram of the antenna element in Figure 1.

[0062] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the antenna unit of this disclosure includes: a dielectric substrate 10, a first radiating structure disposed on the dielectric substrate 10, and a plurality of stacked PCBs 20 disposed on the side of the dielectric substrate 10 opposite to the first radiating structure. The plurality of PCBs 20 include a feeding structure 30 and a second radiating structure. The feeding structure is configured to feed the first radiating structure and the second radiating structure, which operate at different frequency bands. For example, the signal frequency band radiated by the first radiating structure may be higher than that radiated by the second radiating structure, or the signal frequency band radiated by the first radiating structure may be lower than that radiated by the second radiating structure; the specific configuration can be determined according to actual requirements.

[0063] In some examples, the first radiating structure and the second radiating structure may include a microstrip line or a stripline. Taking a microstrip line as an example, the first radiating structure includes a first patch electrode 11, and the second radiating structure includes a second patch electrode 12. The orthographic projections of the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12 on the dielectric substrate 10 at least partially overlap. At least partially overlapping may include: the orthographic projection of the first patch electrode 11 on the dielectric substrate 10 covering the orthographic projection of the second patch electrode 12 on the dielectric substrate 10; or, the orthographic projection of the second patch electrode 12 on the dielectric substrate 10 covering the orthographic projection of the first patch electrode 11 on the dielectric substrate 10; or, the orthographic projections of the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12 on the dielectric substrate 10 partially overlap. The first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12 are arranged to overlap on the dielectric substrate 10, which can generate a certain coupling between them when they radiate signals. Furthermore, the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12 are both fed by the feeding structure 30, so the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12 radiate signals of different frequency bands respectively.

[0064] In some examples, the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12 have different sizes, and their overlapping relationship can be as described above. In yet another example, the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12 can have the same shape, for example, both being elliptical or rectangular; or, the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12 can have different shapes, for example, the first patch electrode 11 can be circular and the second patch electrode 12 can be rectangular, or the first patch electrode 11 can be rectangular and the second patch electrode 12 can be circular.

[0065] In some examples, the material of the dielectric substrate 10 may include glass. The antenna element is encapsulated by a glass substrate and a multilayer PCB board in the cross-sectional direction of the antenna element, which can effectively increase the flexibility of antenna design and facilitate the expansion of antenna applications. The glass substrate can be a rectangular glass substrate or other shapes, without limitation. The thickness of the glass substrate can be relatively small, for example, 0.25mm to 0.5mm, such as 0.25mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, or 0.5mm. Therefore, a thinner glass substrate can reduce the overall size of the antenna element in the cross-sectional direction, thereby enabling miniaturized antenna element design. In practice, the bandwidth of the antenna element can be adjusted by changing the thickness of the glass substrate. Specifically, the smaller the thickness of the glass substrate, the narrower the bandwidth of the antenna element; the larger the thickness of the glass substrate, the larger the bandwidth. For example, changing the thickness of the glass substrate from 0.25mm to 0.5mm can increase the bandwidth of a dual-band antenna, realizing a high- and low-frequency wideband array antenna element design.

[0066] The antenna unit includes a multilayer PCB board 20, specifically, it may include an 8-layer PCB board, a 9-layer PCB board, a 10-layer PCB board, an 11-layer PCB board, etc. As shown in Figure 1, the antenna unit in Figure 1 includes an 8-layer PCB board. The 8-layer PCB board contains a feed structure 30 and a second patch electrode 12. Specifically, the second patch electrode 12 is disposed on the PCB board 21 closest to the dielectric substrate 10, and the feed structure 30 is disposed in each PCB layer. It should be noted that each PCB board includes a dielectric layer and a conductive pattern layer disposed on the dielectric layer. The PCB boards in Figure 1 only schematically show the dielectric layers of each PCB board; the specific structure of the conductive pattern layers of each PCB board will be described in subsequent specific embodiments.

[0067] The feeding structure 30 is used to provide radiation signals to the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12. The feeding structure 30 can be a single-polarized feeding structure, such as providing a radiation signal in a polarization direction, such as providing a signal in a 45° polarization direction; or, the feeding structure 30 can be a dual-polarized feeding structure, which can provide radiation signals in two different polarization directions, such as providing a radiation signal in a horizontal polarization direction and a radiation signal in a vertical polarization direction, thereby enabling the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12 to radiate circularly polarized, elliptically polarized, or cross-polarized signals.

[0068] In practice, the signal output terminal of the feeding structure 30 can be coupled to both the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12 simultaneously, as shown in Figure 1. The coupling methods between the feeding structure 30 and the first and second patch electrodes 11 and 12 can be consistent or inconsistent. For example, the feeding structure 30 can be directly fed to both the first and second patch electrodes 11 through contact, or it can be directly fed to one of the first and second patch electrodes 11 through contact and to the other through slot coupling. Contact feeding can reduce signal path loss and improve signal quality, while coupled feeding can increase the signal bandwidth coverage, thus achieving wider signal coverage. When the coupling method between the feeding structure 30 and the first patch electrode 11 differs from its coupling method with the second patch electrode 12, the antenna element structure can be flexibly configured, helping to reduce the overall size of the antenna element.

[0069] In this embodiment, the antenna unit is co-packaged with a glass substrate and a multilayer PCB board 20. The feed structure 30 is disposed within the printed PCB board 20 and coupled to both the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12. This allows the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12 to radiate signals in different frequency bands, enabling the antenna unit to be a dual-band antenna unit. Furthermore, the glass substrate is easily replaceable; if the signal needs to be switched from one frequency band to another, the glass substrate can be directly replaced, thus facilitating the antenna unit to meet the signal radiation requirements of more frequency bands. Moreover, by disposing of the feed structure 30 within the multilayer PCB board, a more complex feed structure design can be achieved, thereby improving the feed performance of the antenna unit.

[0070] In some embodiments, the second patch electrode 12 can be designed to resonate with the first patch electrode 11. Specifically, a second gap can be provided between the second patch electrode 12 and the dielectric substrate 10. This second gap can provide resonance between the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12, thereby achieving resonance of high and low frequency signals and improving radiation quality. In some examples, the size of the second gap can be less than or equal to 0.1 mm. Specifically, the size of the second gap is less than the thickness of the dielectric substrate 10, and in practice, it can be 0.05 mm, 0.03 mm, 0.04 mm, 0.06 mm, etc. Having a gap between the second patch electrode 12 and the dielectric substrate 10 facilitates the replacement of the dielectric substrate 10, thus improving the ease of replacement. Of course, in other embodiments, no gap may be provided between the second patch electrode 12 and the dielectric substrate 10; they can be bonded together using conductive adhesive or the like.

