Compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna

Abstract

The utility model provides a compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna, which comprises an LTCC substrate, a radiation patch, feed patches and a grounding layer, the radiation patch is arranged on the upper surface of the LTCC substrate, the grounding layer is arranged on the lower surface of the LTCC substrate, the feed patches are arranged in the LTCC substrate at positions corresponding to the radiation patch, one radiation patch is correspondingly provided with two feed patches which are distributed at intervals, and the other radiation patch is correspondingly provided with two feed patches which are distributed at intervals. A metalized via hole communicated with the feed patch and the grounding layer is formed in the position, corresponding to the feed patch, of the LTCC substrate, the feed patch and the grounding layer are electrically connected through the metalized via hole, and the feed patch is coupled with the radiation patch. One radiation patch is correspondingly provided with two feed patches which are distributed at an interval, so that the unit antenna realizes dual-port feed. While high gain and high efficiency are ensured, the design of the double-feed patch can provide wider bandwidth, and the antenna is suitable for broadband application. And the antenna finished product is easy to produce, and the production cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of antennas, in particular to a compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna. Background Art

[0002] Existing millimeter wave antennas mainly have three designs: magnetoelectric dipole, ridge gap waveguides (RGW) and metasurface.

[0003] Magnetoelectric dipole antennas are widely used in millimeter-wave systems due to their stable gain, broadband, and ease of integration. Substrate-integrated coaxial lines are often used as the feed method to achieve a wider impedance bandwidth.

[0004] Ridge slot waveguides are a microwave transmission technology developed as a variation of rectangular waveguides. Ridge slot waveguides work by adding one or two raised ridges to the wide walls of a rectangular waveguide. These ridges affect the electromagnetic field distribution within the waveguide. This design lowers the waveguide's dominant mode cutoff frequency, allowing for signal transmission over a wider frequency band while maintaining a low characteristic impedance, making them easier to match with other circuit components. This has led to their widespread use in radar engineering and other high-frequency communications applications.

[0005] The principle behind using metasurfaces to implement millimeter-wave microstrip antennas primarily involves leveraging the unique electromagnetic properties of metasurfaces to control the propagation of electromagnetic waves. Metasurfaces are two-dimensional planar materials composed of subwavelength structural units that can precisely control the phase, amplitude, polarization, and propagation direction of incident electromagnetic waves.

[0006] However, while substrate-integrated coaxial line technology for magnetoelectric dipole antennas enhances the impedance bandwidth of antenna elements, it also increases the number of PCB layers, which increases design costs. Ridge slot waveguides involve computer numerical control technology, increasing manufacturing cost and complexity. They are generally more suitable for high-gain antenna arrays designed as fixed beams rather than beam scanning. Metasurface millimeter-wave microstrip antenna technology involves complex processing, resulting in increased production costs and difficulties in mass production, and may have efficiency and bandwidth limitations in specific applications. Utility Model Content

[0007] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a compact LTCC millimeter-wave patch antenna with high gain, high efficiency, wide bandwidth and easy production.

[0008] In order to achieve the above purpose, the technical solution adopted by the utility model is:

[0009] A compact LTCC millimeter-wave patch antenna comprises an LTCC substrate, a radiating patch, a feeding patch, and a ground layer. The radiating patch is provided on the upper surface of the LTCC substrate, the ground layer is provided on the lower surface of the LTCC substrate, the feeding patch is provided inside the LTCC substrate corresponding to the radiating patch, two spaced-apart feeding patches are provided corresponding to each radiating patch, and a metallized via connecting the feeding patch and the ground layer is provided on the LTCC substrate corresponding to the feeding patch. The feeding patch and the ground layer are electrically connected through the metallized via, and the feeding patch is coupled to the radiating patch.

[0010] Optionally, the feeding patch is arranged corresponding to the transverse center line of the ground layer, and the radiation patch is arranged corresponding to one side of the center line.

[0011] Optionally, the number of the radiation patches is more than two, the number of the feeding patches is twice the number of the radiation patches, and the more than two radiation patches are arranged in sequence and spaced apart in the direction in which the center line extends.

[0012] Optionally, the number of the radiation patches is 4, the number of the feeding patches is 8, and the 4 radiation patches are arranged in sequence and spaced apart in the direction in which the center line extends.

[0013] Optionally, the radiation patches are evenly distributed.

[0014] Optionally, the thickness of the radiation patch, the feeding patch and the ground layer are all 10 μm.

[0015] Optionally, the LTCC substrate is composed of two or more layers of LTCC substrates, and the thickness of the LTCC substrate is 0.106 mm.

[0016] Optionally, the ground layer is provided with a through hole at a middle position between the two feed patches that are spaced apart.

