Broadband laminated patch antenna and phased antenna array

Abstract

The utility model provides a broadband laminated patch antenna and a phased antenna array, the antenna comprises dielectric substrates, a radiation patch and a parasitic patch, the parasitic patch and the radiation patch are laminated, and a plurality of layers of dielectric substrates are arranged between the parasitic patch and the radiation patch; and the edge of the parasitic patch sinks inwards to form symmetrically distributed grooves which are used for prolonging a surface current path. By designing the symmetrically distributed groove structures at the edge of the parasitic patch, the flow path of surface current is successfully prolonged, a longer electrical length is realized under a limited physical size, and the working frequency band of the antenna is obviously widened; meanwhile, the parasitic patch and the radiation patch are arranged in a stacked mode through multiple layers of dielectric substrates, a multi-resonance-point coupling mechanism is formed, and the bandwidth is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a broadband multilayer patch antenna and a phased antenna array. Background Technology

[0002] Slot-coupled patch antennas extend their operating bandwidth by adding parasitic patches on top of a single radiating patch, as shown in patent CN117525871A. However, this simple stacked structure offers limited bandwidth improvement in millimeter-wave applications, making it difficult to meet the demands of broadband communication. Furthermore, parasitic patches typically adopt a shape similar to the radiating patch, limiting the optimization of surface current paths and hindering the full realization of the bandwidth extension potential of the stacked structure.

[0003] In dual-polarization designs, whether using a cross-feed network or two independent feed networks with corresponding coupling slots, there is a problem of improper coupling between the feed structure and the radiating elements. This mismatch is particularly problematic in high-frequency applications, leading to significant degradation in antenna performance. With increasing demands for high-density integration, antenna elements are becoming increasingly compact, resulting in strong coupling effects and poor element consistency. While structures such as EBG, AMC, DGS, and PBG can mitigate inter-element coupling to some extent, these methods increase design complexity and manufacturing difficulty, and their effectiveness is limited in broadband applications.

[0004] Furthermore, existing technologies typically lack systematic optimization of the number of multilayer dielectric substrates and their dielectric constants, making it difficult to maintain good radiation performance while ensuring broadband characteristics. Especially in the millimeter-wave band, due to the shortened wavelength, existing designs face problems such as high precision requirements, low power feeding efficiency, and severe electromagnetic interference. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems of narrow frequency band, high complexity of dual-polarization design, strong mutual interference, and poor isolation in the existing technology.

[0006] A first aspect of this invention provides a broadband multilayer patch antenna, comprising a dielectric substrate, a radiating patch, and a parasitic patch.

[0007] The parasitic patch and the radiating patch are stacked, and multiple layers of the dielectric substrate are provided between the parasitic patch and the radiating patch;

[0008] The edges of the parasitic patch are recessed inward to form symmetrically distributed grooves, which are used to extend the surface current path.

[0009] Furthermore, both the radiating patch and the parasitic patch are square structures, and their sizes are different.

[0010] Furthermore, the length and width of the groove are both less than half the side length of the parasitic patch on which it is located.

[0011] Furthermore, the number of multilayer dielectric substrates between the parasitic patch and the radiating patch is seven, and the dielectric constant of the dielectric substrate is 2.7-3.8.

[0012] Furthermore, a symmetrical coupling slot is provided on the dielectric substrate placed below the radiation patch. The coupling slot is inverted U-shaped and the grooves of the coupling slot are symmetrically distributed with the same width on both sides.

[0013] Furthermore, a power supply trace is provided below the symmetrical coupling gap, and one end of the power supply trace is provided with a signal via for connecting to an external power supply network.

[0014] Furthermore, the dielectric substrate is provided with a grounding hole, which penetrates the dielectric substrate and surrounds the parasitic patch, the radiating patch, the coupling gap and the power supply trace in the vertical direction.

[0015] Furthermore, the projection of the parasitic patch in the vertical direction is placed within the radiating patch;

[0016] The projection of the parasitic patch and the radiating patch in the vertical direction covers the coupling gap and the end of the feed trace away from the signal via.

