Antenna device and radar device

Abstract

To provide an antenna device and a radar device with which it is possible to realize desired directivity even in high frequency bands.SOLUTION: An antenna device according to the present embodiment comprises: a substrate; a power feeding element that is provided on a surface or inside of the substrate; a power feeding line that is provided on the surface or the inside of the substrate and that supplies power to the power feeding element; and a wave director that is provided on the surface or the inside of the substrate by being spaced from the power feeding element and / or a reflector that is provided on the surface or the inside of the substrate by being spaced from the power feeding element. The substrate includes a first section having a first thickness and a second section having a second thickness that is thicker than the first thickness. At least one of least some of the power feeding elements and at least some of the wave directors are provided on the surface or the inside of the first section, and at least some of the power feeding lines are provided on the surface or the inside of the second section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present embodiment relates to an antenna device and a radar device. [Background technology]

[0002] As an antenna having directivity in a direction parallel to the substrate, a technology is known in which the feed element and director of a planar Yagi-Uda antenna are formed from strip conductors. Another example is a technology to form an antenna having directivity in a direction approximately parallel to the substrate, using a waveguide structure called a post-wall waveguide or SIW (Substrate Integrated Waveguide), which has two rows of conductive vias continuously arranged on a parallel plate or dielectric substrate with metal on the top and bottom surfaces, as a feed line, and a director formed from a strip conductor and conductive vias.

[0003] However, in any of the antennas using the above technologies, unless the thickness of the substrate is sufficiently small compared to the operating wavelength of the antenna device (i.e., the wavelength of the radio waves transmitted or received by the antenna device), there is a problem that an antenna device cannot be designed that can obtain the desired directivity due to the influence of the substrate.

[0004] Antenna devices typically include an antenna, a power supply component that supplies power, an RFIC (Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit), and a control component for the antenna device. Components can be mounted on a board using surface mount technology (SMT), and the components can be connected using conductor patterns formed on the board. Furthermore, by making the board multilayered and forming conductor patterns on multiple layers, it becomes possible to fit complex wiring onto a single board.

[0005] On the other hand, when a board is made multi-layered, the thickness of the board must be increased according to the number of layers. FR-4 (Flame Retardant Type 4) boards are widely used for power lines and wiring between components, but these boards are not suitable for use in high-frequency bands such as millimeter waves due to their large transmission loss. High-frequency boards, which are made of low-dielectric-loss materials, are more suitable for transmitting high-frequency signals.

[0006] In antenna devices for high-frequency bands such as the millimeter-wave band, the feed line and feed element are formed on a high-frequency substrate, and the wiring for various components such as the antenna device's control components is formed on a general-purpose substrate such as an FR-4 substrate, which is less expensive than the high-frequency substrate. These substrates are often bonded together using prepreg or other materials to form a laminated substrate. This configuration results in a thick substrate, and in high-frequency bands such as the millimeter-wave band, the substrate thickness can become significant compared to the operating wavelength of the antenna device. In this case, for antenna devices whose intended radiation direction is parallel to the substrate surface or tilted from the substrate surface, the influence of the substrate thickness can cause the directivity of the antenna device to not match the desired radiation direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6927293 [Non-patent literature]

[0008] [Non-Patent Document 1] R. Suga, H. Nakano, Y. Hirachi, J. Hirokawa and M. Ando, ​​"Cost-Effective 60-GHz Antenna Package With End-Fire Radiation for Wireless File-Transfer System," in IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 58, no. 12, pp. 3989-3995, Dec. 2010 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The present embodiment provides an antenna device and a radar device that can achieve a desired directivity even in a high frequency band. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The antenna device according to this embodiment includes a substrate, a feed element provided on or inside the substrate, a feed line provided on or inside the substrate for feeding the feed element, and at least one of a director provided on or inside the substrate at a distance from the feed element, and a reflector provided on or inside the substrate at a distance from the feed element, wherein the substrate includes a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness greater than the first thickness, and at least one of at least a portion of the feed element and at least a portion of the director is provided on or inside the first portion, and at least a portion of the feed line is provided on or inside the second portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an antenna device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] Supplementary Figure 1 [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view of the antenna device of Figure 1 [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna device according to a comparative example; [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation that analyzes the return loss characteristics of the antenna device of FIG. 1. [Figure 6A] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing electromagnetic field analysis results of radiation directivity on the YZ plane in the antenna device according to the first embodiment and the antenna device according to the comparative example; [Figure 6B] 1 is a diagram showing the results of electromagnetic field analysis of radiation directivity on the XY plane in the antenna device according to the first embodiment and an antenna device according to a comparative example; FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an antenna device according to a first modification of the first embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a plan view of an antenna device according to a second modification of the first embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a plan view of an antenna device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the results of electromagnetic field analysis of radiation directivity on the YZ plane in the antenna device according to the second embodiment; [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a plan view of an antenna device according to a modified example of the second embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the results of electromagnetic field analysis of radiation directivity on the YZ plane in the antenna device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 15] 10 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna device according to a modification of the third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a plan view of an antenna device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 17] 18 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna device of FIG. 17. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the results of electromagnetic field analysis of radiation directivity on the YZ plane in the antenna device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a first example of an antenna device according to a fifth embodiment; [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a second example of an antenna device according to the fifth embodiment; [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a third example of an antenna device according to a fifth embodiment; [Figure 22] 13 is a cross-sectional view of an antenna device according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 23] 10 is a block diagram of a first configuration example of a radar device according to a seventh embodiment; [Figure 24] 13 is a block diagram of a second configuration example of a radar device according to a seventh embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis represent axes that are perpendicular to one another, and the +X-axis direction, +Y-axis direction, and +Z-axis direction represent positive directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively. The -X-axis direction, -Y-axis direction, and -Z-axis direction represent negative directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively. When simply referring to the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, or Z-axis direction, it includes both the + and - directions along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively.

[0013] First Embodiment The antenna device according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. FIG. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an antenna device 100 according to the first preferred embodiment. FIG. 2 is a supplementary view of FIG. 1, and is a view for showing dimensions not shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the antenna device 100 of FIG. 1. Cross sections at different positions in the X-axis direction of FIG. 1 are shown for each section along the Y-axis direction shown in FIG. 3. For example, the first feed line 105 and the via 110d in FIG. 3 are located at different positions along the X-axis direction in FIG. 1. In this way, the cross-sectional structures of the elements in FIG. 1 can be shown together in a single diagram. Furthermore, the ground conductor 104 in FIG. 3 is not shown in FIG. 1.

[0014] The antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 is compatible with, for example, wireless communication standards such as the fifth generation mobile communication system (so-called 5G), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and wireless LAN (Local Area Network) standards such as IEEE802.11ax. The antenna device 100 is compatible not only with wireless communication but also with radars that use frequency bands such as the 24 GHz band, 60 GHz band, 76 GHz band, and 79 GHz band. The antenna device 100 is configured to be able to transmit and receive radio waves in the SHF (Super High Frequency) band with a frequency of 3 GHz to 30 GHz and radio waves in the EHF (Extremely High Frequency) band with a frequency of 30 GHz to 300 GHz, for example.

[0015] The antenna device 100 includes a substrate 101, a ground conductor 104, a first feed line 105, a balun 106, a second feed line 107, a feed element 108, a director 109, a via 110a, a via 110b, a via 110c, and a via 110d.

[0016] The substrate 101 includes a high frequency substrate 102 (first substrate) and a general-purpose substrate 103 (second substrate). The high frequency substrate 102 includes a high frequency substrate 102a, a high frequency substrate 102b, and a high frequency substrate 102c. The high frequency substrates 102a to 102c are also referred to as substrates 102a to 102c. The general-purpose substrate 103 includes a general-purpose substrate 103a and a general-purpose substrate 103b. The general-purpose substrates 103a and 103b are also referred to as substrates 103a and 103b. The substrate 101 comprises a substrate surface 203 , a substrate surface 204 and a substrate surface 205 . The substrate 101 is formed by stacking a high-frequency substrate 102 (first substrate) and a general-purpose substrate 103 (second substrate) in a first direction (Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the substrate surface 203 of the substrate 101.

[0017] The substrate 101 has a first portion 201 having a first thickness and a second portion 202 having a second thickness, corresponding to a second direction (Y-axis direction) parallel to the substrate surface 203. The first thickness is approximately equal to the thickness of the high-frequency substrate 102. The second thickness is approximately equal to the combined thickness of the high-frequency substrate 102 and the general-purpose substrate 103. Therefore, the first thickness is thinner than the second thickness. The general-purpose substrate 103 has a shorter length in the Y-axis direction than the high-frequency substrate 102.

[0018] The ground conductor 104 includes a first ground conductor 104a, a second ground conductor 104b, a third ground conductor 104c, a fourth ground conductor 104d, and a fifth ground conductor 104e, each of which is formed in a planar shape. The first ground conductor 104a, the second ground conductor 104b, the third ground conductor 104c, the fourth ground conductor 104d, and the fifth ground conductor 104e will also be referred to as the ground conductor 104a, the ground conductor 104b, the ground conductor 104c, the ground conductor 104d, and the ground conductor 104e, respectively.

