Coplanar Waveguide Feed Lines for Millimeter Wave Antenna Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microstrip feed line networks face significant challenges in achieving high gain and efficiency for large antenna arrays operating at millimeter wave frequencies due to feeding losses, undesired radiation, and mutual coupling, making it difficult to design efficient planar antenna arrays with coplanar microstrip lines.
Innovation Solution
The use of planar coplanar transmission lines, including coplanar strip lines and coplanar waveguide transmission lines interconnected with balun structures, forms a feed network that enables high-efficiency operation for millimeter wave frequencies, allowing for balanced and phased feeding of radiating elements to maximize gain and radiation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional microstrip feed line networks are used to interconnect antenna elements in large arrays, then the antenna array can be constructed with simple planar geometry, but feeding losses increase and radiation efficiency decreases at millimeter wave frequencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameters of the feed line structure by transitioning from conventional microstrip geometry to coplanar waveguide geometry. This parameter change in the feed line structure reduces feeding losses while maintaining planar construction advantages, directly resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and energy loss at millimeter wave frequencies.
2Device complexity
If conventional microstrip feed line networks are used in large antenna arrays, then the array structure can be simplified, but undesired radiation from feed lines increases and mutual coupling between elements worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the feed line geometry from microstrip to coplanar waveguide. This structural parameter change reduces undesired radiation and mutual coupling between antenna elements while keeping the array structure relatively simple, thus resolving the contradiction between device complexity and harmful electromagnetic effects.
3Volume of moving object
If conventional microstrip feed line networks are used, then implementation on thin substrates is feasible, but transmission line impedance becomes highly frequency dependent and dispersion increases at millimeter wave frequencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the transmission line geometry parameter from microstrip to coplanar waveguide configuration. This parameter change results in feed lines that can be implemented on thin substrates while maintaining more stable and less frequency-dependent impedance characteristics, thereby resolving the contradiction between substrate thickness and impedance stability at millimeter wave frequencies.
Data Source
AI summary
Improved feed line networks for antenna arrays operating at millimeter wave frequencies are provided for constructing planar antenna arrays printed on the surface of a dielectric substrate. A planar antenna array includes an array of planar radiator elements interconnected through a feed line network of planar coplanar transmission lines that enable high-efficiency operation, at millimeter wave operating frequencies. For example, a feed network may be formed with a network of coplanar strip line transmission lines including one or more coplanar strip line (CPS) and one or more coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission line, which are interconnected using balun structures, to enable high efficiency operation at millimeter wave frequencies.