[0017] The beneficial effect of this utility model lies in: by providing two spaced-apart feed patches corresponding to a radiating patch, a unit antenna is provided with dual-port feeding. While ensuring high gain and efficiency, the dual-feed patch design provides a wider bandwidth, making it suitable for broadband applications. Furthermore, the finished antenna is easy to produce, reducing production costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 Shown is an exploded view of the compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 FIG2 is a cross-sectional view of a compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 Shown is an exploded view of a compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 FIG2 is a cross-sectional view of a compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 Shown are the S-parameter simulation results of the compact LTCC millimeter-wave patch antenna according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figures 6a-6c Shown is the radiation pattern of the compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna in the N257 frequency band according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figures 7a-7c Shown is the radiation pattern of the compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna in the N258 frequency band according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figures 8a-8c Shown is the radiation pattern of the compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna in the N261 frequency band according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 9 Shown is an efficiency diagram of the compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 10 Shown is a gain comparison diagram of the compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to more clearly understand the technical content, achieved purposes and effects of the present invention, the present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with specific implementation methods and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the implementation methods of the present invention and the features in the implementation methods can be combined with each other. In the following description, many specific details are elaborated in order to fully understand the present invention. The implementation methods described are only part of the implementation methods of the present invention, not all of the implementation methods. Based on the implementation methods in the present invention, all other implementation methods obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] Please refer to Figure 1-4 As shown, the technical solution provided by the utility model is:

[0030] A compact LTCC millimeter-wave patch antenna comprises an LTCC substrate, a radiating patch, a feeding patch, and a ground layer. The radiating patch is provided on the upper surface of the LTCC substrate, the ground layer is provided on the lower surface of the LTCC substrate, the feeding patch is provided inside the LTCC substrate corresponding to the radiating patch, two spaced-apart feeding patches are provided corresponding to each radiating patch, and a metallized via connecting the feeding patch and the ground layer is provided on the LTCC substrate corresponding to the feeding patch. The feeding patch and the ground layer are electrically connected through the metallized via, and the feeding patch is coupled to the radiating patch.

[0031] It should be noted that LTCC in the present invention refers to low temperature co-fired ceramics.

[0032] As can be seen from the above description, the compact LTCC millimeter-wave patch antenna of this embodiment utilizes a dual-feed patch design, ensuring high gain and efficiency while achieving a wider bandwidth. It is also easy to manufacture, reducing production costs. By adjusting the size and position of the radiating and feeding patches, different impedance bandwidths and frequency bands can be achieved.

[0033] Optionally, the feeding patch is arranged corresponding to the transverse center line of the ground layer, and the radiation patch is arranged corresponding to one side of the center line.

[0034] From the above description, it can be seen that by setting the positions of the above-mentioned feeding patch and the radiation patch, a millimeter wave antenna for the N257, N258, and N261 frequency bands can be realized.

[0035] Optionally, the number of the radiation patches is more than two, the number of the feeding patches is twice the number of the radiation patches, and the more than two radiation patches are arranged in sequence and spaced apart in the direction in which the center line extends.

[0036] Optionally, the number of the radiation patches is 4, the number of the feeding patches is 8, and the 4 radiation patches are arranged in sequence and spaced apart in the direction in which the center line extends.

[0037] Optionally, the radiation patches are evenly distributed.

[0038] It can be seen from the above description that by providing multiple radiation patches, preferably four radiation patches, the antenna gain can be made higher.

[0039] Optionally, the thickness of the radiation patch, the feeding patch and the ground layer are all 10 μm.

[0040] Optionally, the LTCC substrate is composed of two or more layers of LTCC substrates, and the thickness of the LTCC substrate is 0.106 mm.

[0041] From the above description, it can be seen that by setting the thickness above, combined with the position setting of the radiation patch and the feed patch, the antenna achieves optimal performance. Specifically, the LTCC substrate uses DuPont's GreenTape9KC (dielectric constant DK = 7.1) material.

[0042] Optionally, the ground layer is provided with a through hole at a middle position between the two feed patches that are spaced apart.

[0043] Please refer to Figure 1 and 2 , the first embodiment of the present utility model is:

[0044] A compact LTCC millimeter-wave patch antenna includes an LTCC substrate 1, a ground layer 2, a radiating patch 3, and two feeding patches 4. The LTCC substrate 1 is composed of two or more layers of LTCC substrate material, which is made of DuPont GreenTape 9KC (dielectric constant DK = 7.1) and has a thickness of 0.106 mm. The radiating patch 3, feeding patch 4, and ground layer 2 are all 10 μm thick.

[0045] The radiation patch 3 is provided on the upper surface of the LTCC substrate 1, and the ground layer 2 is provided on the lower surface of the LTCC substrate 1. The radiation patch 3 is provided on one side of the horizontal center line of the ground layer 2.

[0046] The feeding patch 4 is arranged inside the LTCC substrate 1 corresponding to the radiation patch 3 , and one radiation patch 3 corresponds to two spaced feeding patches 4 , and each feeding patch 4 is arranged corresponding to the horizontal center line of the ground layer 2 .

[0047] The LTCC substrate 1 is provided with a metallized via 5 connecting the feed patch 4 and the ground layer 2 at a position corresponding to the feed patch 4 . The feed patch 4 and the ground layer 2 are electrically connected through the metallized via 5 , and the feed patch 4 is coupled with the radiation patch 3 .

[0048] The ground layer 2 is provided with a through hole at a position corresponding to the middle position between the two spaced-apart feed patches 4. The ground layer 2 is provided with a via hole at a position corresponding to the metallized via hole 5, and the metallized via hole 5 is connected to the via hole in the ground layer 2.