[0019] The first feed line 105, the balun 106, the second feed line 107, the feed element 108 (radiating element), and the director 109 are formed as a metal pattern between the substrates 102a and 102b of the high-frequency substrate 102. More specifically, this metal pattern is provided on the surface of or inside the substrate 102b, and even more specifically, this metal pattern is embedded in a partial area of ​​the surface of the substrate 102b with its surface exposed. The first ground conductor 104a is formed on the substrate surface 203. The second ground conductor 104b is formed inside the high-frequency substrate 102. More specifically, the second ground conductor 104b is embedded in a partial area of ​​the surface of the high-frequency substrate 102c with its surface exposed. The third ground conductor 104c is formed at the boundary between the high-frequency substrate 102 and the general-purpose substrate 103. The fourth ground conductor 104d is formed inside the general-purpose substrate 103. A fifth ground conductor 104 e is formed on the substrate surface 204 .

[0020] The second feed line 107 includes a feed line 107a and a feed line 107b. The feed element 108 includes a feed element portion 108a and a feed element portion 108b. At least a portion of the second feed line 107 is provided inside or on the surface of the second portion 202 of the substrate 101. In the example of FIG. 3 , a portion of the second feed line 107 is provided on or on the surface of the substrate 102b included in the second portion 202. The remaining portion of the second feed line 107 is provided on or on the surface of the substrate 102b included in the first portion 201.

[0021] Substrate 101 is mainly made of a dielectric material. Examples include resin substrates such as FR-4 (Flame Retardant Type 4), PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), and modified PPE (polyphenylene ether), film substrates mainly made of resin foam, liquid crystal polymer, polyimide, and the like, ceramic substrates, and glass substrates. Substrate 101 may also be a flexible substrate. The substrate 101 included in the antenna device 100 has a substrate surface 203, a substrate surface 204, and a substrate surface 205. For example, surface mount technology (SMT) components and electronic circuits may be mounted on the substrate surface 203, and a fifth ground conductor 104e may be formed on the substrate surface 204. The antenna device 100 may be provided with multiple ground conductors, and the ground conductor may be formed not only on the substrate surface but also inside the substrate. Furthermore, the ground conductor does not necessarily have to be formed on the substrate surface or inside the substrate. For example, a conductive via may be formed in the substrate, and the conductive via may be electrically connected to or soldered to a ground conductor outside the substrate for grounding.

[0022] Substrate 101 does not necessarily have to be made of a single dielectric material, but may be made of a combination of multiple materials. For example, the substrate may be made by bonding multiple pieces of the same dielectric material together using prepreg, bonding film, or the like. Alternatively, the substrate may be made of multiple dielectric materials with different electrical properties, such as by laminating a high-frequency substrate, which is a low-dielectric-loss material, with a general-purpose substrate such as an FR-4 substrate, and bonding them together using prepreg or bonding film. In the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment, the substrate 101 is formed by a laminated substrate of a high-frequency substrate 102 and a general-purpose substrate 103. The high-frequency substrate 102 is formed by a laminated substrate of a substrate 102a, a substrate 102b, and a substrate 102c. The general-purpose substrate 103 is formed by a laminated substrate of a substrate 103a and a substrate 103b.

[0023] When an antenna device is constructed using a substrate in which a high-frequency substrate and a general-purpose substrate are bonded, it is possible to form a high-frequency feed line, a feed element, a director, etc. on the high-frequency substrate and form an electronic circuit on or inside the general-purpose substrate. The high-frequency substrate is a substrate suitable for transmitting high-frequency signals (e.g., frequencies above 1 GHz) and is made of a material with a low dielectric loss tangent and low transmission loss at high frequencies. Forming the feed line, feed element, director, etc. on the high-frequency substrate reduces dielectric loss and improves the characteristics of the antenna device. Although an antenna device may be constructed solely from a high-frequency substrate, high-frequency substrates are generally more expensive than general-purpose substrates because they use materials with the above-mentioned properties. General-purpose substrates are inexpensive because they are less susceptible to transmission loss at low frequencies (e.g., frequencies below 1 GHz) and can be constructed using low-cost materials such as FR-4, but are not suitable for high frequencies due to their high transmission loss. Therefore, by forming a feed element, director, etc. on the high-frequency substrate and forming an electronic circuit on or inside the general-purpose substrate, it is possible to improve the characteristics of the antenna device and reduce the manufacturing cost of the antenna device.

[0024] The electronic circuit mounted on the substrate 101 is a circuit that includes at least one of a transmitting function of transmitting a signal via the feed element 108 and the director 109 and a receiving function of receiving a signal via the feed element 108 and the director 109. The electronic circuit includes, for example, an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip. The electronic circuit includes, for example, an RFIC (Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit) chip that processes high-frequency signals transmitted or received by the antenna device 100.

[0025] The antenna device 100 includes a first feed line 105 and a second feed line 107. Specific examples of the feed line include a microstrip line, a strip line, a coplanar line, a grounded coplanar line (a coplanar line in which a ground conductor is arranged opposite a signal line), and a slot line. Another example of the feed line is a feed line called a post-wall waveguide or SIW (Substrate Integrated Waveguide), which is a parallel plate or dielectric substrate with metal on both the top and bottom surfaces, in which two rows of conductive vias are continuously arranged. The antenna device 100 may include a plurality of feed lines having the same shape or different shapes. The feed lines may be formed inside the substrate 101 or on the surface of the substrate 101. 1 to 3, the first feed line 105 is configured as a strip line made up of a conductor pattern formed inside the high-frequency substrate 102 in the second portion 202, with the first ground conductor 104a and the second ground conductor 104b as ground conductors. The second feed line 107 is configured as a parallel twin-wire line made up of a conductor pattern formed inside the high-frequency substrate 102, spanning the first portion 201 and the second portion 202. Both the first feed line 105 and the second feed line 107 transmit signals in a direction parallel to the Y-axis.

[0026] The first feed line 105 and the second feed line 107 are connected to each other via, for example, a balun 106. In this specification, a balun is defined as any device that converts between a balanced line and an unbalanced line. In the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment, the first feed line 105 is an unbalanced line, and the second feed line 107 is a balanced line.

[0027] In the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment, the balun 106 shown in FIG. 1 is configured by a stripline having a conductor pattern formed inside the high-frequency substrate 102 in the second portion 202, with a first ground conductor 104a and a second ground conductor 104b as ground conductors. The balun 106 may be configured, for example, by branching the stripline into two, making the electrical length of the line 106a in the +X-axis direction of the two branched lines longer than the electrical length of the line 106b in the −X-axis direction by approximately half the operating wavelength λ of the feed element 108 (i.e., the wavelength of the radio waves transmitted and received from the antenna device 100), and connecting the two branched lines to, for example, a parallel two-wire line (see the second feed line 107). Alternatively, the balun 106 may be configured by, for example, electromagnetically coupling a balanced line and a U-shaped bent unbalanced line to each other and feeding power from the unbalanced line to the balanced line or vice versa in a contactless manner. Depending on the antenna structure used, a structure without the balun 106 is also possible.

[0028] The antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment includes a feed element 108. The feed element 108 includes, for example, a feed element portion 108a and a feed element portion 108b. The feed element 108 is connected to an end of the second feed line 107. The feed element may be formed inside the substrate 101 or on the surface of the substrate 101. For example, the feed element 108 is a conductor pattern formed inside the high-frequency substrate 102 in the first portion 201. Furthermore, the feed element included in the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment may feed power in a non-contact manner by, for example, electromagnetic coupling with the feed line. The feed element may be formed across the first portion 201 and the second portion 202.

[0029] The feed element 108 has a conductor portion whose longitudinal direction is aligned with the X-axis in FIG. 1, for example. The overall length of the feed element 108 (i.e., the length of a line parallel to the X-axis connecting the end of the feed element portion 108a on the +X-axis side and the end of the feed element portion 108b on the -X-axis side; L6 shown in FIG. 1) is preferably approximately half the operating wavelength λ of the feed element 108 (i.e., the wavelength of the radio waves transmitted and received from the antenna device 100). The feed element 108 is fed by the second feed line 107, and a resonant current similar to that of a half-wavelength dipole antenna flows through the feed element 108. In other words, the feed element 108 functions as a dipole antenna formed by a conductor pattern. Although FIG. 1 shows a linear feed element 108, the shape of the feed element 108 may be other shapes, such as a meander shape, a loop shape, or a circular arc shape.

[0030] The antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment includes at least one director 109 located at a distance from the feed element 108 in a specific direction (in FIG. 1, the +Y-axis direction as viewed from the feed element 108). The director 109 is provided to correspond to the radiation direction of the feed element 108. FIG. 1 shows one director 109. For example, the director 109 is a conductor pattern formed inside the high-frequency substrate 102 in the first portion 201. The director 109 has a conductor portion whose longitudinal direction is, for example, along a direction perpendicular to the radiation direction (the direction along the X-axis in FIG. 1). Although FIG. 1 shows a linear director 109, the shape of the director 109 may be other shapes, such as a U-shape, a meander shape, a loop shape, or a circular arc shape. The director may be formed across the first portion 201 and the second portion 202.

[0031] The length of director 109 is preferably shorter than the length of feed element 108 .

