A two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna

Abstract

This invention discloses a two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna, comprising multiple antenna elements arranged according to an array pattern. Each antenna element consists of a printed butterfly dipole radiating structure, a metal via fence, and a mushroom-shaped electromagnetic bandgap (EBG). The via fence is arranged around the perimeter of the element, forming a cavity similar to a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW), effectively suppressing inter-element coupling and improving active matching. The EBG employs an equivalent LC resonant element with a patch-via-ground configuration, forming an electromagnetic bandgap in the target frequency band, blocking surface wave propagation, and widening the element beam. The butterfly dipole radiating patch has broadband and wide-beam characteristics, enabling the array to achieve large-angle scanning in both azimuth and elevation directions. The antenna as a whole has a planar structure, consisting of only one dielectric substrate. Arranging these elements in a rectangular pattern forms the array surface, achieving two-dimensional (azimuth / elevation) wide-angle scanning. This design offers advantages such as low profile, wide scanning angle, low gain fluctuation, low sidelobe level, ease of fabrication, and scalability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of phased array antenna technology, specifically to a two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna. Background Technology

[0002] Phased array antennas are a type of antenna that achieves rapid beam scanning by adjusting the feed phase of each radiating element in the array. They are widely used in satellite communications, radar detection, electronic countermeasures, and mobile communications. Compared with traditional mechanically scanned antennas, phased array antennas have advantages such as fast scanning speed, high reliability, and high beam control precision, and are therefore widely used in modern communication and detection systems.

[0003] Existing phased array antennas often face the following problems when implementing two-dimensional wide-angle scanning: On the one hand, strong coupling effects exist between radiating elements, leading to a decrease in array gain and an increase in sidelobe level during large-angle scanning; on the other hand, surface wave propagation on the substrate can degrade scanning characteristics and affect pattern stability. To mitigate these effects, existing solutions typically employ patch antennas, dipole antennas, etc., as radiating elements, combined with electromagnetic bandgap structures, substrate integrated waveguide structures, or artificial magnetic conductor structures to reduce surface wave influence and inter-element coupling.

[0004] However, in practical applications, existing technologies still have certain limitations in maintaining a wide-angle scanning range and improving radiation efficiency, making it difficult to simultaneously meet the requirements of wide-angle scanning capability and radiation performance. Furthermore, the additional structures introduced to suppress surface waves often lead to an increase in the overall antenna thickness, which is detrimental to low-profile design. Therefore, existing technologies still present a contradiction and room for improvement in achieving low profile, wide-angle scanning, and maintaining good radiation performance. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna that solves the problems of gain reduction, sidelobe level increase and large overall structural thickness that easily occur under wide-angle scanning conditions in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna, comprising multiple antenna elements arranged according to an array pattern, wherein each antenna element comprises a dielectric substrate, a printed butterfly dipole radiating structure disposed on the upper surface of the dielectric substrate, and a metal ground plane disposed on the lower surface of the dielectric substrate; the upper metal layer is connected to the metal ground plane through metallized vias;

[0007] The upper metal layer, the metal floor, and the metallized vias form a mushroom-shaped electromagnetic bandgap structure to create an equivalent inductor-capacitor resonant circuit.

[0008] A metal perforated fence is installed around the antenna unit.

[0009] In some exemplary embodiments, the printed butterfly dipole radiation structure includes a feed line, a feed point disposed on the feed line, and butterfly-shaped metal patches symmetrically distributed on both sides of the feed line. The butterfly-shaped metal patches are used to suppress cross-polarization and improve radiation efficiency.

[0010] In some exemplary embodiments, the upper metal layer is a periodically distributed square, rectangular, or hexagonal patch, and the bandgap frequency range is determined by adjusting the geometry and spacing.

[0011] In some exemplary embodiments, the through-hole spacing of the metal through-hole fence is less than one-twentieth of the working wavelength.

[0012] In some exemplary embodiments, the dielectric substrate is a single-layer structure, using a low-loss material with a relative permittivity between 2.2 and 4.4, and the substrate thickness is 0.05 to 0.15 times the operating wavelength.

[0013] In some exemplary embodiments, the antenna elements are arranged in a rectangular manner to form a two-dimensional array, with the element spacing being less than 0.5 times the operating wavelength. The two-dimensional array can achieve wide-angle scanning in both the azimuth and elevation directions, and can maintain gain stability within this scanning range.

[0014] In some exemplary embodiments, the mushroom-shaped electromagnetic bandgap structure can also be replaced by a periodic slot structure or an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) structure.

[0015] The two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array provided in this embodiment of the invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0016] 1. A low profile design is achieved by using a single-layer dielectric substrate and a printed butterfly dipole structure, while also possessing a wide operating bandwidth and stable radiation performance.