[0017] A second aspect of this utility model provides a phased array antenna array, which employs a broadband stacked patch antenna as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of the stacked patch antennas form an array structure of M rows and N columns.

[0018] Furthermore, each broadband stacked patch antenna unit in the array structure has an independent signal input port, and the parasitic patch size of each unit is the same.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, this utility model has at least the following beneficial effects: by designing symmetrically distributed groove structures on the edge of the parasitic patch, the flow path of surface current is successfully extended, achieving a longer electrical length within a limited physical size, and significantly widening the antenna operating bandwidth; at the same time, the parasitic patch and the radiating patch are stacked on a multilayer dielectric substrate, forming a multi-resonance coupling mechanism, generating multiple adjacent resonant frequencies and merging them into a continuous wideband, thereby improving the bandwidth. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a broadband multilayer patch antenna in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the parasitic patch in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the coupling gap in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the power supply routing structure in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the grounding hole in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a simulation diagram of the unit simulation s-parameters in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a simulation diagram of the radiation pattern result in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the phased array structure in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Among them, 1-square parasitic patch; 11-groove; 2-radiating patch; 3-coupling gap; 4-power supply trace; 5-signal via; 6-HDI grounding hole; 7-grounding hole. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can modify the present invention described herein while still achieving its advantageous effects. Therefore, the following description should be understood as being broadly known to those skilled in the art and is not intended to limit the present invention.

[0031] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0032] The present invention will be described in more detail below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] This embodiment provides a broadband multilayer patch antenna. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figures 1-5 It includes a dielectric substrate, a radiating patch 2, and a parasitic patch 1.

[0035] The parasitic patch 1 and the radiating patch 2 are stacked, and multiple layers of the dielectric substrate are provided between the parasitic patch 1 and the radiating patch 2.

[0036] The edges of the parasitic patch 1 are recessed inward to form symmetrically distributed grooves 11, which are used to extend the surface current path.

[0037] Through the synergistic effect of the multilayer dielectric substrate and the groove 11 structure, a significant bandwidth extension is achieved in the millimeter-wave band. The symmetrical groove 11 at the edge of the parasitic patch 1 effectively increases the equivalent resonant path length by perturbing the surface current distribution. Compared with existing simple stacked structures, this design increases the antenna's operating bandwidth by approximately 35% without adding additional components. The gradient dielectric constant configuration of the multilayer dielectric substrate further optimizes the electromagnetic wave propagation phase, solving the problem of low feed efficiency in the high-frequency band. By precisely controlling the dimensions of the groove 11 and the dielectric layer parameters, the broadband characteristics required for 5G millimeter-wave communication are achieved while maintaining a stable radiation pattern.

[0038] Furthermore, both the radiation patch 2 and the parasitic patch 1 are square structures, and their sizes are different.

[0039] Specifically, the square structure refers to a polygonal geometry with four equal sides and four right angles. In implementation, the radiating patch 2 can be a square with side length L1, and the parasitic patch 1 can be a square with side length L2, where the difference between L1 and L2 is controlled within the range of 0.1λ-0.3λ (λ is the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency). As a preferred embodiment, the side length of the radiating patch 2 can be set to 3.2 mm, and the side length of the parasitic patch 1 can be set to 2.8 mm; the dimensional difference between the two is determined through optimization using electromagnetic simulation software. Furthermore, the right angles of the square structure can be chamfered, with the chamfer radius not exceeding 5% of the side length, to reduce the edge current abrupt change effect.

[0040] By employing square patch structures of varying sizes, the problem of limited surface current distribution caused by identical patch sizes in traditional stacked antennas is effectively solved. The size difference creates asymmetric electromagnetic coupling between parasitic patch 1 and radiating patch 2, resulting in multi-resonance characteristics that significantly extend the antenna's operating bandwidth. Simultaneously, the right-angled characteristics of the square structure help maintain a stable radiation pattern, avoiding the degradation of polarization purity caused by shape complexity. While maintaining structural simplicity, the millimeter-wave band bandwidth is improved by precisely controlling the patch size differences, without requiring an additional impedance matching network.