[0032] It is preferable that feed element 108 and director 109 are arranged with their respective length directions parallel or approximately parallel, and the distance d1 between feed element 108 and director 109 (the shortest distance between feed element 108 and director 109) is preferably 0.2 to 0.3 times the operating wavelength λ of feed element 108.

[0033] Director 109 may be on the same plane as feed element 108 or on a different plane. Similarly, when the antenna device includes multiple directors (see FIG. 7 described later), the directors may be on the same plane as feed element 108 or on a different plane.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3 , the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment includes first ground conductors 104a, 104b, 104c, 104d, and 104e, which are spaced apart from each other on the opposite side of the radiation direction (i.e., the +Y-axis direction) from the feed element 108. The ground conductors 104a to 104e have outer edges (end faces) Ta, Tb, Tc, Td, and Te parallel to the X-axis, i.e., the outer edges Ta, Tb, Tc, Td, and Te parallel to the longitudinal directions of the feed element 108 and the director 109, respectively. In the antenna device 100, the outer edges Ta, Tb, Tc, Td, and Te are located on the same XZ plane (the boundary plane between the first portion 201 and the second portion 202), but may be located on different planes. Furthermore, the outer edges Ta, Tb, Tc, Td, and Te may have, for example, curves or irregularities.

[0035] The ground conductors 104a to 104e, more specifically the outer edges Ta to Te of these ground conductors, function as reflectors that reflect, for example, electromagnetic waves radiated from the feed element 108 and electromagnetic waves arriving at the antenna device 100. The longitudinal direction of the feed element 108 and the outer edges Ta to Te of the ground conductors used as reflectors are preferably parallel or approximately parallel to each other. The distance between the feed element 108 and the reflector (outer edges Ta to Te), i.e., the shortest distance between the feed element 108 and the reflector (d2 in FIG. 1), is preferably 0.2 to 0.3 times the operating wavelength λ of the feed element 108. The ground conductors 104a to 104e, including the outer edges Ta to Te used as reflectors, may be on the same plane as the feed element 108 or on a different plane. In addition, in the example of Figure 1, the antenna device 100 has five ground conductors including outer edges used as reflectors, but it may also have only one ground conductor, or two to four, or six or more.

[0036] 1, antenna device 100 includes one antenna composed of feed element 108 and director 109, but antenna device 100 may also include multiple antennas. When antenna device 100 includes multiple antennas, the antennas may have the same shape or different shapes.

[0037] For example, when an antenna device has two antennas, one of the antennas may be an antenna configured with feed element 108 formed of a conductor pattern and director 109, as provided in antenna device 100. The other antenna may be configured with, for example, an SIW line as the feed line, a feed element formed of a conductor pattern and a via hole provided at an opening of the SIW line provided on the side surface of the substrate on which the SIW line is formed, and a director formed of the conductor pattern and a via hole provided at a distance from the feed element, and the feed line, feed element, and director.

[0038] Even in an antenna device including an antenna configured with an SIW line, a feed element, and a director, the substrate of the antenna device includes a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness. At least one of at least a portion of the feed element and at least a portion of the director is formed in the first portion having the first thickness, thereby achieving the same effect as antenna device 100.

[0039] 1, director 109 is formed as at least one conductor or conductor pattern on the surface of or inside substrate 101 so as to be positioned in the radiation direction as viewed from feed element 108. In antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment, director 109 is positioned in the +Y-axis direction in FIG. 1 as viewed from feed element 108. Therefore, antenna device 100 operates as an antenna having a target radiation direction in the +Y-axis direction in FIG. 1.

[0040] As described above, the reflectors are formed on the surface of or inside the substrate 101 so as to be located on the opposite side of the radiation direction as viewed from the feed element 108. As described above, in the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the ground conductors 104a to 104e, particularly the outer edges (side surfaces) Ta to Te, function as reflectors and are located in the -Y-axis direction in Fig. 1 as viewed from the feed element 108. Therefore, the antenna device 100 functions as an antenna having a target radiation direction in the +Y-axis direction in Fig. 1.

[0041] It is sufficient that antenna device 100 includes at least one of a director and a reflector. For example, even if antenna device 100 shown in Fig. 1 does not include director 109 but includes feed element 108 and ground conductors 104a to 104e that function as reflectors, antenna device 100 still functions as an antenna having a target radiation direction in the +Y-axis direction in Fig. 1.

[0042] 1, the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment includes vias 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d. The vias are formed for the purpose of providing electrical continuity between layers of a multilayer substrate, and are generally formed by metal-plating holes drilled in the substrate. In the antenna device 100, the vias 110a to 110d provide electrical continuity between the ground conductors 104a to 104e that make up the ground conductor 104. The vias 110a to 110d all have the same diameter and are arranged parallel to the X-axis.

[0043] The antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment will be described below in comparison with an antenna device according to a comparative example. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an antenna device 100a according to a comparative example. The main difference from the configuration of the antenna device 100 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is that the configuration of a general-purpose substrate 1003 shown in Fig. 4 is different from that of the general-purpose substrate 103 shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3. The other configurations are basically the same as in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, so elements having the same functions as in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 are assigned the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0044] When constructing an antenna device by laminating a high-frequency substrate and a general-purpose substrate, the high-frequency substrate 102 and the general-purpose substrate 1003 are generally configured to have approximately the same shape, as in the antenna device 100a according to the comparative example shown in Fig. 4. When laminating the substrates, a manufacturing process is generally used in which a bonding film or prepreg is sandwiched between the substrates to be laminated, and the substrates are bonded by applying heat and pressure using a lamination press or the like. When bonding, it is desirable to apply pressure evenly to the entire substrates using the press, and therefore it is preferable that all of the substrates to be laminated have approximately the same shape.

[0045] However, in the configuration of the antenna device 100a according to the comparative example, the thickness of the substrate portion of the substrate 1001 where the feed element 108 and the director 109 are formed is thicker than the thickness of the substrate portion (first portion 201) where the feed element 108 and the director 109 are formed in the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment. In the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment, the thickness of the first portion 201 where the feed element 108 and the director 109 are formed is approximately equal to the thickness of the high-frequency substrate 102. On the other hand, in the antenna device 100a according to the comparative example, the thickness of the substrate 1001 is approximately equal to the combined thickness of the high-frequency substrate 102 and the general-purpose substrate 1003 regardless of the location. Therefore, in the antenna device 100a according to the comparative example, the thickness of the substrate portion where the feed element 108 and the director 109 are formed is approximately equal to the combined thickness of the high-frequency substrate 102 and the general-purpose substrate 1003.

[0046] The thickness of the region of the substrate where at least a portion of the feed element or director is formed affects the operating characteristics of the feed element and director. If the thickness of the substrate is sufficiently smaller than the operating wavelength λ of the feed element, the electrical characteristics of the substrate (e.g., dielectric constant) have little effect on the operation of the feed element and director.

[0047] However, in high frequency bands such as the millimeter wave band, the thickness of the substrate and the operating wavelength λ of the feed element are approximately equal. In this case, the higher the dielectric constant of the region where at least a portion of the feed element or director is formed, the more difficult it becomes to match the impedance of the feed element and director with that of free space, making it difficult to design an antenna device that achieves the desired radiation direction. Furthermore, the longer the electrical length from the surface of the substrate to the feed element or director, the more difficult it becomes to match the impedance of the feed element and director with that of free space, making it difficult to design an antenna device that achieves the desired radiation direction. In other words, it is preferable that the substrate be thin and have a low dielectric constant in the region where at least a portion of the feed element or director is formed.

[0048] 1 and 3, the distance from feed element 108 and director 109 of substrate 101 to the substrate surface located in the +Z-axis direction, i.e., substrate surface 203, is approximately equal to the thickness of substrate 102a. Also, the distance from feed element 108 and director 109 of substrate 101 to the substrate surface located in the −Z-axis direction, i.e., substrate surface 205, is approximately equal to the combined thickness of substrates 102b and 102c.

[0049] On the other hand, in antenna device 100a according to the comparative example, the distance from the substrate surface of substrate 1001 located in the +Z-axis direction from feed element 108 and director 109, i.e., from feed element 108 and director 109 to substrate surface 203, is approximately equal to the thickness of substrate 102a. The distance from the substrate surface of substrate 1001 located in the −Z-axis direction from feed element 108 and director 109, i.e., from feed element 108 and director 109 to substrate surface 204, is approximately equal to the combined thickness of substrate 102b, substrate 102c, and general-purpose substrate 1003.

[0050] In the antenna device 100a according to the comparative example shown in Fig. 4, the difference between the distance from the feed element 108 and the director 109 to the substrate surface located in the +Z-axis direction and the distance from the feed element 108 and the director 109 to the substrate surface located in the -Z-axis direction is large, compared to the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment. In the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment and the antenna device 100a according to the comparative example, the feed element 108 and the director 109 are formed of strip conductors and are substantially symmetrical with respect to a plane parallel to the XY plane shown in Fig. 1 that passes through their respective centers. In these cases, when the thickness of the substrate is negligibly small compared to the operating wavelength λ of the feed element, the radiation patterns transmitted or received by the feed element and the director are symmetrical or substantially symmetrical with respect to the XY plane.

