Dielectric resonator antenna and method for manufacturing dielectric resonator antenna

Abstract

To reduce soldering work in an antenna assembly process.SOLUTION: A dielectric resonator antenna according to the present invention comprises a substrate, a power feeding member, and a dielectric substance. The power feeding member is electrically connected to a circuit formed on the substrate, and the dielectric substance is located at a position where electromagnetic coupling with the power feeding member is possible. There is provided a method for manufacturing the dielectric resonator antenna comprising the substrate, the power feeding member, and the dielectric substance. The method includes a connection step for electrically connecting a circuit formed on the substrate and the power feeding member together, and an attachment step for attaching the dielectric substance to a position where electromagnetic coupling with the power feeding member is possible.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dielectric resonator antenna and a method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna. [Background technology]

[0002] Microstrip antennas (also called "patch antennas") are known as antennas used for applications such as GPS (Global Positioning System), SXM (Sirius XM), and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] A conventional patch antenna includes a dielectric, a conductive radiation electrode formed on the top surface of the dielectric, a substrate located on the bottom surface of the dielectric, and a feed pin having one end connected to the radiation electrode via a through hole in the dielectric and the substrate and the other end connected to a conductor formed on the substrate. In general, one end of the feed pin is connected to the radiation electrode and the other end of the feed pin is connected to the conductor formed on the substrate by soldering. In order to connect the feed pin to the radiation electrode and the conductor of the substrate, multiple soldering operations are required.

[0004] However, there is a demand to eliminate the soldering work, which is a cause of carbon dioxide emissions, cumbersome work, and the occurrence of defects, from the antenna assembly process. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-234066 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] One example of an object of the present invention is to reduce the number of soldering operations in the process of assembling an antenna. Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a dielectric resonator antenna comprising a substrate, a dielectric, and a power supply member, the power supply member being electrically connected to a circuit formed on the substrate, and the dielectric being positioned in a position capable of electromagnetic coupling with the power supply member.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna comprising a substrate, a dielectric, and a power supply member, the method including a connection process for electrically connecting a circuit formed on the substrate to the power supply member, and an attachment process for attaching the dielectric in a position where it can be electromagnetically coupled to the power supply member.

[0009] According to the above aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the soldering work in the antenna assembly process. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a dielectric resonator antenna according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the dielectric resonator antenna according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a state in which a power supply member is inserted into a hole formed in a dielectric body; FIG. [Figure 4] 13 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a state in which a power supply member is inserted into a hole formed in a dielectric body. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which a power supply member is inserted into a non-through hole (hole) formed in a dielectric body. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a dielectric resonator antenna according to an embodiment in which a power supply member is arranged so that the outer peripheral surface of the power supply member and the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric face each other. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a dielectric resonator antenna according to an embodiment having a plurality of power supply members. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are schematic plan views showing examples of arrangements of power supply members in a dielectric resonator antenna according to an embodiment having a plurality of power supply members. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a dielectric resonator antenna according to an embodiment in which a gap is provided in a part of the dielectric; [Figure 10] 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of each step included in a manufacturing method (present manufacturing method) for a dielectric resonator antenna according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1A to 1C are schematic diagrams showing an example of a process for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention by the present manufacturing method. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a frequency characteristic diagram of the voltage standing wave ratio of the antenna according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 1 is a Smith chart showing frequency characteristics of a reflection coefficient γ of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a frequency characteristic diagram of the gain of the antenna according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a frequency characteristic diagram of the axial ratio of the antenna according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] 1 is a graph showing three-dimensionally the far-field directivity of an antenna according to an embodiment. [Figure 17] 17 is a graph showing two-dimensional cutouts of the directivities in the polarization directions of θ=0°, 30°, 60°, and 80° from the graph shown in FIG. 16. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] A dielectric resonator antenna (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "DRA") according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components and members shown in each drawing are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. The following description is an example and does not limit the invention, and all of the features and combinations thereof described are not necessarily essential to the invention.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a DRA according to the present embodiment, and in order to facilitate understanding of the configuration of the DRA, the inner surface of the dielectric body, which would normally be invisible, and the power supply member inserted into a hole drilled in the dielectric body are depicted by dashed lines. Fig. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the DRA shown in Fig. 1, where Fig. 2(a) shows the case where the Z axis is viewed from the positive side to the negative side, and Fig. 2(b) shows the case where the Z axis is viewed from the negative side to the positive side.

[0013] 1 and 2 includes a substrate 110, a dielectric 120, and a power supply member 130. The substrate 110 is a circuit board on which the dielectric 120 is disposed, and is made of a material such as glass epoxy resin. However, the substrate 110 may be made of a material other than glass epoxy resin, such as phenol resin. Although the substrate 110 in this embodiment is a printed circuit board (PCB), it may also be a molded interconnect device (MID), for example.

[0014] 1 and 2 is formed in a quadrilateral flat plate shape, but the shape of the substrate 110 is not limited to a quadrilateral flat plate shape, and may be a flat plate shape other than a quadrilateral, or may be a shape other than a flat plate, as long as it has a portion on which the dielectric 120 is disposed. In the following description, the positive side of the Z axis shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is referred to as the "front side", and the negative side is referred to as the "rear side".