[0071] In some embodiments, continuing to refer to FIG1, the antenna element further includes a beamforming chip 40 located on the side of the multilayer PCB 21 facing away from the dielectric substrate 10. Specifically, the beamforming chip 40 is connected to the feed structure 30 and configured to provide a feed signal to the feed structure 30. In some examples, the beamforming chip can be connected to the feed structure 30 via a second ball grid array structure 50. A ball grid array (BGA) is a surface mount packaging technology commonly used to permanently mount devices such as microprocessors. BGA packaging provides more pins than other packages such as dual in-line packages or quad flat packages, allowing the entire bottom surface of the device to be used as pins instead of just the periphery. It also has a shorter average conductor length than periphery-limited package types, resulting in better high-speed performance. Thus, by using a ball grid array structure for packaging, not only can the signal transmission performance between the beamforming chip 40 and the feed structure 30 be improved, but the profile height of the antenna element can also be reduced.

[0072] [Amended according to Rule 26, 21.04.2025] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional perspective view of an antenna unit provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, Figure 4a is a cross-sectional view of the antenna unit shown in Figure 3, and Figure 4b is a top view of the antenna unit shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figures 3, 4a, and 4b, in this embodiment, the antenna unit includes a dielectric substrate 10, a first patch electrode 11 disposed on the dielectric substrate 10, and a 9-layer stacked PCB board disposed on the side of the dielectric substrate 10 opposite to the first patch electrode 11. The 9-layer PCB board includes a second patch electrode 12 and a feed structure 30. Each PCB board includes a dielectric layer and a conductive pattern layer disposed on the dielectric layer. The conductive pattern layer on the dielectric layer closest to the dielectric substrate 10 includes the second patch electrode 12, and the orthographic projection of the second patch electrode 12 on the dielectric substrate 10 is a rectangle.

[0073] In some examples, the impedance of the feed structure 30 is Z. diff The dielectric substrate 10 has a length of L, a width of W, and a dielectric constant of ∈ r The operating frequency of the antenna element is f r The above parameters satisfy:

[0074] In some examples, the second patch electrode 12 has at least one isolation hole 13, and a conductive disk 14 is disposed within each isolation hole 13. The conductive disk 14 is disposed on the same layer as the second patch electrode 12, and there is a first gap between them. A feeding structure 30 is disposed below the conductive disk 14. The feeding structure 30 is directly electrically connected to the first patch electrode 11 through the conductive disk 14, and is also coupled to the second patch electrode 12 through the conductive disk 14. That is, the feeding mechanism 30 feeds the first patch electrode 11 directly and the second patch electrode 12 through coupled feeding, which allows for flexible configuration of the antenna element structure and reduces the overall size of the antenna element.

[0075] Since the second patch electrode 12 is fed to the feeding structure 30 via a gap coupling, the relationship between the bandwidth BW of the second patch electrode 12 and the total thickness h of each PCB layer 20 can be approximately expressed as: Where, ∈ r Let be the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer in the PCB board. As can be seen from the formula, the bandwidth BW is directly proportional to the total thickness h of the PCB board. Therefore, using a multilayer PCB board is beneficial for increasing the bandwidth of the second surface mount electrode 12.

[0076] In some examples, the isolation aperture 13 can be configured as a square or circular aperture. Configuring the isolation aperture 13 as a circular aperture helps enhance the anti-interference capability of the radio frequency signal and ensures the consistency of signals transmitted in all directions. Configuring the isolation aperture 13 as a square aperture facilitates impedance matching between the feed structure 30 and the first patch electrode 1 and the second patch electrode 12 by adjusting the ratio of the side length of the square aperture to the spacing between the square aperture and the conductive disk 14, thereby reducing reflected energy and increasing the gain of the antenna element.

[0077] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the relative positional relationship between the second patch electrode 12 and the conductive disk 14 in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, the conductive disk 14 is a circular disk, and the isolation hole 13 is a circular hole, with their centers coinciding. The distance between the edge of the conductive disk 14 and the edge of the isolation hole 13 is g. s The diameter of isolation hole 13 is 2r. s The impedance of the feed structure 30 can be approximated as... As can be seen from the expression, the width of the first gap (i.e., g) s The larger the gap, the greater the impedance of the feed structure 30. However, increasing the width of the first gap will weaken the coupling between the conductive disk 14 and the second patch electrode 12. Therefore, in the specific design, the requirements of coupling efficiency and impedance matching can be considered comprehensively. It is understood that when the isolation hole 13 is a square hole, the diameter of the isolation hole 13 refers to the side length of the square hole.

[0078] In some embodiments, multiple PCBs can be divided into a first PCB, multiple second PCBs, and a third PCB along the direction close to the dielectric substrate 10. For example, in the 9-layer PCB of FIG4a, the PCB 20 farthest from the dielectric substrate 10 is the first PCB, located at layer L9; the PCB 20 closest to the dielectric substrate 10 is the third PCB, located at layer L1; and the 7 PCBs located at layers L2 to L8 are all second PCBs. The first PCB includes a first dielectric layer, and a first conductive pattern layer and a second conductive pattern layer located on opposite sides of the first dielectric layer along its thickness direction. The first conductive pattern layer is farther from the dielectric substrate 10 than the second conductive pattern layer; that is, the first conductive pattern layer is located below the first PCB, and the second conductive pattern layer is located above the first PCB. The second PCB includes a second dielectric layer and a third conductive pattern layer disposed on the side of the second dielectric layer close to the dielectric substrate 10. The third PCB includes a third dielectric layer and a fourth conductive pattern layer disposed on the side of the third dielectric layer close to the dielectric substrate 10. The fourth conductive pattern layer includes the aforementioned second patch electrode 12 and conductive pad.

[0079] The conductive pattern layers in each PCB board 20 and the conductive pillars penetrating the dielectric layer in each PCB board 20 are electrically connected together to form the power supply structure.