[0051] 4 , there is a large difference between the distance from feed element 108 and director 109 to the substrate surface located in the +Z-axis direction and the distance from the substrate surface located in the −Z-axis direction. Due to this difference, in high frequency bands such as the millimeter wave band, a difference occurs in propagation between the electromagnetic waves transmitted or received from feed element 108 and director 109 in the +Z-axis direction relative to the XY plane and the electromagnetic waves transmitted or received from feed element 108 and director 109 in the −Z-axis direction relative to the XY plane. Therefore, there is a problem in that the radiation patterns transmitted or received by feed element 108 and director 109 have a large asymmetry between the radiation patterns in the +Z-axis direction and the −Z-axis direction relative to the XY plane.

[0052] According to the antenna device 100 of the first embodiment, the thickness (first thickness) of the first portion 201 of the substrate 101, in which at least a part of the feed element 108 or the director 109 is formed, is made thinner than the thickness (second thickness) of the second portion 202. This makes it possible to reduce the difference between the electrical length from the feed element 108 and the director 109 to the substrate surface located in the +Z-axis direction and the electrical length to the substrate surface located in the −Z-axis direction, compared to the antenna device 100a according to the comparative example. This makes it possible to solve the problem of increased asymmetry between the radiation patterns in the +Z-axis direction and the −Z-axis direction with respect to the XY plane of the antenna device 100a according to the comparative example.

[0053] In the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment, the thickness of the first portion 201 does not depend on the thickness of the second portion 202. Therefore, by using a substrate that is sufficiently thin compared to the operating wavelength λ of the feed element 108 for the first portion 201, it is easier to design an antenna device that achieves a desired target radiation direction than the antenna device 100a according to the comparative example.

[0054] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the results of electromagnetic field analysis of the return loss characteristics of the antenna device 100. The vertical axis represents the reflection coefficient S of the S parameters (Scattering parameters). 11 The horizontal axis represents frequency. 11 The frequency at which is the minimum value can be said to be the operating frequency f of the antenna device 100 (i.e., the preferred frequency among the frequencies of the radio waves transmitted or received by the antenna device 100). As shown in FIG. 5, the antenna device 100 can obtain good impedance matching in a band including 79 GHz.

[0055] The antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment and the antenna device 100a according to the comparative example transmit or receive horizontally polarized waves, that is, waves polarized parallel to the XY plane shown in FIG. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing an example of the results of an electromagnetic field analysis of the directivity of horizontally polarized waves on the YZ plane in the antenna device 100 and the antenna device 100a. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an example of the results of an electromagnetic field analysis of the directivity of horizontally polarized waves on the XY plane in the antenna device 100 and the antenna device 100a. 6A and 6B, the solid line indicates the directional gain of the antenna device 100 at the operating frequency f (=79 GHz) shown in FIG. 5, and the dashed line indicates the directional gain of the antenna device 100a.

[0056] In FIG. 6A, θ (Theta) represents the angle between the Y axis and any direction in the plane including the direction indicated by θ and the Y axis in the YZ plane. θ is defined as 0° in the +Y axis direction. As described above, the antenna device 100 operates as an antenna having a target radiation direction in the +Y axis direction of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 6A, the directional gain of the antenna device 100 in the YZ plane is maximized in a direction tilted 6° from the +Y axis direction toward the +Z axis direction. On the other hand, the directional gain of the antenna device 100a in the YZ plane is maximized in a direction tilted 68° from the +Y axis direction toward the +Z axis direction.

[0057] In FIG. 6B, θ (Theta) represents the angle between the Y axis and any direction in a plane including the direction indicated by θ and the Y axis. θ is defined as 0° in the +Y axis direction. In FIG. 6A described above, the direction of maximum directional gain in the antenna device 100a is significantly tilted from the +Y axis direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6B, the directional gain of the antenna device 100a in the +Y axis direction on the XY plane is −2.6 dBi. On the other hand, the directional gain of the antenna device 100 in the +Y axis direction on the XY plane is 6.5 dBi. Therefore, it can be said that the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment is capable of high-gain antenna operation in the target radiation direction (i.e., the +Y axis direction) compared to the antenna device 100a according to the comparative example.

[0058] When the S parameters and antenna radiation patterns in FIGS. 5, 6A, and 6B are analyzed, the dimensions of each part shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are expressed in mm as follows: L1:2.40 L2:4.10 L3:3.70 L4:1.30 L5:0.13 L6:1.40 L7:0.13 L8:1.81 L9:0.13 L 10 :0.93 L 11 :0.13 L 12 :0.13 L 13 :0.13 L 14 :1.09 L 15 :0.52 L 16 :0.15 t1:0.18 t2:0.11 t3:0.13 t4:0.28 t5:0.37 d1:0.57 d2:0.57 d3:0.65 d4:0.28 d5:0.50 d6:0.50 d7:0.28 D1:0.25 The thickness of each conductor in the Z-axis direction of the antenna device 100 according to the first preferred embodiment is 0.018 mm. The relative dielectric constant of the substrate 102 is 3.1, and the relative dielectric constant of the substrate 103 is 4.4.

[0059] As described above, according to the antenna device 100 of the first embodiment, the substrate 101 has a first portion 201 having a first thickness along a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate 101 and a second portion 201 having a second thickness, the first thickness being thinner than the second thickness. At least a portion of the feed element 108 or at least a portion of the director 109 is formed in the first portion 201. This reduces distortion in the radiation pattern due to the thickness of the first portion 201 in which at least a portion of the feed element 108 or at least a portion of the director 109 is formed. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the difference between the target radiation direction of the antenna device 100 and the radiation direction of the antenna device 100, enabling high-gain antenna operation.

[0060] Furthermore, according to the antenna device 100 of the first embodiment, the above-described effects can be obtained regardless of the thickness of the second portion 202 having the second thickness. Therefore, there is no need to reduce the thickness of the second portion 202. Therefore, when wiring power lines and control signals, forming electronic circuits, mounting surface mount technology components such as IC chips on the second portion 202 having the second thickness, etc., it is possible to reduce restrictions on the number of substrate layers and substrate thickness of the second portion 202. This allows for increased freedom in designing the antenna device.

[0061] (Variation 1) Although the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment described above includes one director, the antenna device 100 may include multiple directors.

[0062] 7 is a plan view schematically illustrating an antenna device 120 according to a first modification of the first embodiment, showing the antenna device 120 having two directors. The antenna device 120 has two directors, director 109a and director 109b. In this case, the length L of director 109b, which is the second closest to the feed element 108, is 18 is preferably shorter than length L4 of director 109a located closest to feed element 108. Similarly, when the antenna device includes three or more directors, it is preferable to gradually decrease the length of each director while maintaining the same relationship as L6 and L4.

[0063] It is preferable that feed element 108, director 109a, and director 109b are arranged parallel or approximately parallel to one another. The distance between feed element 108 and director 109a and the distance between director 109a and director 109b are both preferably set to 0.2 to 0.3 times the operating wavelength λ of feed element 108, similar to distance d1 (the shortest distance between feed element 108 and director 109) in the first embodiment. Although the first modification of FIG. 7 shows an example in which two directors are provided, antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment may also include three or more directors. In this case, it is also preferable to determine the distance between the feed element and each director to be similar to d1.

[0064] (Variation 2) In the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment described above, the outer edge of the ground conductor is used as a reflector, but the reflector may also be formed, for example, on the surface of or inside the substrate 101 using a conductor pattern with its longitudinal direction along a direction perpendicular to the radiation direction (the direction along the X-axis in FIG. 1).

[0065] 8 is a plan view schematically showing an antenna device 125 according to Modification 2 of the first embodiment. The same parts as those in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0066] Antenna device 125 includes a reflector formed on the surface of or inside substrate 101, the reflector being made of conductor pattern 112 with its longitudinal direction aligned in a direction perpendicular to the radiation direction (the direction along the X-axis in FIG. 1). The reflector is provided on the opposite side of the radiation direction from the feed element. Conductive pattern 112 includes conductor patterns 112a and 112b. Conductive pattern 112 is made of the same material as feed element 108 and the like, and has the same thickness as feed element 108 and the like. Conductive patterns 112a and 112b are formed on the surface of or inside the high-frequency substrate of first portion 201.

[0067] Conductor patterns 112a and 112b function as reflectors, and in particular, the side surfaces (outer edges) Tf and Tg on the feed element 108 side along the X-axis direction function as reflectors. The length of conductor patterns 112a and 112b is preferably longer than the length of feed element 108. It is preferable that feed element 108 and conductor patterns 112a and 112b are arranged parallel or approximately parallel, and the distance between feed element 108 and conductor patterns 112a and 112b (the shortest distance between feed element 108 and the reflector, distance d in FIG. 1) is set to 0.5 mm. 22 ) is preferably set to 0.2 to 0.3 times the operating wavelength λ of the feed element 108.

[0068] The reflector formed by the conductor patterns 112a and 112b may be on the same plane as the feed element 108, or may be on a different plane. Furthermore, the antenna device 100 may include a plurality of reflectors formed by conductor patterns. When a reflector is formed by a conductor pattern having a longitudinal direction along a direction orthogonal to the radiation direction (a direction along the X-axis in FIG. 1), the shape of the reflector may be U-shaped, meander-shaped, loop-shaped, arc-shaped, or the like. The conductor patterns 112a and 112b do not necessarily have a longitudinal direction along a direction orthogonal to the radiation direction (a direction along the X-axis in FIG. 1).