[0015] Conductive patterns (not shown) are formed on the front and back surfaces of the substrate 110. On the front surface of the substrate 110, a conductor pattern that functions as a ground plane (conductor film) of the dielectric 120 as an antenna element and a ground for a circuit (not shown) is formed. On the back surface of the substrate 110, a conductor pattern to which a signal line of a coaxial cable from an amplifier substrate (not shown) is connected is formed. However, the conductor patterns formed on the substrate 110 are not limited to these.

[0016] The dielectric 120 is a member that functions as an antenna element, and is made of a material having a relative dielectric constant corresponding to at least one of the frequency bands of the radio waves to be transmitted and received. Specific examples of materials constituting the dielectric 120 include various ceramic materials and engineering plastics such as polycarbonate, polyphenylene ether, and various polyamides.

[0017] The shape of the dielectric 120 can be appropriately selected from various shapes such as a cylindrical shape or a rectangular prism shape according to the type of polarization required for at least one of the transmission and reception of the desired radio wave, such as linear polarization including vertical polarization and horizontal polarization, and circular polarization. The dielectric 120 illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 has a hexagonal prism shape obtained by cutting off a pair of opposing diagonal corners of a quadrangular prism having a square cross section. Such a shape is suitable for at least one of the transmission and reception of circularly polarized waves.

[0018] 2(b), a conductor electrode 124 may be provided on the back surface 123 of the dielectric 120 (i.e., the surface facing the substrate 110). The electrode 124 is not an essential component of the dielectric resonator antenna according to the present invention, but can achieve effects such as functioning as a ground electrode to contribute to stabilizing the resonance frequency of the dielectric 120. That is, by providing the conductor electrode 124 on the back surface 123 of the dielectric 120, the ground plane is expanded, and better antenna characteristics can be obtained.

[0019] The power supply member 130 is a member capable of applying an electric field that changes at a frequency in a desired frequency band to the dielectric 120 as an antenna element. The power supply member 130 illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 is a metallic pin having a substantially cylindrical shape, but the power supply member 130 is not limited to such a power supply pin and can take various forms, such as a conductor pattern formed by a method such as printing on the surface of some supporting member.

[0020] Furthermore, the power supply member 130 is electrically connected to the circuit formed on the substrate 110. The method for achieving the electrical connection between the circuit formed on the substrate 110 and the power supply member 130 is not particularly limited, and can be selected from a wide variety of methods, such as soldering such as reflow soldering, screw fastening, or contact with a conductive leaf spring electrically connected to the circuit formed on the substrate 110.

[0021] The dielectric 120 is disposed at a position where it can be electromagnetically coupled to the power feed member 130. A specific positional relationship such as a distance between the dielectric 120 and the power feed member 130 is determined, for example, according to a desired frequency band of radio waves. This enables at least one of transmission and reception of radio waves in a desired frequency band through the dielectric 120 as an antenna element. The distance between the center of the dielectric 120 and the power feed member 130 in a plan view is determined according to a desired frequency band of radio waves. A specific means for disposing the dielectric 120 and the power feed member 130 at a position where they can be electromagnetically coupled is not particularly limited, but the dielectric 120 may be fixed to the substrate 110 by a method such as adhesion. The position where the dielectric 120 and the power feed member 130 can be electromagnetically coupled is, for example, a position where at least a part of the power feed member 130 is disposed inside the dielectric 120, or a position where the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric 120 and the outer peripheral surface of the power feed member 130 are close to or in contact with each other. In this specification, the term "a state in which the dielectric 120 and the power supply member 130 are electromagnetically coupled" refers to a coupled state in which the electric field formed by the electrical polarization of the dielectric 120 is detected as a signal by the power supply member 130, and / or a coupled state in which the electric field formed by the power supply member 130 generates electrical polarization in the dielectric 120.

[0022] In the DRA 101 illustrated in FIG. 1, a through hole 111 through which a power supply pin as a power supply member 130 is inserted is formed in the substrate 110 as illustrated in FIG. 2. Furthermore, although not illustrated, the power supply member 130 is inserted through the through hole 111 to penetrate the substrate 110, and is electrically connected to a circuit formed on one surface (rear surface 113) of the substrate 110 at a first portion, which is a predetermined portion, by soldering. The power supply member 130 is disposed so as to be electrically insulated from the substrate 110 except for the first portion. The electrical connection and fixation of the power supply member 130 to the substrate 110 can be completed in advance by, for example, reflow soldering in a connection process performed before an assembly process in which the dielectric 120 is fixed at a predetermined position. Therefore, the soldering work in the assembly process of the DRA 101 can be reduced. Therefore, problems such as carbon dioxide emissions, cumbersome work, and occurrence of defects caused by the soldering work can be reduced. The reflow soldering of the power supply member 130 to the substrate 110 is preferably performed simultaneously in a reflow soldering process for connecting electronic components to a circuit formed on the substrate 100 and attaching a conductive leaf spring of a shield case (not shown). However, as described above, the electrical connection and fixation of the power supply member 130 to the substrate 110 is not limited to reflow soldering. The dielectric 120 is disposed and fixed on the other surface (surface 112) of the substrate 110 by a method such as adhesion using a double-sided tape 140 as illustrated in FIG. 2 during the assembly process of the DRA 101.