[0080] Specifically, referring to Figure 4a, the power supply structure 30 includes multiple power supply sections 32. Each power supply section 32 includes electrically connected power supply wires 321 and transmission lines 322. The power supply wires 321 are connected to the beamforming chip 40, and the transmission lines 322 are connected to the conductive disk 14. In other words, the power supply wires 321 and 322 act as adapters, bridging the beamforming chip 40 and the conductive disk 14. In the example shown in Figure 4a, two power supply sections are schematically depicted. The two power supply sections have identical structures and are symmetrically distributed. Taking the power supply section on the right as an example, it includes electrically connected power supply wires 321 and transmission lines 322.

[0081] Next, we will introduce the correspondence between the feed lines and transmission lines in each feed section 32 and the conductive pattern layers of each PCB board.

[0082] Referring again to Figure 4a, the first conductive pattern layer of the first PCB board located at layer L9 includes a feed line 321, which is electrically connected to the beam chip 40. The second conductive pattern layer of the first PCB board located at layer L9, and at least a portion of the third conductive pattern layers of the second PCB boards located at layers L2 to L8, all include a transmission layer 3221. Specifically, in the example of Figure 4a, the second conductive pattern layer, the third conductive pattern layer of the second PCB board located at layer L8, and the third conductive pattern layers of the second PCB boards located at layers L8 to L2 all include a transmission layer 3221. A through-hole is provided on the first dielectric layer of the first PCB board located at layer L9, each of the second dielectric layers of the second PCB boards located at layers L8 to L2, and the third dielectric layer of the third PCB board located at layer L1. The first through-hole is filled with a transmission post 3222. Each transmission layer 3221 and the transmission post 3222 are sequentially connected to form the transmission line 322.

[0083] The orthographic projections of the transmission pillars 3222 located in different first vias on the dielectric substrate 10 can completely overlap, partially overlap, or not overlap at all. For example, in the example of Figure 4a, the orthographic projections of the transmission pillar 3222 penetrating the third dielectric layer located in layer L1 and the six transmission pillars 3222 penetrating the six second dielectric layers located in layers L2 to L7 completely overlap on the dielectric substrate 10. The orthographic projections of the transmission pillar 3222 penetrating the second dielectric layer located in layer L8 and the transmission pillar 3222 penetrating the L9 layer completely overlap on the dielectric substrate 10. The orthographic projections of the transmission pillar 3222 penetrating the second dielectric layer located in layer L7 and the transmission pillar 3222 penetrating the second dielectric layer located in layer L8 do not overlap on the dielectric substrate 10, and there is a certain gap between them. Therefore, in order to achieve electrical connection between the transmission layer and the transmission pillars, the transmission layer 3221 disposed between layers L1 to L6 and layers L8 to L9 can be made shorter, while the transmission layer 3221 disposed between layers L7 and L8 needs to be made longer. The longer transmission layer 3221, together with the lower transmission layer 3221, forms a stripline structure, which can greatly improve antenna polarization isolation and cross-polarization purity. It is understood that Figure 4a only provides an exemplary transmission line structure; in practice, the number and connection relationship of the transmission layers 3221 and transmission pillars 3222 can be designed differently as needed.

[0084] To connect the transmission line 322 to the conductive pad 14, the orthographic projection of the conductive pad 14 on the dielectric substrate 10 is configured to at least partially overlap with the orthographic projection of the first through-hole penetrating the third PCB board on the dielectric substrate 10. This allows the transmission post 3222, located within the first through-hole (i.e., penetrating the third dielectric layer of the third PCB board located at layer L1), to achieve electrical connection with the conductive pad 14. Preferably, the orthographic projection of the conductive pad 14 on the dielectric substrate 10 completely covers the orthographic projection of the first through-hole penetrating the third PCB board on the dielectric substrate, thus ensuring the continuity of signal transmission.

[0085] In some examples, the feeding structure includes not only the feeding section 32, but also the isolation section 33. The isolation section 33 can effectively avoid the coupling between signals and improve the gain of the antenna element. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, two feeding sections 32 constitute a feeding section group 31, and an isolation section 33 is set corresponding to a feeding section group 31. Figure 3 schematically shows two feeding section groups 31 and two corresponding isolation sections 32. For each feeding section group 31, the signals transmitted on the two feeding sections 32 are differential signals, that is, signals with the same amplitude but opposite phase. Using differential signal feeding has at least the following advantages: (1) Enhance the anti-interference capability of the antenna element: Differential feeding can effectively suppress common-mode noise and interference, thereby improving the integrity of the radio frequency signal. (2) Improve the quality of radio frequency signals: Differential feeding design can reduce signal reflection and attenuation when transmitting signals, thereby improving the quality of the transmitted signal. At the same time, since the differential signals are opposite in phase, the electromagnetic coupling effect between the two feed lines is small, which helps to reduce signal distortion. (3) Improve the radiation efficiency of the antenna element: Differential feeding design can make the radiated energy of the antenna more concentrated, effectively improving the radiation efficiency and enhancing the gain of the antenna element. (4) Easier to achieve impedance matching: Differential feeding helps to achieve good impedance matching in antenna design, reducing reflection loss and improving the overall system transmission efficiency. (5) Achieve antenna miniaturization design: Differential feeding design can better adapt to the miniaturization and integration requirements of antennas. Through differential feeding design, the antenna volume can be effectively reduced and the performance improved. In addition, since the two feed sections 32 located in the same feed section group 31 transmit differential signals, the two feed sections 32 can form a differential coaxial line. Since the signal polarities on the two feed sections 32 in the differential coaxial line are opposite, the electromagnetic fields radiated to the outside can cancel each other outward, thus reducing electromagnetic interference between different feed section groups 31, thereby improving the anti-interference capability of the antenna element.

[0086] Specifically, referring to Figures 3, 4a, and 4b, the isolation section 33 includes multiple isolation layers 331 and isolation posts 332 electrically connecting the multiple isolation layers 331. The isolation layers 331 and / or the isolation posts 332 are grounded. Here, "and / or" means that the isolation layer 331 is grounded, or the isolation post 332 is grounded, or both the isolation layer 331 and the isolation post 332 are grounded. Grounding the isolation section 33 achieves signal shielding. It can be understood that as long as the power supply structure 30 includes at least one isolation section 33, that isolation section 33 can provide signal isolation.

[0087] Next, we will introduce the correspondence between the isolation layer 331 and isolation pillar 332 in each isolation section 33 and the conductive pattern layer of each PCB board 20.