[0069] <Second embodiment> The antenna device according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 is a plan view schematically showing an antenna device 130 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the antenna device 130 of FIG. Among the configurations of the second embodiment, the description of the same configurations as those of the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified by citing the above description of the first embodiment.

[0070] The antenna device 130 includes a first portion 201 having a first thickness and second portions 202a, 202b, and 202c having a second thickness. The antenna device 130 includes a plurality of second portions. The antenna device 130 differs from the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment in that the antenna device 130 includes a plurality of portions having the second thickness.

[0071] The thickness (first thickness) of first portion 201 in which at least a part of feed element 108 or at least a part of director 109 is formed is thinner than the second thickness of second portions 202a, 202b, and 202c of the substrate.

[0072] The portion of the substrate having the first thickness is thinner than the portion having the second thickness, and there is a risk of deformation or breakage, for example, when an external force is applied to the substrate. Therefore, by forming a plurality of portions having the second thickness, as in antenna device 130 of Fig. 10, it is possible to reinforce first portion 201 having the first thickness.

[0073] 10, the general-purpose substrate 103 includes a substrate 103a, a substrate 103b, and a substrate 103c. The substrate 103c is provided in two separate parts corresponding to the second portions 202b and 202c (see FIG. 9). The substrate 103c is disposed so as to be in contact with the substrate surface 205 of the substrate 101, for example, and supports the high-frequency substrate 102 from the side opposite to the surface 203 of the high-frequency substrate 102, i.e., from the bottom side (-Z axis direction).

[0074] The second portion 202a having the second thickness includes a part of the high-frequency substrate 102, a substrate 103a, and a substrate 103b. The second portion 202b having the second thickness (see FIG. 9) and the second portion 202c having the second thickness include, for example, a part of the high-frequency substrate 102 and a substrate 103c. The second portions 202a, 202b, and 202c having the second thickness may have the same layer structure or different layer structures.

[0075] At least a part of the feeding element 108 or at least a part of the director 109 is formed in a first portion 201 having a first thickness.

[0076] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the results of electromagnetic field analysis of the directivity of horizontally polarized waves on the YZ plane of the antenna device 130 shown in Fig. 9. When analyzing the antenna radiation pattern in the case of electromagnetic field analysis of the directivity in Fig. 11, the dimensions of each part shown in Fig. 9 are, in mm, as follows: d8:0.50 L 20 :1.00 L 21 :0.30 The other dimensions are the same as those of the antenna device 100 according to the first preferred embodiment.

[0077] Looking at the analysis results of the radiation patterns shown in Fig. 11, it is found that roughly the same radiation patterns are obtained for both antenna device 100 and antenna device 130. The analysis results in Fig. 11 show that even when the antenna device has a plurality of portions having the second thickness, it is possible to reduce the difference between the target radiation direction (i.e., the +Y-axis direction, the 0° direction in Fig. 11) and the radiation direction, enabling high-gain antenna operation.

[0078] (Variation)

[0079] 12 is a plan view schematically illustrating an antenna device 140 according to a modified example of the second embodiment. The antenna device 140 includes a plurality of first portions 201a and 201b each having a first thickness. The antenna device 140 includes a plurality of antennas each having a different feed point.

[0080] The antenna composed of fed element portion 108a, fed element portion 108b, and director 109a is fed from the +Y-axis end of the parallel two-wire line composed of feed line 107a and feed line 107b. The antenna composed of fed element portion 108c, fed element portion 108d, and director 109b is fed from the +Y-axis end of the parallel two-wire line composed of feed line 107c and feed line 107d.

[0081] Antenna device 140 includes first portions 201a and 201b having a first thickness and second portion 202 having a second thickness. This configuration also provides the effect of reinforcing the portion having the first thickness, similar to antenna device 130. First portions 201a and 201b are spaced apart in a direction parallel to the X axis (third direction), but may also be spaced apart in a direction parallel to the Y axis (second direction).

[0082] Furthermore, even in a configuration having multiple portions with the first thickness, as in the third embodiment, high-gain antenna operation is possible by reducing the difference between the target radiation direction (i.e., the +Y-axis direction, the 0° direction in Figure 11) and the radiation direction.

[0083] As a further modification of the second embodiment, a configuration including a plurality of portions having the first thickness and a plurality of portions having the second thickness is also possible. In this case, too, a high-gain antenna operation is possible by reducing the difference between the target radiation direction (i.e., the +Y-axis direction, or the 0° direction in FIG. 11) and the radiation direction.

[0084] <Third embodiment> The antenna device according to the third embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0085] 13 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an antenna device 150 according to the third embodiment. Of the configuration of the third embodiment, the description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified by invoking the description of the first embodiment described above.

[0086] In the antenna device 150, the thickness (first thickness) of the first portion 201 in which at least a part of the feed element 108 or at least a part of the director 109 is formed, i.e., the first thickness, is thinner than the thickness (second thickness) of the second portion 202.

[0087] The first portion 201 having the first thickness has a smaller substrate thickness than the portion 202 having the second thickness, and there is a risk of deformation or breakage when, for example, an external force is applied to the substrate. Therefore, as in the antenna device 150, the first portion 201 having the first thickness is reinforced with a low dielectric 151 (dielectric layer). The low dielectric 151 contacts the first portion 201 from the side opposite to the surface 203 of the substrate in a direction (first direction) perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.

[0088] Antenna device 150 includes low-dielectric material 151. The dielectric constant of low-dielectric material 151 is lower than that of all the substrates included in substrate 101 (for example, in antenna device 150, substrates 102a, 102b, and 102c constituting high-frequency substrate 102 and substrates 103a and 103b constituting general-purpose substrate 103). Examples of low-dielectric materials include synthetic resins such as polyurethane, polypropylene, polyimide, polystyrene, melamine resin, and silicone, as well as porous or foamed materials formed by foaming a polymer compound.

[0089] The thickness of the low-dielectric 151 is approximately equal to the thickness of the general-purpose substrate 103. The length of the low-dielectric 151 in the X-axis direction is approximately equal to L3 shown in FIG. 1, and the length of the low-dielectric 151 in the Y-axis direction is approximately equal to L1 shown in FIG. 1. The outer shape of the low-dielectric 151 as seen from the +Z-axis direction is, for example, approximately the same shape (i.e., rectangular or square) as the outer shape of the first portion 201 having the first thickness as seen from the +Z-axis direction. The outer shape of the low-dielectric 151 as seen from the +Z-axis direction does not necessarily have to be the same shape as the outer shape of the first portion 201 having the first thickness. For example, it may be larger or smaller than the first portion 201 having the first thickness.

[0090] The external shape of the low-dielectric 151 as viewed from the +Z-axis direction does not necessarily have to be rectangular or square, and may have, for example, a convex or concave portion, and the outer edge of the low-dielectric 151 may have a curved line. The low-dielectric 151 may have, for example, a cylindrical or rectangular parallelepiped cavity.

[0091] Antenna device 150 may have a plurality of portions having a first thickness, like antenna device 140 (see FIG. 12). In this case, a low dielectric may be provided so as to be in contact with each portion having the first thickness. In this case, the low dielectric provided in the antenna device does not necessarily have to be in contact with all areas of the portion having the first thickness.

[0092] Low-dielectric 151 is arranged so as to be in contact with, for example, substrate surface 205 of substrate 101. Low-dielectric 151 may be arranged so as to simply be in contact with substrate surface 205, or may be arranged by, for example, adhering and fixing with a material such as an adhesive or prepreg, or adhesively adhering with a material such as a pressure sensitive adhesive or double-sided tape. Alternatively, the low-dielectric arranged so as to be in contact with substrate surface 205 of substrate 101 may be arranged by, for example, fixing using a jig.

[0093] The thickness of the substrate of the first portion 201 of the substrate included in the antenna device 150, on which at least a part of the feed element 108 or at least a part of the director 109 is formed, i.e., the first thickness, is thinner than the thickness of the second portion 202. This reduces the difference between the target radiation direction of the antenna device 150 and the radiation direction of the antenna device. In this case, because the relative dielectric constant of the low dielectric 151 is sufficiently low, even when the antenna device 150 includes the low dielectric, the low dielectric has little effect on the impedance matching between the antenna and free space. Therefore, even when the antenna device 150 includes the low dielectric 151, the difference between the target radiation direction of the antenna device and the radiation direction of the antenna device can be reduced compared to the antenna device of the comparative example, similar to the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0094] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the results of electromagnetic field analysis of the directivity of horizontally polarized waves on the YZ plane shown in Fig. 13 in the antenna device 100 and the antenna device 150. Note that when the directivity is analyzed by electromagnetic field analysis in Fig. 14, the dimensions of each part of the antenna device 150 are the same as the dimensions of the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0095] The length in the X-axis direction of the low dielectric 151 provided in the antenna device 150 is approximately equal to L3 shown in Fig. 1, and the length in the Y-axis direction is approximately equal to L1 shown in Fig. 1. The thickness of the low dielectric 151 is approximately equal to the thickness of the general-purpose substrate 103. Fig. 14 shows the results of analysis in which the relative dielectric constant of the low dielectric 151 is set to three values ​​of 1.1, 1.3, and 1.5. In this analysis, the dimensions of the low dielectric 151 are the same regardless of the relative dielectric constant, and the dielectric loss tangent of the low dielectric 151 is fixed to 0.001 regardless of the relative dielectric constant.