[0023] As described above, in the DRA, the electrical connection between the power supply member 130 and the circuit formed on the substrate 110, the electromagnetic coupling between the dielectric 120 and the power supply member 130, and the fixing of the dielectric 120 to the substrate 110 are achieved by independent and separate methods. Therefore, according to this embodiment, not only a small (e.g., 3 to 4 mm square) dielectric corresponding to a high frequency band (millimeter wave band) of several tens of GHz, but also a large (e.g., 20 to 25 mm square) and thick (e.g., 4 to 10 mm) dielectric corresponding to a low frequency band (e.g., 1 to 3 GHz) used in applications such as GPS, SXM, and GNSS can be mounted with sufficient strength for practical use. That is, the DRA is particularly suitable as an antenna for at least one of transmitting and receiving radio waves in a frequency band less than 20 GHz, preferably less than 10 GHz, and more preferably less than 6 GHz.

[0024] In DRA 101, the feed pin as power feed member 130 arranged as described above and protruding from front surface 112 of substrate 110 is inserted into hole 121 drilled in dielectric 120. In order to facilitate the insertion of the feed pin into hole 121 during the assembly process of DRA 101, for example, the peripheral edge of the opening on back surface 123 side of hole 121 may be tapered, or the end of the feed pin on the opposite side to substrate 110 may be tapered toward the tip. The outer peripheral surface of the feed pin as power feed member 130 and the inner peripheral surface of hole 121 do not necessarily need to be in contact with each other, but the dielectric 120 and power feed member 130 need to be close enough to each other to be electromagnetically coupled with each other.

[0025] It is preferable that the power supply member 130 does not protrude from the surface 122 of the dielectric 120, not only from the viewpoint of increasing the sensitivity as an antenna but also from the viewpoint of avoiding interference with peripheral members of the DRA 101. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a state in which the power supply member is inserted into a hole drilled in the dielectric, where (a) is a perspective view showing the appearance, and (b) is a cross-sectional view by a plane indicated by a dashed line in (a). The dielectric 120 illustrated in FIG. 3 has a quadrangular prism shape having a substantially quadrilateral cross section, and a hole 121 is drilled as a through hole near the center of one side of the substantially quadrilateral cross section. In the voltage distribution, the voltage is substantially zero near the geometric center of the outer shape of the dielectric, and the impedance is substantially zero, so that the hole 121 is located on the edge side of the dielectric 120 from the geometric center of the outer shape of the dielectric 120 in a top view (when viewing from the positive side to the negative side of the Z axis). As shown in (a), a hole 121 is opened in a surface 122 of a dielectric material 120, but as shown in (b), a power supply member 130 does not protrude from the surface 122.

[0026] 4 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a state in which a power supply member is inserted into a hole formed in a dielectric, where (a) is a perspective view showing the appearance, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the plane indicated by the dashed line in (a). The dielectric 120 shown in FIG. 4 has a similar configuration to the dielectric 120 shown in FIG. 3, except that a region having a larger diameter than other parts is provided at the periphery of the opening of the hole 121 on the surface 122 side. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the power supply member 130 does not protrude from the surface 122 of the dielectric 120.

[0027] Although the holes 121 bored in the dielectric 120 described above all penetrate from the front surface 122 to the back surface 123, the holes 121 do not necessarily need to be through holes, and may be holes that open only to the back surface 123 and do not reach the front surface 122. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which a power supply member is inserted into a non-through hole (hole) bored in the dielectric, (a) being a perspective view showing the appearance, and (b) being a cross-sectional view of the plane indicated by the dashed line in (a). The dielectric 120 illustrated in FIG. 5 has a similar configuration to the dielectric 120 illustrated in FIG. 3, except that the hole 121 does not open to the front surface 122. However, in (a) of FIG. 5, the position of the hole 121 projected onto the front surface 122 of the dielectric 120 in the Z-axis direction is indicated by a dashed line in order to indicate the position of the hole 121. In the example illustrated in FIG. 5, the power supply member 130 does not protrude from the front surface 122 of the dielectric 120. The openings of the through holes 121 on the front surface 122 side shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 may be subsequently blocked to create the state shown in FIG.

[0028] The length of the power supply member 130 in the axial direction is determined by the desired frequency band of radio waves. From the viewpoint of increasing the radiation efficiency of radio waves, it is preferable that the thickness (size in the Z-axis direction) of the dielectric 120 is greater than the length of the power supply member 130 in the axial direction. However, from the viewpoint of making the DRA a more compact product, it is preferable that the thickness of the dielectric 120 is small. Therefore, in actual products, the difference in position in the Z-axis direction between the end of the power supply member 130 on the surface 122 side of the dielectric 120 and the surface 122 is often configured to be as small as possible (flush).