[0088] Referring again to FIG4a, the second conductive pattern layer and each of the third conductive pattern layers, at least a portion of which includes an isolation layer 331, that is, the isolation layer 331 can be disposed on the second conductive pattern layer of the first PCB board located at layer L9 near the dielectric substrate 10, and on the third conductive pattern layers of the second PCB board located at layers L8 to L2. In the example of FIG4a, the isolation portion 33 includes an isolation layer 331 disposed on the second conductive pattern layer of the first PCB board located at layer L9, three isolation layers 331 disposed on the third conductive pattern layers of the second PCB board located at layers L8 to L6, and three isolation pillars 332 electrically connecting these four isolation layers 331. The three isolation pillars 332 are respectively disposed in the second vias penetrating the second dielectric layer located at layer L8, the second vias penetrating the second dielectric layer located at layer L7, and the second vias penetrating the second dielectric layer located at layer L6.

[0089] It should be noted that in the example of Figure 4a, the two feed sections 32 belong to different feed section groups 31, therefore, a partial isolation layer 331 and isolation pillar 332 are also provided between the two feed sections 32. It should also be noted that the orthographic projection of each isolation layer 331 onto the dielectric substrate 10 is a ring-shaped structure, which partially or completely surrounds its corresponding feed section group 31. In Figure 4a, the isolation layer 331 and isolation pillar 332 located between the two feed sections 32 can belong to the isolation section 33 portion surrounding the left feed section 32, or it can belong to the isolation section 33 portion surrounding the right feed section 32.

[0090] It is understandable that for an isolation section 33, the number of isolation layers 331 and isolation pillars 332 is related as M and M-1. For example, in the example of Figure 4a, the isolation section 33 corresponding to the power supply section 32 on the left includes four isolation layers 331 and three isolation pillars 332, and the isolation section corresponding to the power supply section 32 on the right also includes four isolation layers 331 and three isolation pillars 32, and the two isolation sections 33 are arranged on the same layer.

[0091] In some examples, referring to Figure 3, for the one-to-one corresponding power supply group 31 and isolation group 33, the orthographic projection of each isolation layer 331 in the isolation group 33 onto the dielectric substrate 10 forms a closed pattern. This closed pattern completely surrounds the power supply group 31, thus ensuring complete isolation of the power supply group 31 from the outside world and achieving lossless signal transmission. Specifically, this surrounding can mean that the orthographic projections of each isolation layer 331 onto the dielectric substrate 10 overlap, and the orthographic projections together form a closed pattern. The orthographic projections of the transmission layer 331 and transmission pillar 332 in the power supply group 331 onto the dielectric substrate 10 are located within this closed pattern.

[0092] In some examples, the isolation layer 331 can be an arc-shaped metal layer or a strip-shaped metal layer. As shown in Figure 3, when the isolation layer 331 is an arc-shaped metal layer, the orthographic projection of each isolation layer 331 on the dielectric substrate 10 can form a circle; when it is a strip-shaped metal layer, the orthographic projection of each isolation layer 331 on the dielectric substrate can form a rectangle. Of course, if it is an arc-shaped metal layer, it can facilitate the PCB board layout process, and the circular metal ring formed by its enclosure can ensure the shielding effect on the power supply structure.

[0093] Taking the isolation layer 331 as an arc-shaped metal layer as an example, preferably, the transmission line 322 surrounded by the isolation part 331 is evenly arranged in the ring formed by the isolation part 33, so as to ensure the best isolation effect.

[0094] Figure 6 is a top view of a power supply assembly 31 and an isolation assembly 33 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. It should be noted that the overall projection of each isolation layer 331 is a ring, with one isolation layer 331 being an arc. The arc's radius can be π or less than π. The orthographic projection of the power supply line 321 on the dielectric substrate 10 and the orthographic projection of each isolation layer 331 on the dielectric substrate 10 may not overlap or may partially overlap. Referring to Figure 6, the inner diameter of the ring formed by the isolation assembly 33 is D. coax The radius of the transmission pillar 3222 (i.e., the transmission pillar located in layers L1 to L7) constituting the differential coaxial line in the power supply section 31 is r. h The distance between the two transmission pillars 3222 is s, and the characteristic impedance of the feed structure 30 is Z. diff The above parameters satisfy:

[0095] In some examples, the height and position of the isolation section 33 corresponding to different feed section groups 31 may be different. Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another antenna element provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The difference between the antenna element in Figure 7 and the antenna element in Figure 4a lies in the different structures of the two isolation sections 33. Referring to Figure 7, the isolation section 33 corresponding to the feed section 32 on the left includes four isolation layers 331 and three isolation pillars 332 electrically connecting the four isolation layers 331, and the isolation section 33 corresponding to the feed section 32 on the right includes three isolation layers 331 and two isolation pillars 332 electrically connecting the three isolation layers 331. Specifically, the four isolation layers 331 in the isolation section 32 corresponding to the power supply section on the left are respectively disposed in the third conductive pattern layer of the second PCB board located at L7, L6, L5, and L4. Three isolation pillars 332 are respectively disposed within the second through-holes penetrating the second dielectric layer of the second PCB board located at L6, L5, and L4. Similarly, the three isolation layers 331 in the isolation section corresponding to the power supply section on the right are respectively disposed in the second conductive pattern layer of the first PCB board located at L9, L8, and L7. Two isolation pillars 332 are respectively disposed within the second through-holes penetrating the second dielectric layer of the second PCB board located at L8 and L7.

[0096] For each feed section 31 of this disclosure, the two feed sections 32 transmit differential signals with the same amplitude but opposite phase. The feed lines 321 in the two feed sections 31 are orthogonal, thus enabling the antenna element to radiate circularly polarized electromagnetic waves. Furthermore, to avoid energy imbalance and reduce losses, the characteristic impedance of the differential feed lines can be set to 100 ohms. The feed structure includes at least one feed section 31; when multiple feed sections 31 are included, different feed sections 31 can transmit signals with different polarization directions. Thus, the entire feed structure 30 can simultaneously transmit multi-frequency, multi-polarization signals, thereby improving the signal strength, gain, radiation pattern, and other performance aspects of the antenna element, allowing it to be applied in more scenarios.