[0096] 14, although the shape of the radiation pattern differs depending on the relative dielectric constant of the low dielectric 151, in all cases it reaches a maximum value near the target radiation direction of the antenna device 150 (i.e., the +Y-axis direction, 0° direction in FIG. 14). The lower the relative dielectric constant of the low dielectric, the closer the radiation pattern of the antenna device 150 becomes to the radiation pattern of the antenna device 100. However, even when the relative dielectric constant of the low dielectric is 1.5, the difference between the target radiation direction and the radiation direction of the antenna device 150 is smaller than the radiation pattern analysis result of the antenna device 100a of the comparative example (results shown in FIG. 6A). From the above electromagnetic field analysis results, it can be said that the antenna device 150 including the low dielectric 151 is also capable of high-gain antenna operation in the target radiation direction.

[0097] (Variation) FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an antenna device 155 according to a modified example of the third embodiment.

[0098] Antenna device 155 includes a plurality of low dielectrics 151a, 151b. The low dielectrics may all be made of the same material or different materials. The low dielectrics may have the same shape or different shapes. Low dielectric 151a is arranged, for example, so that its surface in the +Z axis direction contacts substrate surface 205. Low dielectric 151b is arranged so that its surface in the +Z axis direction contacts the surface of low dielectric 151a in the -Z axis direction. The combined thickness of low dielectric 151a and low dielectric 151b is approximately equal to the thickness of general-purpose substrate 103, for example.

[0099] Antenna device 155 may have a plurality of portions having the first thickness, as in antenna device 140 (see FIG. 12). In this case, a configuration may be provided in which a plurality of low dielectrics are provided for each region so as to be in contact with each region having the first thickness.

[0100] When the antenna device has a plurality of low dielectrics, similarly to the case where the antenna device has one dielectric, the low dielectrics may be arranged so that they are in contact with the substrate or with each other, or they may be arranged by bonding and fixing with a material such as an adhesive or prepreg, or by adhesively bonding with a material such as a pressure sensitive adhesive or double-sided tape, etc. Alternatively, the low dielectrics may be arranged by fixing them using a jig.

[0101] <Fourth embodiment> An antenna device according to the fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. Fig. 16 is a plan view schematically showing an antenna device 160 according to a fourth embodiment. Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the antenna device 160 of Fig. 16. Of the configurations of the fourth embodiment, the description of the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified by invoking the description of the first embodiment above.

[0102] The antenna device 160 according to the fourth embodiment includes a cylindrical support member 161a and a cylindrical support member 161b. The support member 161a and the support member 161b have, for example, circular or nearly circular end faces parallel to the XY plane and have longitudinal directions parallel or nearly parallel to the Z axis. The length of the support member 161 in the Z axis direction is substantially equal to the thickness of the general-purpose substrate 103. The support members 161a and 161b are arranged so that their circular or nearly circular end faces contact the substrate surface 205. The support members 161a and 161b reinforce the first portion 201 and reduce the possibility of deformation or breakage of the antenna device 160, for example, when an external force is applied to the antenna device 160. The shape of the support member 161a and the support member 161b may be, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped, a hexagonal prism, or an octagonal prism.

[0103] The support members 161a and 161b may be arranged so as to simply contact the substrate surface 205, or may be arranged by, for example, adhering with an adhesive, or adhesively fixing with a pressure sensitive adhesive or double-sided tape. Alternatively, for example, screw holes may be provided in the support members 161a and 161b, a through-hole may be provided in the first portion 201, and a screw may be passed through the through-hole from the +Z axis direction to fasten the support members 161a and 161b arranged so as to contact the substrate surface 205. In this way, the support members 161a and 161b are fixed.

[0104] The materials of support member 161a and support member 161b include, for example, insulators such as resin, rubber, and glass, and metals such as aluminum, iron, and stainless steel. The shapes and materials of the support members may all be the same or may be different from one another. While the example in Figure 16 shows two support members, there may be one support member or three or more support members.

[0105] If the support material is formed on the portion of the substrate 101 that includes the feed element 108 and the director 109, the difference between the target radiation direction of the antenna device and the radiation direction of the antenna device will become large, as in the antenna device 100a of the comparative example. Alternatively, the support material may diffract the electromagnetic waves transmitted or received by the antenna device, distorting the radiation pattern.

[0106] Therefore, support members 161a and 161b are provided at positions spaced apart from feed element 108 and director 109 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface of substrate 101. More specifically, support members 161a and 161b are provided at positions spaced apart above and below (in the +X-axis direction and the -X-axis direction) feed element 108 and director 109 in the XY plane. This can reduce the difference between the target radiation direction and the radiation direction from being large due to the influence of the support members, or reduce the risk of distortion of the radiation pattern. Multiple support members may be provided at positions spaced apart in the Y-axis direction. Multiple support members may be provided at positions spaced apart in at least one of the X-axis and Y-axis directions.

[0107] The support material may have a dielectric constant lower than that of the substrate. This makes it less likely that the characteristics of antenna device 160 will be affected by the presence of the support material, for the same reason as in the third embodiment. Therefore, even if the support material is located along the XY plane near feed element 108 and director 109, the same antenna device characteristics as in the third embodiment can be obtained.

[0108] 18 is a diagram showing an example of the results of electromagnetic field analysis of the directivity of horizontally polarized waves on the YZ plane shown in FIG. 16 in the antenna device 100 and the antenna device 160. The material of the support member 161a and the support member 161b is stainless steel (with a conductivity of 1.1×10 6 The length of the support material 161a and the support material 161b in the Z-axis direction is approximately equal to the thickness of the general-purpose substrate 103.

[0109] When electromagnetic field analysis of the directivity is performed in FIG. 18, the dimensions of each part shown in FIG. 16 are as follows, in mm units: d9:0.80 d 10 :0.20 D2:0.40 The other dimensions are the same as those of the antenna device 100 according to the first preferred embodiment.

[0110] 18, the radiation pattern of antenna device 160 has a maximum value near the target radiation direction (i.e., the +Y-axis direction, 0° direction in FIG. 18). The difference between the target radiation direction and the radiation direction of antenna device 160 is smaller than the radiation pattern analysis result of antenna device 100a of the comparative example (results shown in FIG. 6A). The above electromagnetic field analysis results show that antenna device 160 including support members 161a and 161b is also capable of high-gain antenna operation in the target radiation direction.

[0111] <Fifth embodiment> The antenna device according to the fifth embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0112] FIG. 19 is a plan view schematically showing an antenna device 170a as a first example of an antenna device according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an antenna device 170b as a second example of the antenna device according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an antenna device 170c as a third example of the antenna device according to the fifth embodiment. Among the configurations of the fifth embodiment, the description of the same configurations as those of the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified by citing the above description of the first embodiment.

[0113] In the antenna device 100 according to the first embodiment, the side surface of the general-purpose substrate 103 is always parallel or approximately parallel to the Z axis. Therefore, the boundary surface between the first portion 201 having the first thickness and the second portion 202 having the second thickness is approximately parallel to the Z axis.

[0114] That is, since a substrate is generally in a sheet shape, the side surface of the substrate is a plane perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the surface. Therefore, when an antenna device is configured by stacking substrates, the boundary surface between the first portion 201 having the first thickness and the second portion 202 having the second thickness is parallel or nearly parallel to the Z axis.

[0115] Here, it is also possible to stack a general-purpose substrate and a high-frequency substrate of the same shape, and process the substrate using a cutting machine, substrate processing machine, router processing machine, NC (Numerical Control) machine tool, or the like, to form a portion having a first thickness and a portion having a second thickness on the substrate provided in the antenna device.

[0116] In this case, for example, since it takes a long time to process so-called pin angles (i.e., angular shapes) using a cutting machine, the corners of the processed portion are generally rounded (so-called corner R). Therefore, for example, the shape of boundary surface 210a between first portion 201 and second portion 202 included in antenna device 170a is not parallel or approximately parallel to the Z axis when viewed from the X-axis direction as shown in Fig. 19, and has a curvature.

[0117] Depending on the processing method, it is also possible to configure the boundary surface 210b as viewed from the X-axis direction to be inclined from the XZ plane, as in antenna device 170b shown in Fig. 20. Alternatively, the boundary surface 210c as viewed from the X-axis direction may have a step-like difference, as in antenna device 170c shown in Fig. 21.

[0118] 19 to 21, the boundary surface between the first portion 201 having the first thickness and the second portion 202 having the second thickness is not parallel or approximately parallel to the Z axis. The thickness of the substrate included in the antenna device changes continuously or discretely from the first portion having the first thickness to the second portion having the second thickness. That is, the thickness of the portion of the first portion adjacent to the second portion gradually decreases in the direction from the second portion to the first portion. In such antenna devices 170a, 170b, and 170c, at least a portion of the director or at least a portion of the feed element included in these antenna devices is formed in the first portion 201 having the first thickness, thereby achieving the same effect as that of antenna device 100.