[0029] The dielectric 120 and the power supply member 130 of the DRA are only required to be arranged at positions where they can be electromagnetically coupled, and it is not necessary that the power supply member 130 is inserted into the hole 121 drilled in the dielectric 120 as in the DRA 101. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the DRA. In the DRA 102 shown in FIG. 6, the power supply member 130 is not inserted into the hole 121 drilled in the dielectric 120 as in the above-mentioned DRA 101, but the power supply member 130 is arranged so that the outer circumferential surface of the power supply pin as the power supply member 130 and the outer circumferential surface of the dielectric 120 face each other. In this way, the DRA according to this embodiment can increase the degree of freedom in layout and design. Furthermore, the directivity of the antenna can be adjusted. Furthermore, in an embodiment in which the power supply member 130 is inserted into a hole 121 drilled in the dielectric 120, as in DRA101, the dielectric resonator can be made smaller than when the outer peripheral surface of the power supply member 130 and the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric 120 are arranged to face each other.

[0030] In the DRA 102, the dielectric 120 is also disposed at a position where it can be electromagnetically coupled to the power feed member 130, and the specific positional relationship between the dielectric 120 and the power feed member 130, such as the distance between them, is appropriately determined according to the desired frequency band of radio waves, for example. In this case, the outer peripheral surface of the power feed pin as the power feed member 130 does not necessarily need to be in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the hole 121, but the dielectric 120 and the power feed member 130 must be close enough to each other to be electromagnetically coupled to each other. The dielectric 120 provided in the DRA 102 illustrated in FIG. 6 has a rectangular prism shape with a substantially quadrilateral cross section. Such a shape is suitable for at least one of transmitting and receiving linearly polarized waves.

[0031] However, the number of power supply members provided in the DRA is not limited to one, and the DRA may be provided with multiple power supply members, for example, two or four, depending on at least one of the desired radio wave frequency band and polarization type.

[0032] 7 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a DRA equipped with a plurality of power supply members, in which DRA 103 shown in (a) has two power supply members, and DRA 104 shown in (b) has four power supply members. In Fig. 7, similarly to Fig. 1, in order to facilitate understanding of the configuration of DRAs 103 and 104, the inner surface of dielectric 120, which would normally be invisible, and power supply member 130 inserted into hole 121 drilled in dielectric 120 are depicted by dashed lines.

[0033] Fig. 8 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the arrangement of power supply members in a DRA having a plurality of power supply members. Fig. 8(a) and (b) are schematic plan views of DRA103 and 104 shown in Fig. 7(a) and (b), respectively, and Fig. 8(c) is a schematic plan view of DRA105 having four power supply members 130 arranged at positions different from DRA104.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 8(a), in the DRA 103, the two power feed members 130 are arranged so that two straight lines passing through the center of the dielectric 120 and each of the power feed members 130 are perpendicular to each other at the center of the dielectric 120 and pass through the centers of two adjacent sides of the substantially square cross section. Such an arrangement of the two power feed members 130 is preferable because it can increase the isolation between the two antenna elements. By shifting the phase of the electric field applied from these two power feed members 130 to the dielectric 120 by 90°, the DRA 103 including the dielectric 120 having a quadrangular prism shape with a substantially square cross section can transmit and receive at least one of circularly polarized waves.

[0035] On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 8(b), in the DRA 104, the four power supply members 130 are arranged so that two straight lines passing through two pairs of power supply members 130 facing each other with the center of the dielectric 120 sandwiched therebetween are perpendicular to each other at the center of the dielectric 120 and pass through the centers of each of the four sides of the approximately square cross section. However, when the dielectric resonator antenna according to the present invention includes four power supply members 130, it is only necessary that the two straight lines are perpendicular to each other at the center of the dielectric 120, and the two straight lines do not necessarily need to pass through the centers of each of the four sides of the approximately square cross section. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8(c), the four power supply members 130 may be arranged so that the two straight lines pass through places other than the centers of each of the four sides of the approximately square cross section. Furthermore, although not illustrated, the four power supply members 130 may be arranged so that the two straight lines pass through the four corners of the approximately square cross section.

[0036] Incidentally, for example, in order to reduce the weight of the DRA and / or to adjust the desired frequency band or the width of the frequency band, a gap may be provided in a part of the dielectric 120. Such a gap is also called a "seat cavity" or a "notch".

[0037] Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a DRA in which a gap is provided in a part of a dielectric. In Fig. 9, as in Fig. 1 and Fig. 7, the back surface of dielectric 120, which would normally be invisible, and power supply member 130 inserted into hole 121 drilled in dielectric 120 are depicted by dashed lines. However, although the gap provided in part of dielectric 120 would normally be invisible, it is colored gray and depicted by solid lines in order to facilitate understanding of the configuration of the DRA illustrated in Fig. 9.

[0038] As can be seen from the schematic cross-sectional views along a plane perpendicular to the X-axis depicted in the upper right corner of each perspective view, in the dielectric 120 of the DRA 106 illustrated in (a) of Fig. 9, the gap 150 is provided so as to open to the surface (rear surface 123) facing the substrate 110. In the dielectric 120 of the DRA 108 illustrated in (c) of Fig. 9, the gap 150 is provided so as to open to the surface (front surface 122) opposite to the surface facing the substrate 110. In the dielectric 120 of the DRA 107 illustrated in (b) of Fig. 9, the gap 150 is provided as a closed space that does not open to either the front surface 122 or the rear surface 123 of the dielectric 120.