[0041] Furthermore, the length and width of the groove 11 are both less than half the side length of the parasitic patch 1 on one side.

[0042] Specifically, the groove adopts a rectangular or trapezoidal structure, with a width preferably 15%-25% of the side length and a length set to 40%-60% of the side length. As a preferred embodiment, the inner wall of the groove can be chamfered, with the chamfer radius controlled at 0.1-0.3 mm to reduce current surges. The bottom of the groove remains parallel to the bottom surface of the parasitic patch, and the edge transition area adopts a gradient curvature design.

[0043] Therefore, by precisely defining the size and position of the groove, the surface current path can be controllably bent within the groove region. This design can excite additional resonant modes while maintaining the original resonant frequency. Compared to parasitic patches with continuous edges in existing technologies, the groove structure extends the current path, effectively expanding the antenna's operating bandwidth.

[0044] Furthermore, the number of multilayer dielectric substrates between the parasitic patch 1 and the radiating patch 2 is 5-7 layers, and the dielectric constant of the dielectric substrate is 2.7-3.8.

[0045] As an example, the multilayer dielectric substrate adopts a 7-layer structure to achieve optimized adjustment of the electromagnetic wave propagation path.

[0046] Furthermore, the dielectric constant of the substrate is selected in the range of 2.7-3.8, which can be achieved based on high-frequency circuit materials (such as Rogers RO3003, Taconic RF-35, etc.). During implementation, each layer of the substrate can use materials with the same dielectric constant, or a gradient dielectric constant design can be adopted, for example, decreasing or increasing sequentially from the radiating patch to the parasitic patch. In addition, the substrate thickness can be adjusted according to the operating frequency band requirements, with a typical thickness of 0.1-0.5 mm. The layers are bonded together without bubbles using a hot-pressing process.

[0047] By limiting the number of substrate layers and the range of dielectric constant, the contradiction between bandwidth and radiation efficiency caused by the lack of systematic optimization of dielectric parameters in existing technologies is resolved. The multilayer structure can form multiple resonant modes in the millimeter-wave band, and in conjunction with a dielectric constant of 2.7-3.8, it can both reduce surface wave loss and expand the electromagnetic field distribution space. Furthermore, limiting the dielectric constant avoids the excitation difficulties caused by excessively high dielectric constants and the insufficient field confinement caused by excessively low dielectric constants.

[0048] Furthermore, a symmetrical coupling slot 3 is provided on the dielectric substrate placed below the radiation patch 2. The coupling slot 3 is inverted U-shaped and the grooves of the coupling slot 3 are symmetrically distributed with the same width on both sides.

[0049] The symmetrical coupling slot 3 achieves electromagnetic coupling symmetry through an inverted U-shaped structure design, where the opening of the inverted U-shape faces the edge of the radiating patch 2. The consistency of the slot width is controlled by the etching process; typical implementations include: using laser etching or photolithography to form slots of equal width; using rounded transitions at the corners of the inverted U-shape; and optimizing the symmetrical distribution through electromagnetic simulation using HFSS software. As an alternative implementation, the inverted U-shape can be replaced with a trapezoidal or parabolic opening structure, but the consistency of the slot width must be maintained.

[0050] Stable electromagnetic energy coupling in the millimeter-wave band is achieved through symmetrically distributed inverted U-shaped coupling slots 3. Specifically, the equal-width slot design avoids the impedance abrupt change problem in the high-frequency band of traditional gradient slots, while the inverted U-shaped structure expands the coupling area while maintaining structural symmetry. High-frequency coupling mismatch is solved through physical structural symmetry without requiring an additional impedance matching network. Furthermore, the symmetrical coupling slots 3 work in conjunction with the multilayer dielectric substrate, reducing the requirements for processing precision while ensuring broadband characteristics.

[0051] Furthermore, a power supply line 4 is provided below the symmetrical coupling gap 3, and one end of the power supply line 4 is provided with a signal through hole 5 for connecting to an external power supply network.

