Composite Antenna Unit Bandwidth and Gain Enhancement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing millimeter wave antennas have limited bandwidth due to the use of single patch or single slot antennas, which are inadequate for high-frequency 5G communication, and conventional substrates like FR4 suffer from excessive losses at GHz frequencies.
Innovation Solution
A composite antenna unit combining patch and slot antennas with a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) substrate, where the patch and slot antennas resonate at half the wavelength, coupled through a transmission line, enhancing bandwidth and gain, and an array antenna design extends this to a 27.4 GHz to 30 GHz frequency range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single patch antenna or single slot antenna is used, then the antenna structure is simple, but the bandwidth is limited and insufficient for 5G communication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a patch antenna and a slot antenna into a single integrated antenna unit. The patch antenna provides resonance at one frequency range while the slot antenna provides resonance at another frequency range, and their combined response creates a wider overall bandwidth coverage suitable for 5G communication bands.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses LCP (liquid crystal polymer) substrate material instead of conventional FR4 substrate. LCP material has lower dielectric loss and is suitable for millimeter-wave frequencies, enabling the composite antenna to achieve wide bandwidth with low signal loss in the 5G frequency range.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional FR4 substrate is used, then the manufacturing is familiar and easy, but the substrate suffers from excessive losses at millimeter wave frequencies above 10 GHz
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the substrate material parameters by selecting LCP material with specific dielectric properties (lower loss tangent) that are optimized for millimeter-wave frequencies. This material parameter change reduces signal attenuation and enables effective operation at 5G frequencies above 10 GHz.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a composite architecture of patch antenna and slot antenna is used, then the bandwidth coverage is increased, but the antenna structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the slot antenna within the same structural plane as the patch antenna, with the slot etched in the ground plane beneath or adjacent to the patch element. This nested arrangement allows both antenna types to coexist in a compact configuration, achieving wide bandwidth without excessive structural complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composite antenna unit achieves a wider bandwidth and higher gain compared to single antennas, with a center frequency of 28.69 GHz and a bandwidth of 8.78%, and the array antenna reaches a gain of 10.7 dBi, addressing the limitations of single antennas and substrate losses.
Implementation Method 1
a transmission line disposed on the lower surface of the second substrate corresponding to the blind hole to couple and feed to the slot antenna
Implementation Method 2
The patch antenna and slot antenna respectively resonates at half the wave length. The entire composite antenna unit satisfies a resonance condition through coupling.
Implementation Method 3
A signal is fed through the transmission line and coupled to the slot antenna, and the signal from the slot antenna is further coupled to the patch antenna.
Data Source
AI summary
A composite antenna and array antenna using the same. The antenna has a three-layer structure including a patch antenna, a slot antenna and a transmission line. A first layer includes a patch antenna resonating at half a wavelength, a second layer includes a slot antenna resonating at half the wavelength, and a third layer includes a transmission line and a feed point. The three layers are coupled and the entire composite antenna unit satisfies a resonance condition. A signal is fed through the transmission line and coupled to the slot antenna, and the signal from the slot antenna is further coupled to the patch antenna. This composition antenna has a desirable antenna gain, and an increased antenna bandwidth compared to a single patch antenna or slot antenna.