[0039] As illustrated in (a) to (c) of Figure 9, in each of the DRAs 106 to 108, a rectangular parallelepiped void 150 of the same size is provided inside the dielectric 120 near the center in a plan view. However, the size, shape and position of the void 150 are appropriately designed according to, for example, the weight reduction of the DRA to be achieved and / or the desired frequency band or width of the frequency band of the radio wave. According to this embodiment, it is possible to realize a reduction in the weight of the dielectric resonator antenna. Furthermore, since the dielectric constant of the dielectric end resonator antenna can be adjusted, it is possible to adjust the frequency band and the width of the frequency band.

[0040] As stated at the beginning of this specification, the present invention relates not only to a dielectric resonator antenna but also to a method for manufacturing the dielectric resonator antenna. Fig. 10 is a flow chart showing the flow of each step included in a method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "this manufacturing method"). Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a process in which a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is manufactured by this manufacturing method.

[0041] As is clear from the above description of the DRA, this manufacturing method is a method for manufacturing a DRA, and includes a connection step performed in step S01 and an attachment step performed in step S02 of the flowchart shown in Fig. 10. The connection step is a step of electrically connecting a circuit formed on the board and a power supply member, and the attachment step is a step of attaching a dielectric to a position where it can be electromagnetically coupled to the power supply member.

[0042] In the present manufacturing method illustrated in FIG. 11, in a connection step (step S01) illustrated in (a), a power supply pin as the power supply member 130 is inserted into a through hole 111 formed in the substrate 110 from the back surface 113 side of the substrate 110, which is one surface of the substrate 110 (see the arrow drawn by a thick solid line). Then, a circuit (not shown) formed on the back surface 113 of the substrate 110 and the power supply member 130 are electrically connected by soldering at a first portion, which is a predetermined portion, and the power supply member 130 is arranged so as to be electrically insulated from the substrate 110 except for the first portion. As a result, the power supply member 130 is erected so as to protrude from the front surface 112 of the substrate 110. The soldering of the power supply member 130 to the substrate 110 is performed in a reflow soldering step for connecting electronic components to a circuit formed on the substrate 100 and attaching a conductive leaf spring of a shield case (not shown).

[0043] Next, in the attachment process (step S02), as shown in FIG. 11(b), a double-sided tape 140 for fixing the dielectric 120 at a predetermined position on the substrate 110 is attached to the back surface 123 of the dielectric 120 (see the arrow drawn by the thick dashed line). As described above, the back surface 123 of the dielectric 120 illustrated in FIG. 11(b) is provided with an electrode 124 that functions as a ground electrode and contributes to stabilizing the resonance frequency of the dielectric 120. The electrode 124 is not an essential component of the DRA, but the electrode 124 expands the plate surface, thereby enabling better antenna characteristics to be obtained. Then, as shown in FIG. 11(c), the dielectric 120 is attached to the surface 112 as the other surface of the substrate 110 so that a power feed pin as a power feed member 130 that is erected so as to protrude from the surface 112 of the substrate 110 is inserted into a hole 121 drilled in the dielectric 120 (see the arrow drawn by the thick dashed line). At this time, the substrate 110 and the dielectric 120 are bonded and fixed together by the double-sided tape 140 attached to the back surface 123 of the dielectric 120 .

[0044] In order to attach the dielectric 120 to the substrate 110 so that the power supply member 130 erected on the substrate 110 as described above is inserted into the hole 121 drilled in the dielectric 120, it is important to align the substrate 110 and the dielectric 120. As a specific means for such alignment, for example, a form or guide configured so that a hole having a shape along the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric 120 is located at a predetermined position when the dielectric 120 is superimposed on the surface 112 of the substrate 110 may be used, or in an automated process using a robot arm or the like, image recognition by an imaging device may be used. When bonding the substrate 110 and the dielectric 120 together, it is desirable to press the dielectric 120 against the surface 112 of the substrate 110, for example, by an operator's hand or a robot arm.

[0045] The positional relationship between the power supply member 130 and the dielectric 120 has already been described in the explanation of the DRA. That is, in the mounting step, depending on the configuration of the DRA to be manufactured by the present manufacturing method, the dielectric 120 can be mounted on the substrate 110 so that the outer peripheral surface of the power supply member 130 and the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric 120 face each other, or the dielectric 120 can be mounted on the substrate 110 so that the power supply member 130 is inserted into the hole 121 drilled in the dielectric 120. That is, according to the present manufacturing method, the degree of freedom in layout and design of the DRA can be increased. Furthermore, the directivity of the DRA can be adjusted. Also, according to the mode in which the power supply member 130 is inserted into the hole 121 drilled in the dielectric 120, the dielectric resonator can be made smaller than the case in which the outer peripheral surface of the power supply member 130 and the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric 120 are arranged to face each other.

[0046] As already mentioned in the description of the DRA, a gap may be provided in a part of the dielectric 120 for the purpose of reducing the weight of the DRA and / or adjusting the desired frequency band or width of the frequency band. According to such an embodiment, it is possible to realize a reduction in the weight of the dielectric resonator antenna. Furthermore, since the dielectric constant of the dielectric end resonator antenna can be adjusted, it is possible to adjust the frequency band and width of the frequency band.