[0119] Similarly, when the antenna device includes a plurality of first portions or second portions, the thickness of the substrate included in the antenna device may vary continuously or discretely from the first portion having the first thickness to the second portion having the second thickness. In this case, too, the same effect as that of antenna device 100 can be obtained as long as at least a part of the director or at least a part of the feed element included in the antenna device is formed in the first portion having the first thickness.

[0120] Sixth Embodiment An antenna device according to the sixth embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 22. Fig. 22 is a plan view schematically showing an antenna device 180 according to the sixth embodiment. Of the configuration of the sixth embodiment, the description of the same configuration as that of the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified by invoking the description of the first embodiment described above.

[0121] The antenna device 180 has a conductor 182 at a boundary surface 181 located on the side surface on the +Y-axis side of the general-purpose substrate 103, among the boundary surfaces between a first portion 201 having a first thickness and a second portion 202 having a second thickness.

[0122] The conductor 182 is a conductor having a surface parallel or approximately parallel to the XZ plane, and is arranged so as to be in contact with the boundary surface 181 (the side surface on the +Y-axis side of the general-purpose substrate 103). The conductor 182 is provided on the side surface (boundary surface 181) of the second portion 202 on which the first portion 201 is present. The length of the conductor 182 in the Z-axis direction is approximately equal to the thickness of the general-purpose substrate 103, and the conductor 182 is arranged so as to be in contact with the fifth ground conductor 104e. The conductor 182 does not necessarily have to be in contact with the ground conductor provided in the antenna device 180.

[0123] Conductor 182 may be formed, for example, by plating the side surface of substrate 101 included in antenna device 180 and arranging a conductor on boundary surface 181. Alternatively, conductor 182 may be formed by adhering a conductive tape, for example, using a conductor such as aluminum foil or copper foil as a base material, to boundary surface 181. Alternatively, for example, a thin plate made of a conductor may be arranged so as to be in contact with boundary surface 181.

[0124] It is conceivable that radio waves transmitted from antenna device 180 travel not only in the intended radiation direction of antenna device 180, but also from feed element 108, passing through boundary surface 181 and heading in a direction toward the inside of antenna device 180. Alternatively, it is conceivable that radio waves received by antenna device 180 travel toward the inside of antenna device 180, passing through boundary surface 181 directly from the direction of arrival of the radio waves, or due to reflection or diffraction at the antenna device or outside the device.

[0125] If radio waves transmitted or received by antenna device 180 enter the inside of antenna device 180 through boundary surface 181, the entering radio waves may affect the operation of the device. For example, radio waves transmitted by antenna device 180 may pass through boundary surface 181 and excite an electronic circuit such as an RFIC provided in antenna device 180, which may interfere with the signal received by the RFIC, thereby hindering the operation of antenna device 180.

[0126] When boundary surface 181 is covered with conductor 182, radio waves that are transmitted by or received by antenna device 180 and enter antenna device 180 via boundary surface 181 are suppressed by conductor 182. This reduces interference with electronic circuits included in antenna device 180, for example, caused by radio waves entering antenna device 180 via boundary surface 181, and provides the effect of improving the operating characteristics of the antenna device.

[0127] In addition to suppressing radio waves from traveling toward the inside of the antenna device 180, the conductor 182 can also function as a reflector that reflects radio waves transmitted or received by the antenna device 180, for example.

[0128] Seventh Embodiment A radar device according to the seventh embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing a first configuration example of a radar device according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 24 is a block diagram showing a second configuration example of the radar device according to the seventh embodiment. Among the configurations of the seventh embodiment, the description of the same configurations as those of the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified by citing the above description of the first embodiment.

[0129] The radar device in Fig. 23 includes a processing circuit 301 and an antenna device 314. The antenna device 314 is the antenna device according to any one of the first to sixth embodiments. A signal processing unit 310 in the processing circuit 301 generates a control voltage for forming a transmission signal based on the FMCW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method. A D / A conversion unit 311 converts the digital voltage generated by the signal processing unit 310 into an analog voltage and supplies it to a VCO 312. The VCO 312 generates a transmission signal with a continuously changing wavelength. A directional coupler 313 outputs a portion of the signal output from the VCO 312 to a circulator 315, and outputs another portion of the signal as a local signal to a mixer 317. The circulator 315 outputs the signal input from the directional coupler 313 to an antenna device 314. In the antenna device 314, the input signal is supplied to a feed element 108 via a feed line 105 or the like, and a radio wave is emitted from the feed element 108 into space. A reflected wave from a target is received by the feed element 108. A signal based on the received reflected wave is output from the antenna device 314 via the feeder line 105 and input to the circulator 315. The circulator 315 outputs the signal input from the antenna device 314 to an LNA (Low Noise Amplifier) ​​316. The mixer 317 mixes the received signal amplified by the LNA 316 with a local signal input to the mixer 317 via the directional coupler 313 to generate a beat signal. The generated beat signal is converted from an analog signal to a digital signal by an A / D converter 318 and input to the signal processing unit 310. The signal processing unit 310 processes the input beat signal based on an FMCW algorithm to calculate the relative speed and distance of the target, the strength of the reflected wave from the target, etc. The antenna device 314 may be an array antenna including multiple antennas (multiple feed elements).

[0130] In the radar device shown in Fig. 23, signal transmission and signal reception are performed by the same antenna device 314, but in the radar device shown in Fig. 24, signal transmission and signal reception are performed by separate antenna devices. The radar device shown in Fig. 24 includes a processing circuit 302, and antenna devices 314a and 314b. The configuration of the processing circuit 302 is the same as that of the processing circuit 301 in Fig. 23, except that a circulator is not provided. Signal transmission is performed by antenna device 314a, and signal reception is performed by antenna device 314b. The antenna devices 314a and 314b may be array antennas equipped with multiple antennas.

[0131] The antenna devices 314a and 314b included in the radar device of FIG. 24 may all have the same shape and configuration, or may have different shapes and configurations.

[0132] In this embodiment, an FMCW radar device has been described, but other radar devices may also be used as long as they are equipped with an antenna device having a configuration according to the present disclosure.

[0133] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the components can be modified and embodied in practice without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, various inventions can be created by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiments. For example, some components may be omitted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