[0097] In some embodiments, the feeding structure includes two feeding section groups 31, namely a first feeding section group and a second feeding section group. The first feeding section group is configured to feed signals in the horizontal polarization direction, and the second feeding section group is configured to feed signals in the vertical polarization direction. Correspondingly, the feeding structure also includes two isolation sections 33, namely a first isolation section and a second isolation section. The first isolation section is disposed around the first feeding section group, and the second isolation section is disposed around the second feeding section group. Since the electric field vector of the signal in the horizontal polarization direction is perpendicular to the cross-sectional direction of the antenna element, and the electric field vector of the signal in the vertical polarization direction is also perpendicular to the cross-sectional direction of the antenna element, the number of isolation layers in the first isolation section is greater than the number of isolation layers in the second isolation section to better isolate the first feeding section group and the second feeding section group. Therefore, through the differentiated design of the two isolation sections, optimal impedance of the antenna element can be achieved while ensuring polarization purity and achieving signal isolation.

[0098] In some examples, a conductive element 5 is also provided between the conductive disk and the first patch electrode 11. The power supply structure 30 is directly connected to the first patch electrode 11 via the conductive disk 14 and the conductive element 5, providing contact power supply to the first patch electrode 11. Contact power supply can reduce signal path loss and improve signal quality.

[0099] In some examples, the conductive element 5 may include a first electrical element 52 and a second electrical element 53 that are electrically connected. The first electrical element 52 is disposed between the conductive pad 14 and the dielectric substrate 10, and the second electrical element 53 penetrates the dielectric substrate 10 along its thickness direction, electrically connecting the first electrical element 52 and the first patch electrode 11. The first electrical element 52 may, for example, include any one of a solder joint 521, conductive adhesive 522, and a first ball-and-socket array structure 523, and the second electrical element may, for example, include a metal pillar.

[0100] The soldering section may include solder pillars, which not only enable power feeding between the conductive disk 14 and the first patch electrode 11, but also facilitate the connection between the dielectric substrate 10 and the multilayer PCB board. This design helps achieve a low-loss interconnect design between the feed structure 30 and the first patch electrode 11, improving the gain of the antenna element. Conductive adhesive 522 can be applied to the conductive disk 14 and bonded to the second electrical component 53. The conductive adhesive 522 is thinner than the solder pillars, thereby reducing the profile height of the antenna element, allowing it to be used in low-profile phased arrays. The first ball grid array structure 523 can be located on the conductive disk 14, enabling a dual-band, high-isolation, low-profile antenna element design. For example, when the feed structure 30 includes two feed groups 31 to achieve dual-polarized signal input, the first ball grid array structure 523 can enhance the isolation between signals, improve polarization purity, and achieve a low-profile design.

[0101] In some embodiments, the conductive element may include a probe 51, which penetrates the dielectric substrate 10 and is electrically connected to the first patch electrode 11. Specifically, referring to FIG8, a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of another antenna unit is shown. As shown in FIG8, one end of the probe 51 is electrically connected to the conductive disk 14, and the other end penetrates the dielectric substrate 10 and is electrically connected to the first patch electrode 11. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG8, a hole can be drilled in the dielectric substrate 10 to obtain a feed hole. Then, the probe 51 is installed on the conductive disk 14, and the probe is soldered to the first patch electrode 11 after passing through the feed hole. Specifically, the dielectric substrate 10 can be drilled first to obtain the feed hole. Then, the first patch electrode 11 is formed on one side of the dielectric substrate 10, and the first patch electrode 11 surrounds the feed hole. Then, the probe 51 is soldered to the first patch electrode 11 using a soldering process, thereby realizing the electrical connection between the probe 51 and the first patch electrode 11. By adopting this conductive component 5 design, low-loss interconnection between the dielectric substrate 10 and the multilayer printed PCB board can be achieved, thereby improving the gain of the array antenna unit.

[0102] The following are several specific embodiments to illustrate the antenna element of this disclosure.

[0103] Example 1: An antenna unit Cell1 is provided.

[0104] Referring to Figures 9, 4a, and 4b, Figure 9 shows a three-dimensional perspective view of the antenna unit shown in Figure 3 from another angle. As shown in Figures 9, 4a, and 4b, the antenna unit Cell1 may include: a dielectric substrate 10 with a thickness of 0.5 mm; a first patch electrode 11 disposed on the dielectric substrate 10; a nine-layer PCB board 20 disposed on the side of the dielectric substrate 10 away from the first patch electrode 11, the nine-layer PCB board including a second patch electrode 12 and a feeding structure 30, the feeding structure 30 being configured to feed the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12; and a beam chip 40 disposed on the side of the multilayer PCB board away from the dielectric substrate 10 and electrically connected to the feeding structure 30, configured to provide a feeding signal to the feeding structure 30.

[0105] The power supply structure 30 includes two power supply groups 31 and two isolation sections 33 corresponding to the two power supply groups 31. The two power supply groups 31 share a beam chip 40. Each power supply group 31 includes two power supply sections 32, and each power supply section 32 includes a power supply wire 321 and a transmission line 322 that are electrically connected. The transmission line 322 is directly connected to the first patch electrode 11 through a conductive pad 14, and is coupled to the second patch electrode 12 through the conductive pad 14. The extension directions of the power supply wires 321 in different power supply groups 31 are orthogonal. For example, referring to FIG3, in the power supply group 31 on the left side of the image, the power supply wire 321 closer to the edge of the PCB board 20 extends first along the y direction and then along the x direction. In the power supply group 31 on the right side of the image, the power supply wire closer to the edge of the PCB board extends first along the x direction and then along the y direction. This simplifies the design and makes installation easier. At the same time, setting the feed lines 321 in the two feed section groups 31 into a symmetrical structure helps to make the radiation pattern of the antenna element symmetrical, so that the antenna element can radiate and receive signals evenly.

[0106] Specifically, the two power supply groups 31 are a first power supply group and a second power supply group, and the two isolation groups 33 are a first isolation group and a second isolation group. The first isolation group is arranged around the first power supply group, and the second isolation group is arranged around the second power supply group. The first power supply group includes a first power supply group and a second power supply group, and the orthographic projections of the first power supply group and the second power supply group on the dielectric substrate 10 do not overlap. The first power supply group includes a first power supply line and a first transmission line that are electrically connected, and the second power supply group includes a second power supply line and a second transmission line. The first transmission line is directly connected to the first patch electrode 11 through a first conductive pad, and is coupled to the second patch electrode 12 through the first conductive pad. The second power supply group includes a second power supply line and a second transmission line that are electrically connected. The second power supply line is directly connected to the first patch electrode 11 through a second conductive pad, and is coupled to the second patch electrode 12 through the second conductive pad. The second power supply group includes a third power supply group and a fourth power supply group, and the orthographic projections of the third power supply group and the fourth power supply group on the dielectric substrate 10 do not overlap. The third power supply section includes a third power supply wire and a third transmission line that are electrically connected, and the fourth power supply section includes a fourth power supply wire and a fourth transmission line that are electrically connected. The third transmission line is directly connected to the first patch electrode 11 via a third conductive pad, and is also coupled to the second patch electrode 12 via the third conductive pad. The fourth transmission line is directly connected to the first patch electrode 11 via a fourth conductive pad, and is also coupled to the second patch electrode 12 via the fourth conductive pad.