[0017] 2. Setting up a metal through-hole fence around the antenna unit can effectively reduce electromagnetic coupling between units and ensure beam consistency and stability during large-angle scanning;

[0018] 3. The introduction of a mushroom-shaped electromagnetic bandgap structure can suppress surface wave propagation within the operating frequency band, reduce energy loss, and to some extent reduce sidelobe level and improve radiation efficiency.

[0019] In summary, this invention achieves two-dimensional wide-angle scanning while also meeting performance requirements such as low profile, miniaturization, and high efficiency. It effectively solves the problems of gain reduction, sidelobe level increase, and large overall thickness under wide-angle scanning conditions in the prior art. It has a simple structure, is easy to process, and has good prospects for engineering applications. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments conforming to the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a top view of a two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 Top view of the antenna element;

[0023] Figure 3 Side view of the antenna element;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the antenna element;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a mushroom-shaped electromagnetic bandgap structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Icons: 1-Printed butterfly dipole radiating antenna; 2-Mushroom-shaped electromagnetic bandgap structure; 3-Feed line; 4-Feed point; 5-Metallized via; 6-Upper metal layer; 7-Dielectric substrate; 8-Metal ground plane. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that the invention will be more comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0028] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted. Some block diagrams shown in the drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities can be implemented in software, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0029] In view of the shortcomings and deficiencies of the existing technology, this utility model provides a two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna, which includes multiple antenna elements arranged in an array pattern.

[0030] The antenna unit comprises a printed butterfly dipole radiating structure, a mushroom-shaped electromagnetic bandgap structure, and a metal through-hole fence.

[0031] The printed butterfly dipole radiation structure is disposed on the surface of the dielectric substrate and includes metal patches symmetrically distributed on both sides of the feed line to realize broadband electromagnetic wave radiation and maintain good radiation pattern symmetry at the unit level.

[0032] The mushroom-shaped electromagnetic bandgap structure is disposed between the radiating unit and the metal ground plane. It consists of an upper metal layer and metal vias. The upper metal layer is distributed on both sides of the printed butterfly dipole and is connected to the metal ground plane through the metal vias, together forming an equivalent LC resonant circuit, which is used to suppress the propagation of surface waves in the array within the operating frequency band.

[0033] The metal via enclosure consists of multiple metallized vias arranged periodically around the antenna unit. The metallized vias penetrate the substrate and connect to the metal ground plane to reduce the electromagnetic coupling effect between adjacent radiating units, thereby improving the beam stability of the array under large-angle scanning conditions.

[0034] The antenna elements can be arranged in a linear array, a planar array, or a three-dimensional array. The number of antenna elements is designed specifically for the actual application scenario, including the scanning angle range, operating frequency band, required gain, sidelobe level requirements, and overall performance indicators.

[0035] Example

[0036] like Figure 1-5 As shown, this embodiment provides a two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna array is composed of 64 antenna elements arranged and combined according to the rectangular array layout rules.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown, each antenna unit contains three core components: a printed butterfly dipole radiating antenna 1, a mushroom-shaped electromagnetic bandgap structure 2, and a metal through-hole fence.

[0039] The printed butterfly dipole radiating antenna 1 of the antenna unit is disposed on the upper surface of the dielectric substrate 7, and is composed of radiating patches that gradually expand on both sides and a feed line 3. By reasonably designing the geometric dimensions, included angles, and position of the feed point 4 of the radiating patches, a wider impedance bandwidth and good radiation directivity can be obtained to meet the requirements of wideband operation.

[0040] Preferably, the butterfly dipole radiating antenna has a symmetrical structure, which can reduce cross-polarization and improve radiation efficiency.

[0041] Furthermore, in other embodiments, the radiating element may also employ a bow-shaped dipole, a ring dipole, or an improved patch antenna to optimize radiation performance in different frequency bands or application scenarios.

[0042] The mushroom-shaped electromagnetic bandgap structure 2 and the printed butterfly dipole radiating antenna 1 are designed to be integrated in a coplanar manner. The mushroom-shaped electromagnetic bandgap structure 2 consists of an upper metal layer 6, a metal ground plane 8, and metallized vias penetrating the dielectric substrate 7. The upper and lower metal layers are electrically connected through the metallized vias to form an equivalent LC resonant circuit, which exhibits high impedance characteristics in a specific frequency band and can block the propagation of surface waves.

[0043] Preferably, the mushroom-shaped electromagnetic bandgap structure 2 is a mushroom-shaped metasurface unit, the shape of which can be designed as a square, rectangle or hexagon. Different geometric parameters (height, diameter, spacing) can be adjusted according to the equivalent LC principle to determine the bandgap frequency range and achieve effective suppression of surface waves.