[0049] The compact LTCC millimeter-wave patch antenna in this embodiment is implemented using LTCC technology and employs a dual-port feed scheme. The feed patch is located in the middle layer of the antenna for coupled feeding, increasing the operating bandwidth. The thickness of the radiating patch, feed patch, and ground layer is 10μm, and the thickness of each LTCC substrate layer is 0.106mm. This structural design enables the antenna to operate effectively in the N257, N258, and N261 frequency bands, while achieving optimal performance through precise adjustment of the parameters of each layer.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 3-9 , the second embodiment of the present utility model is:

[0051] A compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna, which differs from the above embodiment 1 in that the number of the radiation patches 3 is 4 and the number of the feed patches 4 is 8. The 4 radiation patches 3 are evenly spaced in the direction of the horizontal center line of the ground layer 2. The 8 feed patches 4 are divided into 4 groups, which are arranged corresponding to the 4 radiation patches 3. The antenna of this embodiment is a 4-array antenna, such as Figure 3 and 4 The finished antenna of this embodiment can be made into a size of 5.5mm×14mm×0.95mm, which is convenient for integration.

[0052] This embodiment adopts a 4-array antenna form, which further improves the performance of the antenna such as gain.

[0053] like Figure 5 The figure shows the S parameter simulation results of the antenna of this embodiment. Figures 6a-6c 7a-7c, 8a-8c show the radiation patterns of the antenna of this embodiment in the N257, N258, and N261 frequency bands, respectively. Figure 9 The figure shows the efficiency of the compact antenna of this embodiment. Figure 10 The following figure shows a gain comparison between the antenna of this embodiment (a quad-array antenna) and the antenna of the first embodiment (a unit antenna). The upper curve in the figure represents the antenna gain of this embodiment, while the lower curve represents the antenna gain of the first embodiment. As can be seen from the figure, the antenna of this embodiment has an impedance bandwidth covering the N257, N258, and N261 frequency bands, with a gain of approximately 9 dBi and an efficiency of approximately 80%.

[0054] Fifth-generation telecommunications systems will utilize millimeter-wave frequencies, with operating bandwidths several orders of magnitude greater than previous generations. This is driving increased demand for high-performance, low-cost, reliable, and scalable electronic products. Multi-band antennas, capable of communicating across two or more operating frequency bands, significantly reduce manufacturing costs. Aperture-coupled microstrip antennas are commonly used in consumer electronics. First, considering the effects of loss, to meet the requirements of diverse application scenarios, both long- and short-range transmission must be met. Short-range communication is easier to meet, while long-range communication requires the designed RF system to provide sufficient transmission signal. This ensures the antenna's overall function and efficiency as designed. Furthermore, the antenna needs to cover multiple frequency bands. Unlike conventional antenna designs, a design is considered complete only if the bandwidth across multiple frequency bands meets the design requirements. Increasing antenna radiation efficiency minimizes losses and ensures high utilization. Considering cost and other factors, coupled microstrip antennas are used to reduce costs.

[0055] This utility model proposes a compact LTCC millimeter-wave patch antenna. The unit antenna is based on stacked patches and uses dual-coupled feeding to extend the bandwidth. The unit antenna can achieve an impedance bandwidth of 24.25-29.5 GHz. The overall dimensions of the four-array antenna are only 5.5 mm × 14 mm × 0.95 mm, making it suitable for application in new communication systems.

[0056] In summary, the compact LTCC millimeter-wave patch antenna of the present invention has the advantages of high gain, high efficiency, wide bandwidth and low cost.

[0057] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention are still within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna, comprising an LTCC substrate, a radiation patch, a feed patch and a ground layer, characterized in that: The radiation patch is arranged on the upper surface of the LTCC substrate, the ground layer is arranged on the lower surface of the LTCC substrate, the feeding patch is arranged inside the LTCC substrate corresponding to the radiation patch, two feed patches are arranged at intervals corresponding to each radiation patch, and the LTCC substrate is provided with a metallized via connecting the feed patch and the ground layer at the position corresponding to the feed patch. The feed patch and the ground layer are electrically connected through the metallized via, and the feed patch is coupled to the radiation patch.

2. The compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding patch is arranged corresponding to the horizontal center line of the ground layer, and the radiation patch is arranged corresponding to one side of the center line.

3. The compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the radiation patches is more than two, the number of the feeding patches is twice the number of the radiation patches, and the more than two radiation patches are sequentially spaced apart along the direction in which the center line extends.

4. The compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the radiation patches is 4, the number of the feeding patches is 8, and the 4 radiation patches are sequentially spaced apart along the direction in which the center line extends.

5. The compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The radiation patches are evenly distributed.

6. The compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the radiation patch, the feeding patch and the ground layer are all 10 μm.

7. The compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The LTCC substrate consists of two or more layers of LTCC substrates, and the thickness of the LTCC substrate is 0.106 mm.

8. The compact LTCC millimeter wave patch antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ground layer is provided with a through hole at a middle position corresponding to the two feed patches distributed at intervals.

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