[0052] The power supply trace 4 can be implemented as a stripline, with the specific trace width designed according to impedance matching requirements. The signal via 5 can be formed using laser drilling or mechanical drilling processes, and the inner wall of the via can be plated with copper to achieve conductive connections. The power supply trace 4 can extend horizontally along the dielectric substrate or achieve three-dimensional routing through a vertical interconnect structure between multiple dielectric substrates. As a preferred embodiment, the power supply trace 4 employs a gradient width design to improve broadband matching characteristics. The vertical spacing between the power supply trace 4 and the coupling gap 3 can be controlled by adjusting the dielectric substrate thickness, thereby optimizing the electromagnetic coupling strength.

[0053] By decoupling the feed structure from the radiating element and utilizing the coupling slot 3 to achieve contactless energy transfer, the impedance mismatch problem caused by traditional direct feeding is effectively solved. The coordinated design of the feed trace 4 and the signal via 5 allows the external feed network to be kept away from the radiation area, reducing the interference of the feed structure on the antenna radiation performance. As a result, stable signal transmission efficiency can still be maintained in the millimeter-wave band, and high-frequency crosstalk can be further suppressed by optimizing the layout of the feed trace 4.

[0054] Furthermore, the dielectric substrate is provided with a metal grounding hole 7, which penetrates the dielectric substrate and surrounds the parasitic patch 1, the radiating patch 2, the coupling gap 3 and the power supply trace 4 in the vertical direction.

[0055] Specifically, the aperture of the metal grounding hole 7 ranges from 0.1 to 0.3 mm, and the hole spacing does not exceed 1 / 10 of the operating wavelength. In a preferred embodiment, the metal grounding hole 7 forms a closed loop structure along the edge of the parasitic patch 1. Through the surrounding metal grounding hole 7 structure, the electromagnetic shielding cavity formed by the metal grounding hole 7 can effectively suppress surface wave propagation between the parasitic patch 1 and the radiating patch 2, reducing the cross-polarization level in the high-frequency band. Secondly, the metal grounding hole 7, penetrating multiple layers of dielectric, provides a stable reference ground plane for the coupling gap 3 and the feed trace 4, improving impedance matching characteristics. Finally, the surrounding layout can block near-field coupling between radiating elements, improving the consistency of elements in the antenna array environment. In this embodiment, an HDI grounding hole 6 is provided at the end of the metal grounding hole 7 near the parasitic patch 1, and the HDI grounding hole 6 and the metal grounding hole 7 are interconnected.

[0056] Furthermore, the projection of the parasitic patch 1 in the vertical direction is placed within the radiating patch 2.

[0057] The projections of the parasitic patch 1 and the radiating patch 2 in the vertical direction cover the coupling gap 3 and the end of the feed line 4 away from the signal via 5.

[0058] Specifically, the vertical projection relationship between the parasitic patch 1 and the radiating patch 2 is achieved by precisely controlling their relative size and position. The projection of the parasitic patch 1 completely falls within the boundary of the radiating patch 2. This nested layout can be achieved by adjusting the side length of the parasitic patch 1 to be 5%-15% smaller than that of the radiating patch 2. Furthermore, the composite projection area formed by the parasitic patch 1 and the radiating patch 2 must completely shield the end of the coupling gap 3 and the terminal of the feed line 4. The coverage of this shielding area can be achieved by extending the projection boundary to at least 0.1λ from the end of the gap (λ is the operating wavelength). As a preferred embodiment, the overlapping area of ​​the vertical projection adopts a stepped gradient structure, wherein the edges of the parasitic patch 1 and the radiating patch 2 remain parallel and equally spaced.

[0059] Therefore, this technical solution effectively solves the impedance mismatch problem caused by uneven electromagnetic field distribution in multilayer structures by optimizing the spatial projection relationship between patches. Specifically, the nested projection design of parasitic patch 1 constrains the distribution of surface current within the effective area of ​​radiating patch 2, avoiding resonant frequency shifts caused by edge effects; while the full coverage of the feed structure by the composite projection significantly reduces electromagnetic leakage between the feed network and free space, maintaining stable radiation efficiency in the millimeter-wave band. Compared with existing technologies, this solution achieves simultaneous improvement in broadband matching characteristics and radiation efficiency through geometric projection optimization without adding additional tuning structures, making it particularly suitable for high-density integrated phased array systems.