[0044] Furthermore, in other embodiments, the mushroom-shaped electromagnetic bandgap structure 2 can also be replaced by a periodic slot structure or an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) structure to achieve similar effects of suppressing surface waves and improving radiation performance.

[0045] The metal through-hole enclosure is arranged periodically around the antenna elements, and it is connected to the metal ground plane 8 through several equally spaced metallized through-holes, forming a vertical metal shielding structure. This structure can effectively reduce the mutual coupling between antenna elements, improve the pattern stability of the array under wide-angle scanning, and improve the sidelobe level.

[0046] Preferably, the spacing of the through-hole fence is designed to be less than one-twentieth of the working wavelength to ensure the shielding effect.

[0047] Furthermore, in other embodiments, the metal through-hole fence can also be designed as a continuous metal frame, a periodic metallized groove, or a hybrid shielding structure to meet different electromagnetic isolation requirements.

[0048] The entire antenna unit integrates the above-mentioned functional structures on a single-layer dielectric substrate 7. The dielectric substrate 7 serves both as a mechanical support and influences the electromagnetic characteristics of the antenna through its dielectric constant and thickness.

[0049] Preferably, the dielectric substrate 7 is made of a low-loss material (such as PTFE or FR-4) with a relative permittivity between 2.2 and 4.4, and the substrate thickness is selected to be 0.09 times the operating wavelength, thereby achieving a low profile design.

[0050] Furthermore, in other embodiments, the dielectric substrate 7 may also adopt a double-layer or multi-layer stacked structure to obtain more flexible electromagnetic control capabilities in different frequency bands.

[0051] The phased array antenna consists of multiple antenna elements arranged in a rectangular pattern to form a two-dimensional array, such as an 8×8 array structure, with the element spacing less than 0.5 times the operating wavelength. By optimizing the element spacing and arrangement, large-angle scanning in two directions can be achieved within the required operating frequency band, ensuring good consistency and stability of the array pattern within the scanning range. Furthermore, the array design can control sidelobe levels and gain fluctuations, thereby meeting the performance requirements of different application scenarios.

[0052] Furthermore, in other embodiments, the array arrangement can also be in the form of a rhombus, a circle, or a sparse array, in order to take into account different requirements for structural compactness, side lobe control, and manufacturing process.

[0053] Therefore, this embodiment achieves a low-profile, miniaturized, and high-efficiency antenna element design by integrating a printed butterfly dipole radiating antenna 1, an electromagnetic bandgap structure 2, and a metal via enclosure on a single-layer dielectric substrate 7. The phased array antenna constructed based on this not only possesses two-dimensional wide-angle scanning capability but also achieves wide bandwidth, high gain, and pattern stability. This invention has a simple overall structure, is easy to process and mass-produce, and has high engineering application value.

[0054] Other embodiments of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are indicated by the claims.

[0055] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the invention is defined only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna, characterized in that, It includes multiple antenna units arranged according to an array pattern. The antenna unit includes a dielectric substrate (7), a printed butterfly dipole radiation structure (1) disposed on the upper surface of the dielectric substrate (7), and a metal ground plane (8) disposed on the lower surface of the dielectric substrate (7). The upper metal layer (6) is connected to the metal ground plane (8) through a metallized via penetrating the dielectric substrate (7). Among them, the upper metal layer (6), the metal floor (8) and the metallized vias constitute a mushroom-shaped electromagnetic bandgap structure (2) to form an equivalent inductor-capacitor resonant circuit; A metal through-hole (5) fence is arranged around the antenna unit.

2. The two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein, The printed butterfly dipole radiation structure (1) includes a feed line (3), a feed point (4) disposed on the feed line (3), and butterfly-shaped metal patches symmetrically distributed on both sides of the feed line (3). The butterfly-shaped metal patches are used to suppress cross-polarization and improve radiation efficiency.

3. The two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The upper metal layer (6) consists of periodically distributed square, rectangular or hexagonal patches, and the bandgap frequency range is determined by adjusting the geometric dimensions and spacing.

4. The two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein, The spacing between the through holes in the metal through hole (5) enclosure is less than one-twentieth of the working wavelength.

5. The two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna of claim 2, wherein, The dielectric substrate (7) is a single-layer structure, using a low-loss material with a relative permittivity between 2.2 and 4.4, and the substrate thickness is 0.05 to 0.15 times the working wavelength.

6. The two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna of claim 1, wherein, The antenna elements are arranged in a rectangular pattern to form a two-dimensional array. The spacing between the elements is less than 0.5 times the operating wavelength. The two-dimensional array can achieve wide-angle scanning in both the azimuth and elevation directions, and can maintain the stability of the gain within this scanning range.

7. The two-dimensional wide-angle scanning phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein, The mushroom-shaped electromagnetic bandgap structure can also be replaced by a periodic slot structure or an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) structure.

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