[0107] The nine-layer PCB board includes a first PCB board, seven second PCB boards, and a third PCB board stacked sequentially along the direction close to the dielectric substrate 10. The first PCB board includes a first dielectric layer and a first conductive pattern layer and a second conductive pattern layer disposed on opposite sides of the first dielectric layer along its thickness direction. The first conductive pattern layer is further away from the dielectric substrate 10 than the second conductive pattern layer. The second PCB board includes a second dielectric layer and a third conductive pattern layer disposed on the side of the second dielectric layer close to the dielectric substrate 10. The third PCB board includes a third dielectric layer and a fourth conductive pattern layer disposed on the side of the third dielectric layer close to the dielectric substrate 10.

[0108] The first conductive pattern layer includes a first feed line, a second feed line, a third feed line, and a fourth feed line, and their orthogonal projections on the dielectric substrate 10 do not overlap. The second conductive pattern layer includes an isolation layer for the first isolation portion, an isolation layer for the second isolation portion, a transmission layer for the first transmission line, a transmission layer for the second transmission line, a transmission layer for the third transmission line, and a transmission layer for the fourth transmission line. Along the direction from the first PCB board to the second PCB board, the first third conductive pattern layer includes an isolation layer for the first isolation portion, an isolation layer for the second isolation portion, a transmission layer for the first transmission line, a transmission layer for the second transmission line, a transmission layer for the third transmission line, and a transmission layer for the fourth transmission line. The second third conductive pattern layer includes an isolation layer for the first isolation portion and an isolation layer for the second isolation portion. The third third conductive pattern layer includes an isolation layer for the first isolation portion, an isolation layer for the second isolation portion, a transmission layer for the first transmission line, a transmission layer for the second transmission line, a transmission layer for the third transmission line, and a transmission layer for the fourth transmission line. The fourth to seventh third conductive pattern layers each include a transmission layer for the first transmission line, a transmission layer for the second transmission line, a transmission layer for the third transmission line, and a transmission layer for the fourth transmission line. The fourth conductive pattern layer includes a second patch electrode, a first conductive pad, a second conductive pad, a third conductive pad, and a fourth conductive pad. The various structures located within the same conductive pattern layer can be formed using a single patterning process to simplify the manufacturing process.

[0109] Furthermore, each of the nine-layer PCBs includes a through-hole, which is filled with transmission pillars. These transmission pillars connect the transmission layers to form the first transmission line, the second transmission line, the third transmission line, and the fourth transmission line. Along the direction from the first PCB to the third PCB, the second dielectric layer of the first to third second PCBs also has a through-hole, which is filled with isolation pillars. These isolation pillars connect the isolation layers to form the first isolation section and the second isolation section.

[0110] In addition, conductive elements 5 are provided between the first conductive disk, the second conductive disk, the third conductive disk, and the fourth conductive disk and the first patch electrode 11. The conductive elements 5 include a first ball grid array structure 523 and metal pillars 52. The first feed line, the second feed line, the third feed line, and the fourth feed line can be connected to the beam chip 40 through the second ball grid array structure 50.

[0111] In this antenna unit Cell1, the characteristic impedance of the differential feed line is set to 100 ohms. Through the design between the two isolation parts 33 and the feed structure 30, the characteristic impedance of the feed structure 30 can be adjusted to 50 ohms, thereby avoiding the imbalance of coupled energy and reducing losses.

[0112] Using this antenna unit Cell1, the first patch electrode 11 can radiate high-frequency signals, and the second patch electrode 12 can radiate low-frequency signals. The two feed groups 31 can respectively achieve horizontal and vertical polarization. Thus, through the phase control of the beam chip 40, the antenna unit can radiate circularly polarized high-frequency and low-frequency signals. This antenna unit Cell1 also has the following advantages:

[0113] First, the hybrid packaging method using glass substrate and PCB board makes the glass substrate easy to mount and replace, thus enabling the expansion of multiple frequency bands and the advantages of low profile design. This makes the antenna unit structure compact, scalable and maintainable, thus adapting to the application of phased array antennas in the field of 5G communication.

[0114] Secondly, the design of the isolation section 33 not only improves the isolation between the two feed section groups 31 and ensures polarization purity, but also helps to reduce the characteristic impedance of the antenna element and reduce losses.

[0115] Furthermore, the glass substrate and the PCB are interconnected through the first ball grid array structure to realize a low-profile dual-band antenna; and the beam chip 40 is flip-chip mounted on the PCB, which reduces interconnection loss, improves reliability, and realizes the connection between the beam chip 40 and the PCB.

[0116] Referring to Figures 10 and 11, which illustrate the simulation results of the antenna element cell1, Figure 10 shows that the frequency band radiated by the antenna element covers the 27–28.4 GHz and 38–39.5 GHz bands, with a return loss of -10 dB. In the 26–40 GHz range, the isolation between the horizontal and vertical polarization ports of the antenna can be maintained above 50 dB. Within the applied frequency range, the stable gain of the antenna element is 6.5 ± 0.5 dBi. Figure 11 shows the simulated radiation patterns for common polarization and cross-polarization at 28 and 39 GHz, respectively. It can be seen that the cross-polarization level is less than -30 dBi.

[0117] Example 2: An antenna unit Cell2 is provided.

[0118] Please refer to Figures 8 and 12. Figure 12 shows a three-dimensional perspective view of another antenna unit. As shown in Figures 8 and 12, the difference between antenna unit Cell2 and antenna unit Cell1 is that the conductive element 5 between the conductive disk 14 and the first patch electrode 11 uses a probe 51. Using antenna unit Cell2 can achieve a low-loss interconnect design between high and low frequencies, which can improve the gain of the array antenna unit.

[0119] Example 3: An antenna unit Cell3 is provided.