[0047] As described above, the dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) according to the present invention can be assembled by attaching a dielectric to a pair of a power feed member and a substrate that are electrically connected in advance to a circuit formed on the substrate, at a position that allows electromagnetic coupling between the power feed member and the dielectric. That is, according to the present invention, the soldering work in the assembly process of the dielectric resonator antenna can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce problems such as carbon dioxide emissions, complicated work, and the occurrence of defects.

[0048] In the DRA, the electrical connection between the power supply member and the circuit formed on the board, the electromagnetic coupling between the dielectric and the power supply member, and the fixing of the dielectric to the board are achieved by independent and separate methods. Therefore, according to this embodiment, not only small (e.g., 3 to 4 mm square) dielectrics corresponding to a high frequency band (millimeter wave band) of several tens of GHz, but also large (e.g., 20 to 25 mm square) and thick (e.g., 4 to 10 mm) dielectrics corresponding to a low frequency band (e.g., 1 to 3 GHz) used in applications such as GPS, SXM, and GNSS can be mounted with sufficient strength for practical use. That is, the DRA is particularly suitable as an antenna for handling radio waves in a frequency band of less than 20 GHz, preferably less than 10 GHz, and more preferably less than 6 GHz. EXAMPLES

[0049] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A dielectric resonator antenna and a method for manufacturing the same according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] The antenna according to the embodiment was designed as an SXM antenna that transmits and receives at least one of left-handed circularly polarized waves in a frequency band around 2332.5 MHz. The configuration of the antenna according to the embodiment is the same as that of the DRA101 illustrated in FIG. 1. A square PCB as illustrated in FIG. 2 was used as the substrate 110. This substrate 110 is made of glass epoxy resin, and has a side length of 60 mm and a thickness of 0.8 mm. Through holes 111 and holes 121 were formed in the substrate 110 and the dielectric 120, respectively. The through holes 111 are formed to erect the power supply member 130 inserted into the holes 121 at a predetermined position. Furthermore, conductor patterns (not shown) were formed on the front and back surfaces of the substrate 110 to serve as a circuit for electrical connection with the power supply member 130 and for mounting electronic components constituting an LNA, etc.

[0051] As the dielectric 120, a ceramic having a shape as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 was adopted. More specifically, the dielectric 120 has a hexagonal prism shape in which one of a pair of opposing diagonal corners of a quadrangular prism having a square cross section with a side of 20 mm is chamfered by 6.5 mm and the other is chamfered by 7.5 mm, and has a relative dielectric constant of 35.6. In the XY coordinate system shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a hole 121 having an inner diameter of 1.1 mmφ is drilled as a through hole extending in the Z-axis direction at a position (-1 mm, -9 mm) when the center of the square cross section before the chamfering is set as the origin. Furthermore, a silver electrode pattern serving as a ground electrode is printed on the back surface 123 of the dielectric 120 (i.e., the surface on the negative side in the Z-axis shown in FIG. 1, the surface facing the substrate 110 during assembly).

[0052] A power supply pin having a shape as shown in Fig. 2 was used as the power supply member 130. More specifically, this power supply member 130 has a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 1.0 mmφ and a length of 8 mm, and is provided near one end with a brim-shaped protrusion for use as a stopper when inserted into the board 110 and for electrical connection with the circuit formed on the board 110. This power supply member 130 is made of copper, and its surface is silver-plated.

[0053] The antenna of the embodiment was manufactured by performing the connection process (step S01) and the attachment process (step S02) from the substrate 110, dielectric 120, and power supply member 130 as described above with reference to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 10 and the schematic diagram illustrated in FIG. 11.

[0054] Specifically, in the connection step, power supply member 130 was inserted from the rear surface 113 side into through hole 111 formed in substrate 110, and mounted on substrate 110 by reflow soldering together with electronic components constituting an LNA, etc. As a result, the circuit formed on substrate 110 and power supply member 130 were electrically connected, and power supply member 130 was erected so as to protrude from front surface 112 of substrate 110.

[0055] Next, in the attachment process, first, double-sided tape 140 for fixing dielectric 120 to a predetermined position on substrate 110 was attached to rear surface 123 of dielectric 120. Then, dielectric 120 was placed on front surface 112 of substrate 110 so that power supply member 130 protruding from front surface 112 of substrate 110 was inserted into hole 121 drilled in dielectric 120, and dielectric 120 was pressed against substrate 110 to bond and fix both. In this way, dielectric 120 and power supply member 130 were arranged at positions where electromagnetic coupling between them is possible.

[0056] The electrical characteristics of the antenna according to the embodiment manufactured as described above will be described below. Fig. 12 is a frequency characteristic diagram of the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of the antenna according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 12, the antenna according to the embodiment exhibits a voltage standing wave ratio close to 1 in the target frequency band around 2332.5 MHz, and it was confirmed that the transmission efficiency is good.

[0057] Next, Fig. 13 is a Smith chart showing the frequency characteristics of the reflection coefficient γ of the antenna according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 13, the antenna according to the embodiment shows an impedance close to the reference impedance (center) in the target frequency band around 2332.5 MHz, so it was confirmed that the antenna according to the embodiment can reduce reflection in the target frequency band around 2332.5 MHz.