[0134] This embodiment can also be configured as follows. [Item 1] A substrate; a feeding element provided on the surface or inside of the substrate; a feed line provided on a surface of or inside the substrate to feed power to the feed element; at least one of a director provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element, and a reflector provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element; the substrate includes a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness greater than the first thickness; at least one of at least a part of the feeding element and at least a part of the director is provided on a surface of or inside the first part; At least a portion of the power supply line is provided on a surface of or inside the second portion. Antenna device. [Item 2] A ground conductor is further provided on the surface or inside of the substrate, At least a portion of the ground conductor is provided on a surface of or inside the second portion; The reflector includes a side surface of the ground conductor on which the feeding element is located. Item 1. The antenna device according to item 1. [Item 3] The position of the side surface of the ground conductor coincides with the position of the boundary between the second portion and the first portion. Item 2. The antenna device according to item 2. [Item 4] The reflector includes at least one conductor pattern provided on the opposite side of the feeding element in the radiation direction, and at least a part of the at least one conductor pattern is provided on a surface of or inside the first portion. The antenna device according to any one of items 1 to 3. [Item 5] The director includes at least one conductor pattern provided in correspondence with the radiation direction of the feed element, and at least a portion of the at least one conductor pattern is provided on a surface of or inside the first portion. The antenna device according to any one of items 1 to 4. [Item 6] The substrate has a plurality of the second portions. The antenna device according to any one of items 1 to 5. [Item 7] The substrate has a plurality of the first portions. The antenna device according to any one of items 1 to 6. [Item 8] a dielectric layer contacting the first portion in a first direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate; The dielectric layer has a lower dielectric constant than the substrate. The antenna device according to any one of items 1 to 7. [Item 9] The sum of the thickness of the first portion and the thickness of the dielectric layer is approximately equal to the thickness of the second portion. Item 9. The antenna device according to item 8. [Item 10] and at least one support member that contacts the first portion in a first direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate and supports the first portion. The antenna device according to any one of items 1 to 9. [Item 11] The support member is provided at a position spaced apart from the feed element or the reflector when viewed from the first direction. Item 11. The antenna device according to item 10. [Item 12] The support material comprises a metal Item 12. The antenna device according to item 11. [Item 13] The support material includes an insulator. The antenna device according to any one of items 10 to 12. [Item 14] The dielectric constant of the support material is lower than the dielectric constant of the substrate. Item 14. The antenna device according to item 13. [Item 15] The thickness of the first portion adjacent to the second portion decreases with increasing distance from the second portion. The antenna device according to any one of items 1 to 14. [Item 16] a conductor at least partially covering the side surface of the second portion on which the first portion is present; 16. The antenna device according to any one of items 1 to 15, further comprising: [Item 17] The substrate includes the first portion and the second portion corresponding to a second direction parallel to a surface of the substrate. the substrate is a laminated substrate of a first substrate and a second substrate having a length shorter than that of the first substrate in the second direction, the second portion is a portion where the first substrate and the second substrate are stacked, The first portion is a portion of the first substrate on which the second substrate is not laminated. The antenna device according to any one of items 1 to 16. [Item 18] The first substrate is a high-frequency substrate, and the second substrate is a general-purpose substrate. The antenna device according to any one of items 1 to 17. [Item 19] a processing circuit for performing at least one of a signal transmission process and a signal reception process; at least one antenna device that transmits and receives radio waves; The at least one antenna device A substrate; a feeding element provided on the surface or inside of the substrate; a feeder line provided on a surface of or inside the substrate, for transmitting a transmission signal from the processing circuit to the feed element, or for transmitting a reception signal based on a radio wave received by the feed element to the processing circuit; at least one of a director provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element, and a reflector provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element; the substrate includes a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness greater than the first thickness; at least a part of at least one of the feeding element and the reflector is provided on a surface of or inside the first part; At least a portion of the power supply line is provided on a surface of or inside the second portion. Radar equipment. [Item 20] the at least one antenna device includes a first antenna device and a second antenna device; the feed line in the first antenna device transmits the transmission signal from the processing circuit to the feed element, and the feed element radiates radio waves based on the transmission signal; A feed line in the second antenna device transmits a reception signal based on the radio wave received by the feed element to the processing circuit. Item 19. The radar device according to item 19. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 100 Antenna device 100a Antenna device of comparative example 101 Substrate 102 High frequency board 102a High frequency board 102b High Frequency Board 102c high frequency board 103 General-purpose board 103a General-purpose board 103b General-purpose board 103c general-purpose board 104 Grounding conductor 104a First ground conductor 104b Second ground conductor 104c Third Ground Conductor 104d Fourth Ground Conductor 104e Fifth Ground Conductor 105 Power Supply Line 105 First Power Supply Line 106 Balan 106a railroad track 106b railroad track 107 Second Power Supply Line 107a Power supply line 107b Power supply line 107c Power Supply Line 107d Power supply line 108 Feed element 108a Feed element part 108b Feed element part 108c Feed element part 108d Feed element part 109 Waveguide 109a Waveguide 109b Waveguide 110a via 110b via 110c via 110d Beer 112 Conductor Pattern 112a Conductor pattern 112b Conductor pattern 120 Antenna device 125 Antenna equipment 130 Antenna equipment 140 Antenna equipment 150 Antenna equipment 151 Low Dielectric 151a Low Dielectric 151b Low Dielectric 155 Antenna equipment 160 Antenna equipment 161 Support material 161a Support material 161b Support material 170a Antenna device 170b Antenna device 170c antenna equipment 180 Antenna Equipment 181 Boundary 182 Conductor 201 First Part 201a First Part 201b First Part 202 Second Part 202a Second Part 202b Second part 202c Second part 203 Substrate surface 204 Substrate surface 205 Substrate surface 210a Boundary surface 210b Boundary surface 210c boundary surface 301 Processing Circuit 302 Processing Circuit 310 Signal Processing Unit 311 D / A conversion section 313 Directional coupler 314 Antenna Equipment 314a Antenna equipment 314b Antenna equipment 315 Circulator 317 Mixer 318 A / D converter 1001 board 1003 General-purpose board Ta outer edge (side) Tb outer edge (side) Tc outer edge (side) Td outer edge (side) Te outer edge (side) Tf outer edge (side) Tg outer edge (side)

Claims

1. A substrate; a feeding element provided on the surface or inside of the substrate; a feed line provided on a surface of or inside the substrate to feed power to the feed element; at least one of a director provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element, and a reflector provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element; Equipped with the substrate includes a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness greater than the first thickness; at least one of at least a part of the feeding element and at least a part of the director is provided on a surface of or inside the first portion; At least a portion of the power supply line is provided on a surface of or inside the second portion; a dielectric layer contacting the first portion in a first direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate; The dielectric layer has a lower dielectric constant than the substrate. Antenna device.

2. A ground conductor is further provided on the surface or inside of the substrate, At least a portion of the ground conductor is provided on a surface of or inside the second portion; The reflector is a side surface of the ground conductor on which the feeding element is located. The antenna device according to claim 1 .

3. The position of the side surface of the ground conductor coincides with the position of the boundary between the second portion and the first portion. The antenna device according to claim 2 .

4. The reflector includes at least one conductor pattern provided on a side opposite to the radiation direction of the feeding element, and at least a part of the at least one conductor pattern is provided on a surface of or inside the first portion. The antenna device according to claim 1 .

5. The director includes at least one conductor pattern provided in correspondence with the radiation direction of the feed element, and at least a portion of the at least one conductor pattern is provided on a surface of or inside the first portion. The antenna device according to claim 1 .

6. The substrate has a plurality of the second portions. The antenna device according to claim 1 .

7. The substrate has a plurality of the first portions. The antenna device according to claim 1 .

8. The sum of the thickness of the first portion and the thickness of the dielectric layer is approximately equal to the thickness of the second portion. The antenna device according to claim 1 .

9. A substrate; a feeding element provided on the surface or inside of the substrate; a feed line provided on a surface of or inside the substrate to feed power to the feed element; at least one of a director provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element, and a reflector provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element; Equipped with the substrate includes a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness greater than the first thickness; at least one of at least a part of the feeding element and at least a part of the director is provided on a surface of or inside the first portion; At least a portion of the power supply line is provided on a surface of or inside the second portion; and at least one support member that contacts the first portion in a first direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate and supports the first portion. Antenna device.

10. The support member is provided at a position spaced apart from the feed element or the reflector when viewed from the first direction.

10. The antenna device according to claim 9.

11. The support material comprises a metal The antenna device according to claim 10.

12. The support material includes an insulator.

10. The antenna device according to claim 9.

13. The dielectric constant of the support material is lower than the dielectric constant of the substrate.

13. The antenna device according to claim 12.

14. A substrate, a feeding element provided on the surface or inside of the substrate; a feed line provided on a surface of or inside the substrate to feed power to the feed element; at least one of a director provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element, and a reflector provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element; Equipped with the substrate includes a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness greater than the first thickness; at least one of at least a part of the feeding element and at least a part of the director is provided on a surface of or inside the first portion; At least a portion of the power supply line is provided on a surface of or inside the second portion; The thickness of the first portion adjacent to the second portion decreases with increasing distance from the second portion. Antenna device.

15. A substrate, a feeding element provided on the surface or inside of the substrate; a feed line provided on a surface of or inside the substrate to feed power to the feed element; at least one of a director provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element, and a reflector provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element; Equipped with the substrate includes a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness greater than the first thickness; at least one of at least a part of the feeding element and at least a part of the director is provided on a surface of or inside the first portion; At least a portion of the power supply line is provided on a surface of or inside the second portion; a conductor at least partially covering a side surface of the second portion on which the first portion is present; The antenna device further comprises:

16. A substrate; a feeding element provided on the surface or inside of the substrate; a feed line provided on a surface of or inside the substrate to feed power to the feed element; at least one of a director provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element, and a reflector provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element; Equipped with the substrate includes a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness greater than the first thickness; at least one of at least a part of the feeding element and at least a part of the director is provided on a surface of or inside the first portion; At least a portion of the power supply line is provided on a surface of or inside the second portion; The substrate includes the first portion and the second portion corresponding to a second direction parallel to a surface of the substrate. the substrate is a laminated substrate including a first substrate and a second substrate having a length in the second direction that is shorter than that of the first substrate, the second portion is a portion where the first substrate and the second substrate are stacked, the first portion is a portion of the first substrate on which the second substrate is not laminated, The first substrate is a high frequency substrate, and the second substrate is a general purpose substrate. Antenna device.

17. The high-frequency substrate has lower transmission loss or lower dielectric tangent for signals with frequencies of 1 GHz or higher than for signals with other frequencies.

17. The antenna device according to claim 16.

18. a processing circuit for performing at least one of a signal transmission process and a signal reception process; at least one antenna device that transmits and receives radio waves; the at least one antenna device; A substrate; a feeding element provided on the surface or inside of the substrate; a feeder line provided on a surface of or inside the substrate, for transmitting a transmission signal from the processing circuit to the feed element, or for transmitting a reception signal based on a radio wave received by the feed element to the processing circuit; at least one of a director provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element, and a reflector provided on a surface of or inside the substrate and spaced apart from the feed element; Equipped with the substrate includes a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness greater than the first thickness; at least a part of at least one of the feeding element and the reflector is provided on a surface of or inside the first part; At least a portion of the power supply line is provided on a surface of or inside the second portion; The substrate includes the first portion and the second portion corresponding to a second direction parallel to a surface of the substrate. the substrate is a laminated substrate including a first substrate and a second substrate having a length in the second direction that is shorter than that of the first substrate, the second portion is a portion where the first substrate and the second substrate are stacked, the first portion is a portion of the first substrate on which the second substrate is not laminated, The first substrate is a high-frequency substrate, and the second substrate is a general-purpose substrate. Radar equipment.

19. the at least one antenna device includes a first antenna device and a second antenna device; the feed line in the first antenna device transmits the transmission signal from the processing circuit to the feed element, and the feed element radiates radio waves based on the transmission signal; A feed line in the second antenna device transmits a reception signal based on the radio wave received by the feed element to the processing circuit. The radar device according to claim 18.

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