[0120] Referring to Figure 13, a three-dimensional perspective view of another antenna unit is shown. As shown in Figure 13, the difference between antenna unit Cell 3 and antenna unit Cell 1 is that the conductive components between the conductive disk 14 and the first patch electrode 11 include a first electrical component 52 and a second electrical component 53. The first electrical component includes a tin pillar, and the second electrical component includes a metal pillar. For clarity, the labels of other components are not marked in Figure 13; please refer to the component labels in the antenna units shown in Figures 9 and 3. Using antenna unit Cell 3 enables a low-loss interconnect design between high and low frequencies, improving the gain of the array antenna unit.

[0121] Example 4: An antenna unit Cell4 is provided.

[0122] Referring to Figure 14, a three-dimensional perspective view of another antenna unit is shown. As shown in Figure 12, the difference between antenna unit Cell 4 and antenna unit Cell 2 is that both the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12 are circular metal patches. With circular metal patches, the connection point between the transmission post 3222 and the feed line 321 in the feed section 32 does not need to be located at the edge of the orthographic projection of the circular metal patch onto the glass substrate. For ease of illustration, the labels of other components are not marked in Figure 14; please refer to the component labels in the antenna units shown in Figures 9 and 3. Antenna unit Cell 4 can be used to realize a circularly polarized antenna array unit, allowing the antenna unit to be applied in circularly polarized antenna array applications.

[0123] Example 5: An antenna unit Cell5 is provided.

[0124] Referring to Figure 15, a three-dimensional perspective schematic diagram of another antenna unit is shown. As shown in Figure 13, the difference between antenna unit Cell 5 and antenna unit Cell 2 is that conductive adhesive 522 and a metal pillar are used for feeding between the conductive disk and the first patch electrode 11. For ease of illustration, the labels of other components are not marked in Figure 15; please refer to the component labels in the antenna units shown in Figures 9 and 4 for details. Using antenna unit Cell 5 can reduce the profile height of the antenna unit, allowing it to be used in low-profile phased arrays.

[0125] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides an array antenna 200, which includes multiple array elements. Each array element includes four antenna units 100 arranged in a 2*2 array. Each antenna unit can be an antenna unit in any of the above embodiments, and multiple antenna units are arrayed together.

[0126] Referring to Figures 16 and 17, Figure 16 shows a top view of an array antenna, and Figure 17 shows a top view of one array element in Figure 16. As shown in Figures 16 and 17, the array antenna 200 includes multiple array elements, and each array element can be composed of multiple antenna units 100 forming a 2×2 array. Among them, the multiple antenna units 100 in one array element share the same beam chip 40, and the beam chip 40 includes an output terminal corresponding to each antenna unit 100.

[0127] Referring again to FIG17, the feeding structure 30 of the antenna unit 100 may include two feeding section groups 31, and the feeding lines of the two feeding section groups 31 are orthogonal; wherein, the beam chip 40 includes an output port connected to each feeding section group 31, and the output port corresponding to the same antenna unit 100 is located on the adjacent side of the beam chip 40.

[0128] In this embodiment, the array element consists of four antenna units, each antenna unit including two feed groups 31, for a total of eight feed groups 31. Each feed group 31 is independently fed, so a beam chip can have eight channels, each channel corresponding to one feed group 31. As shown in Figure 17, the two output ports of the same antenna unit 100 in the beam chip 40 can be located on adjacent sides of the beam chip. Thus, the signals fed from the beam chip 40 to the two feed groups 31 in the antenna unit 100 can be orthogonal, thereby realizing signals with multiple polarization directions.

[0129] In some examples, the orthographic projection of the PCB boards of multiple antenna units 40 onto the plane where the beam chip is located overlaps with the beam chip 40. The output port of the beam chip 40 is connected to the feed line 321 in the antenna unit 100. The feed line 321 is routed along the edge of the PCB board of the antenna unit and then along a direction orthogonal to the edge. Referring to Figure 17, the beam chip 40 is connected to the PCB boards of all four antenna units. It can be mounted on the side of the PCB board away from the dielectric substrate 10. The output terminal of the beam chip 40 is connected to the feed line 321 of the antenna unit 100. The feed line 321 is a differential feed line. The differential feed line can first be routed along the edge of the PCB board, then along a direction approximately orthogonal to the edge, and then connected to the feed assembly, such as to the transmission post of the feed assembly. Then, it is connected to the conductive disk 14 through a transmission line 322 formed by the transmission post and the transmission layer, thereby feeding the first patch electrode 11 and the second patch electrode 12.

[0130] As shown in Figure 17, the orthographic projection of the differential feed line 321 on the glass substrate can overlap with the orthographic projection of the isolation portion 33 on the dielectric substrate. Specifically, the orthographic projections of the isolation layer 331 of the isolation portion 33 on the dielectric substrate 10 together form a ring, and the orthographic projection of the differential feed line 321 on the dielectric substrate 10 can be orthogonal to a diameter of the transmission pillar 3222 in the ring.

[0131] In another example of this embodiment, for one array element, the four antenna elements 100 are rotationally symmetrical about the center of the beam chip 40. Furthermore, the feed lines of the four antenna elements 100 are rotationally symmetrical about the beam chip 40. As shown in FIG17, the arrangement of this rotationally symmetrical feed line 321 can enhance the circularly polarized radiation of the array element.

[0132] In this embodiment, the spacing between antenna elements can be set to 5.4 mm, for example, a spacing of 0.6 λ at 33.5 GHz.

[0133] In this embodiment, an array element consists of four antenna elements and one four-channel beamforming chip. These four elements can form a 16-element phased array antenna. By combining multiple 2×2 elements, a larger-sized phased array antenna can be achieved, resulting in higher antenna gain and stronger beamforming capability. As shown in Figure 14, a 16-element phased array antenna is used as an example. This 16-element phased array antenna consists of four 2×2 elements.

[0134] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0135] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An antenna element comprising: Dielectric substrate; A first radiating structure is disposed on the dielectric substrate; Multiple PCBs are disposed on the side of the dielectric substrate opposite to the first radiating structure and are stacked sequentially; wherein, The plurality of PCBs include a power feeding structure and a second radiating structure; the power feeding structure is configured to power the first radiating structure and the second radiating structure; the orthographic projections of the first radiating structure and the second radiating structure on the dielectric substrate at least partially overlap, and the two operate at different frequency bands.