[0058] Next, Fig. 14 is a frequency characteristic diagram of the gain of the antenna according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 14, in the antenna according to the embodiment, the gain significantly decreased for right-handed circularly polarized waves (RHCP) in the target frequency band around 2332.5 MHz, while good gain was exhibited for left-handed circularly polarized waves (LHCP). In other words, it was confirmed that the antenna according to the embodiment can selectively achieve good gain for circularly polarized waves having the target rotation direction of the polarization plane.

[0059] Next, Fig. 15 is a frequency characteristic diagram of the axial ratio (AR) of the antenna according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 15, the antenna according to the embodiment shows an axial ratio close to 1 in the target frequency band around 2332.5 MHz, so it was confirmed that the antenna according to the embodiment can perform at least one of transmission and reception of a good circularly polarized wave in the target frequency band around 2332.5 MHz.

[0060] Next, Fig. 16 is a graph showing the far-field directivity of the antenna according to the embodiment at 2338.75 MHz in three dimensions, and Fig. 17(a) to (d) are graphs showing the directivity in the polarization directions of θ=0°, 30°, 60°, and 80°, respectively, cut out in two dimensions from the graph shown in Fig. 16. As is clear from Fig. 16 and Fig. 17, it was confirmed that the antenna according to the embodiment has excellent directivity as an omnidirectional antenna.

[0061] As described above, according to this embodiment, by attaching a dielectric to a pair of a power supply member and a substrate that is already electrically connected to a circuit formed on the substrate, at a position that enables electromagnetic coupling between the power supply member and the dielectric, it is possible to reduce the soldering work in the assembly process of the dielectric resonator antenna, thereby reducing problems such as carbon dioxide emissions, complicated work, and the occurrence of defects, and to manufacture a dielectric resonator antenna having a desired frequency band, polarization type, and directivity.

[0062] As described above, the antenna according to the embodiment is designed as an omnidirectional SXM antenna that transmits and / or receives left-handed circularly polarized waves in a frequency band around 2332.5 MHz. However, the dielectric resonator antenna according to the present invention can be designed as appropriate depending on, for example, the desired frequency band of radio waves, the type of polarization, and the directivity required of the antenna.

[0063] According to the present specification, there are provided a dielectric resonator antenna and a method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna having the following aspects.

[0064] Aspect 1 is a dielectric resonator antenna comprising a substrate, a dielectric, and a power supply member, the power supply member being electrically connected to a circuit formed on the substrate, and the dielectric being positioned so as to be electromagnetically coupled to the power supply member. According to the above-mentioned aspect, the soldering between the radiation electrode and the power supply pin, which is required in the conventional patch antenna assembly process, is no longer necessary, and the soldering work can be reduced, thereby reducing problems such as carbon dioxide emissions, complicated work, and the occurrence of defects.

[0065] In aspect 2, the power supply member penetrates the substrate and is electrically connected to a circuit formed on one side of the substrate by soldering at a predetermined first portion, and is positioned so as to be electrically insulated from the substrate except for the first portion, and the dielectric is positioned on the other side of the substrate. According to the above-mentioned aspect, the soldering between the radiation electrode and the power supply pin, which is required in the conventional patch antenna assembly process, is no longer necessary, and the soldering work can be reduced, thereby reducing problems such as carbon dioxide emissions, complicated work, and the occurrence of defects.

[0066] In a third aspect, the power supply member is disposed such that an outer circumferential surface of the power supply member and an outer circumferential surface of the dielectric body face each other. According to the above-mentioned aspect, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in layout and design, and further to adjust the directivity of the antenna.

[0067] In a fourth aspect, the power supply member is inserted into a hole formed in the dielectric body. According to the above-mentioned aspect, the soldering between the radiation electrode and the power feed pin in the assembly process of the conventional patch antenna is not required, so that the soldering work can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to reduce problems such as carbon dioxide emissions, complicated work, and the occurrence of defects. Furthermore, the dielectric resonator can be made smaller than when the outer circumferential surface of the power feed member and the outer circumferential surface of the dielectric are arranged to face each other.

[0068] In a fifth aspect, an electrode made of a conductor is provided on the surface of the dielectric material facing the substrate. According to the above-mentioned embodiment, the ground plane is expanded, and better antenna characteristics can be obtained.

[0069] In a sixth aspect, a gap is provided in a part of the dielectric material. According to the above-mentioned aspect, it is possible to realize a lightweight dielectric resonator antenna. Furthermore, since the dielectric constant of the dielectric end resonator antenna can be adjusted, it is possible to adjust the frequency band and the width of the frequency band.

[0070] A seventh aspect is a manufacturing method for a dielectric resonator antenna comprising a substrate, a dielectric, and a power supply member, and includes a connection step of electrically connecting a circuit formed on the substrate to the power supply member, and an attachment step of attaching the dielectric to a position where it can be electromagnetically coupled to the power supply member. According to the above-mentioned aspect, the soldering between the radiation electrode and the power supply pin, which is required in the conventional patch antenna assembly process, is no longer necessary, and the soldering work can be reduced, thereby reducing problems such as carbon dioxide emissions, complicated work, and the occurrence of defects.