[0060] Please refer to Figures 6-7 The simulation results show that the bandwidth range is 24.24GHz to 27.5GHz, achieving a return loss of less than -12dB and excellent isolation of less than -16dB in a wide bandwidth range exceeding 3GHz, with a typical unit gain of 5.4dBi.

[0061] Example 2

[0062] This embodiment provides a phased antenna array; please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 8 The broadband multilayer patch antennas described in any of the above embodiments are used, and multiple of the multilayer patch antennas form an array structure with M rows and N columns.

[0063] In a preferred embodiment, the broadband multilayer patch antennas in the array structure can be arranged in a rectangular grid to form a uniformly distributed M-row N-column array. Furthermore, the horizontal distance between the center points of two broadband multilayer patch antennas can be adjusted according to the operating frequency and array performance requirements, and the vertical distance between their center points can also be optimized based on the actual application scenario. Thus, the array structure can achieve beam scanning and pattern control, meeting the application requirements of phased array antennas.

[0064] Furthermore, each broadband stacked patch antenna unit in the array structure has an independent signal input port, and the parasitic patch 1 of each unit is the same size.

[0065] Specifically, in the provided phased array antenna structure, each broadband stacked patch antenna element is equipped with an independent signal input port. This design allows each antenna element to receive independent phase and amplitude control signals, thereby achieving precise beamforming and directional control, significantly improving the system's spatial resolution and anti-interference performance. Simultaneously, all antenna elements utilize parasitic patches 1 of identical size, ensuring that each element in the array has consistent radiation characteristics and electrical performance. This effectively eliminates phase errors and amplitude distortions caused by element inconsistencies, improving the overall performance and stability of the array antenna.

[0066] The above-described specific examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this invention. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains can make various simple deductions, modifications, or substitutions based on the concept of this invention.

Claims

1. A broadband multilayer patch antenna, characterized in that, Including dielectric substrates, radiating patches, and parasitic patches, The parasitic patch and the radiating patch are stacked, and multiple layers of the dielectric substrate are provided between the parasitic patch and the radiating patch; The edges of the parasitic patch are recessed inward to form symmetrically distributed grooves, which are used to extend the surface current path.

2. The broadband multilayer patch antenna as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Both the radiation patch and the parasitic patch are square structures, and their sizes are different.

3. The broadband multilayer patch antenna as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The length and width of the groove are both less than half the side length of the parasitic patch.

4. The broadband multilayer patch antenna as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The number of multilayer dielectric substrates between the parasitic patch and the radiating patch is 5-7, and the dielectric constant of the dielectric substrate is 2.7-3.

8.

5. The broadband multilayer patch antenna as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A symmetrical coupling slot is provided on the dielectric substrate placed below the radiation patch. The coupling slot is inverted U-shaped and the grooves of the coupling slot are symmetrically distributed with the same width on both sides.

6. The broadband multilayer patch antenna as described in claim 5, characterized in that, A power supply trace is provided below the symmetrical coupling gap, and one end of the power supply trace is provided with a signal via for connecting to an external power supply network.

7. The broadband multilayer patch antenna as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The dielectric substrate has a grounding hole that penetrates the dielectric substrate and surrounds the parasitic patch, the radiating patch, the coupling gap, and the power supply trace in the vertical direction.

8. The broadband multilayer patch antenna as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The projection of the parasitic patch in the vertical direction is placed within the radiating patch; The projection of the parasitic patch and the radiating patch in the vertical direction covers the coupling gap and the end of the feed trace away from the signal via.

9. A phased antenna array, employing a broadband multilayer patch antenna as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, Multiple of the aforementioned layered patch antennas form an array structure with M rows and N columns.

10. The phased antenna array as described in claim 9, characterized in that, Each broadband multilayer patch antenna element in the array structure has an independent signal input port, and the parasitic patch size of each element is the same.

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