2. The antenna element according to claim 1, wherein, The first radiating structure includes a first patch electrode, and the second radiating structure includes a second patch electrode; the PCB board includes a dielectric layer and a conductive pattern layer disposed on the dielectric layer; The conductive patterned layer on the dielectric layer closest to the dielectric substrate includes the second patch electrode; The antenna unit further includes an isolation hole penetrating the second patch electrode, and a conductive pad located within the isolation hole and disposed in the same layer as the second patch electrode; a first gap exists between the second patch electrode and the conductive pad; The power supply structure is directly connected to the first patch electrode through the conductive disk, and is also coupled to the second patch electrode through the conductive disk.

3. The antenna element according to claim 2, wherein, The impedance of the feed structure is Z. diff The dielectric substrate has a length of L, a width of W, and a dielectric constant of ε. r The frequency of the antenna element is f r The above parameters satisfy:

4. The antenna element according to claim 2, wherein, The center of the conductive disk coincides with the center of the isolation hole; the distance between the edge of the conductive disk and the edge of the isolation hole is g. s The diameter of the isolation hole is 2r. s , 5. The antenna element according to claim 2, wherein, The isolation hole can be a square hole or a round hole.

6. The antenna element according to claim 2, wherein, A conductive element is provided between the conductive disk and the first patch electrode.

7. The antenna element according to claim 6, wherein, The conductive element includes: A first electrical component is disposed between the conductive disk and the dielectric substrate; The second electrical component penetrates the dielectric substrate along the thickness direction and connects the first electrical component to the first patch electrode.

8. The antenna element according to claim 7, wherein, The first electrical component includes any one of the following: a welded part, conductive adhesive, and a first spherical array structure.

9. The antenna element according to claim 6, wherein, The conductive element includes a probe; one end of the probe is connected to the conductive disk, and the other end passes through the dielectric substrate and is connected to the first patch electrode.

10. The antenna element according to claim 2, wherein, The plurality of PCBs include a first PCB, a third PCB, and a plurality of second PCBs disposed between the two. The first PCB is further away from the dielectric substrate than the third PCB. The first PCB includes a first dielectric layer and a first conductive pattern layer and a second conductive pattern layer located on opposite sides of the first dielectric layer along its thickness direction. The first conductive pattern layer is further away from the dielectric substrate than the second conductive pattern layer. The second PCB includes a second dielectric layer and a third conductive pattern layer located on the side of the second dielectric layer closer to the dielectric substrate. The third PCB includes a third dielectric layer and a fourth conductive pattern layer located on the side of the third dielectric layer closer to the dielectric substrate. The fourth conductive pattern layer includes the second patch electrode. The power supply structure includes at least one power supply section; the power supply section includes a power supply wire and a transmission line, and the power supply wire is connected to the conductive disk through the transmission line. The first conductive pattern layer includes the feed line; the second conductive pattern layer and at least a portion of the third conductive pattern layer each include a transmission layer; the first dielectric layer, the third dielectric layer and each of the second dielectric layers are provided with a through-hole, and the through-hole is filled with a transmission post; the orthographic projection of the conductive disk on the dielectric substrate covers the orthographic projection of the first through-hole penetrating the third dielectric layer on the dielectric substrate; each of the transmission layers and each of the transmission posts are sequentially connected to form the transmission line.

11. The antenna element according to claim 10, wherein, Two of the aforementioned feed sections constitute a feed section group, wherein the signals transmitted by the two feed lines in the feed section group have the same amplitude but opposite phase; the feed structure further includes at least one isolation section, which is provided correspondingly to the feed section group; the isolation section includes multiple isolation layers and isolation posts electrically connecting the multiple isolation layers; the isolation layers and / or the isolation posts are grounded; The second conductive pattern layer and each of the third conductive pattern layers, at least a portion of which includes the isolation layer; at least a portion of the second dielectric layer also includes a through second via, the second via being filled with the isolation pillar; each of the isolation pillars and each of the isolation layers are sequentially connected to form the isolation portion; The orthographic projection of the isolation layer on the dielectric substrate partially or entirely surrounds the orthographic projection of the two transmission pillars that penetrate the third dielectric layer in the power supply assembly on the dielectric substrate.

12. The antenna element according to claim 11, wherein, The orthographic projection of each of the isolation layers onto the dielectric substrate forms a ring; the line connecting the two transmission pillars penetrating the third dielectric layer lies on a diameter of the ring.

13. The antenna element according to claim 12, wherein, The inner diameter of the ring is D. coax The radius of the transmission column is r. h The distance between the two transmission pillars is s, and the impedance of the feed structure is Z. diff The above parameters satisfy:

14. The antenna element according to claim 11, wherein, The power supply structure includes two power supply groups, namely a first power supply group and a second power supply group; the first power supply group is configured to feed in a signal in the horizontal polarization direction, and the second power supply group is configured to feed in a signal in the vertical polarization direction. The power supply structure further includes two isolation sections, namely a first isolation section and a second isolation section; the first isolation section is correspondingly arranged with the first power supply section group, and the second isolation section is correspondingly arranged with the second power supply section group; the number of isolation layers in the first isolation section is greater than the number of isolation layers in the second isolation section.

15. The antenna element according to claim 1, wherein, The antenna unit further includes a beam chip; the beam chip is disposed on the side of the plurality of PCBs away from the dielectric substrate; the beam chip is electrically connected to the feeding structure.

16. The antenna element according to claim 15, wherein, The beam chip is connected to the feeding structure through a second ball grid array structure.

17. The antenna element according to claim 1, wherein, The second radiating structure has a second gap with the dielectric substrate.

18. An array antenna comprising the antenna elements as claimed in any one of claims 1-17.

19. The array antenna according to claim 18, wherein, The array antenna includes array elements; each array element includes four antenna units, and each antenna unit shares a beam chip. The orthographic projection of each antenna element onto the plane where the beam chip is located overlaps with the beam chip, and the four antenna elements are rotationally symmetrical about the center of the beam chip.

20. The array antenna according to claim 19, wherein, Each antenna element's feeding structure includes two feeding section groups, each feeding section group includes two feeding sections, and each feeding section includes a feeding wire; the feeding wire is connected to the beam chip; The beam chip has multiple pins on each of its four sides, and each feed line is electrically connected to one pin; the pins connected to different feed groups in the same antenna unit are located on two adjacent sides of the beam chip.

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