[0071] In an eighth aspect, in the connecting step, the power supply member is inserted into a through hole formed in the board, and the power supply member is electrically connected to a circuit formed on one side of the board by soldering at a first portion which is a predetermined portion, and the power supply member is positioned so as to be electrically insulated from the board except for the first portion, and in the mounting step, the dielectric is mounted on the other side of the board. According to the above-mentioned aspect, the soldering between the radiation electrode and the power supply pin, which is required in the conventional patch antenna assembly process, is no longer necessary, and the soldering work can be reduced, thereby reducing problems such as carbon dioxide emissions, complicated work, and the occurrence of defects.

[0072] In a ninth aspect, in the attaching step, the dielectric is attached to the substrate such that an outer circumferential surface of the power supply member and an outer circumferential surface of the dielectric face each other. According to the above-mentioned aspect, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in layout and design, and further to adjust the directivity of the antenna.

[0073] In a tenth aspect, in the attaching step, the dielectric is attached to the substrate such that the power supply member is inserted into a hole formed in the dielectric. According to the above-mentioned aspect, the soldering between the radiation electrode and the power feed pin in the assembly process of the conventional patch antenna is not required, so that the soldering work can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to reduce problems such as carbon dioxide emissions, complicated work, and the occurrence of defects. Furthermore, the dielectric resonator can be made smaller than when the outer circumferential surface of the power feed member and the outer circumferential surface of the dielectric are arranged to face each other.

[0074] In an eleventh aspect, an electrode made of a conductor is provided on the surface of the dielectric material facing the substrate. According to the above-mentioned embodiment, the ground plane is expanded, and better antenna characteristics can be obtained.

[0075] In a twelfth aspect, a gap is provided in a portion of the dielectric material. According to the above-mentioned aspect, it is possible to realize a lightweight dielectric resonator antenna. Furthermore, since the dielectric constant of the dielectric end resonator antenna can be adjusted, it is possible to adjust the frequency band and the width of the frequency band.

[0076] For the purpose of explaining the present invention, several embodiments and examples having specific configurations have been described above, sometimes with reference to the attached drawings. However, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to these exemplary embodiments and examples, and it goes without saying that appropriate modifications can be made within the scope of the claims and the matters described in the specification. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 101, 102, 103, 104, 104, 106, 107, 108...Dielectric resonator antenna 110...Substrate 111...Through hole 112…Surface 113...Back side 120...Dielectric 121...hole 122…Surface 123…Back side 124...Electrode 130...Power supply member 140…Double-sided tape 150...Void

Claims

1. A dielectric resonator antenna comprising a substrate, a dielectric, and a feeding member, the power supply member is electrically connected to a circuit formed on the substrate, The dielectric body is disposed at a position where it can be electromagnetically coupled to the power supply member. Dielectric resonator antenna.

2. 2. A dielectric resonator antenna as claimed in claim 1, comprising: the power supply member is disposed so as to penetrate the board, to be electrically connected to a circuit formed on one surface of the board at a first portion which is a predetermined portion, by soldering, and to be electrically insulated from the board except for the first portion; The dielectric is disposed on the other surface of the substrate. Dielectric resonator antenna.

3. 3. A dielectric resonator antenna according to claim 1 or 2, The power supply member is disposed such that an outer circumferential surface of the power supply member and an outer circumferential surface of the dielectric body face each other. Dielectric resonator antenna.

4. 3. A dielectric resonator antenna according to claim 1 or 2, The power supply member is inserted into a hole formed in the dielectric. Dielectric resonator antenna.

5. 3. A dielectric resonator antenna according to claim 1 or 2, a conductor electrode is provided on a surface of the dielectric facing the substrate; Dielectric resonator antenna.

6. 3. A dielectric resonator antenna according to claim 1 or 2, A gap is provided in a part of the dielectric. Dielectric resonator antenna.

7. A method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna including a substrate, a dielectric, and a power supply member, comprising the steps of: a connecting step of electrically connecting the circuit formed on the substrate and the power supply member; a mounting step of mounting the dielectric body at a position where the dielectric body can be electromagnetically coupled to the power supply member; Including, A method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna.

8. A method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna according to claim 7, comprising the steps of: In the connecting step, the power supply member is inserted into a through hole formed in the board, and a circuit formed on one surface of the board and the power supply member are electrically connected by soldering at a first portion, which is a predetermined portion, and the power supply member is arranged so as to be electrically insulated from the board except for the first portion; In the attaching step, the dielectric is attached onto the other surface of the substrate. A method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna.

9. A method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna according to claim 7 or 8, comprising the steps of: In the attaching step, the dielectric is attached to the substrate such that an outer circumferential surface of the power supply member and an outer circumferential surface of the dielectric face each other. A method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna.

10. A method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna according to claim 7 or 8, comprising the steps of: In the mounting step, the dielectric is mounted on the substrate such that the power supply member is inserted into a hole formed in the dielectric. A method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna.

11. A method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna according to claim 7 or 8, comprising the steps of: a conductor electrode is provided on a surface of the dielectric facing the substrate; A method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna.

12. A method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna according to claim 7 or 8, comprising the steps of: A gap is provided in a part of the dielectric. A method for manufacturing a dielectric resonator antenna.

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