Stacked Patch Antenna for Wideband Dual-Polarization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional patch antennas suffer from narrow bandwidth and large size due to restrictions in PCB substrate thickness, making it difficult to achieve wideband dual-polarized antennas for Wi-Fi and WiMAX applications, which are also challenging to manufacture and are less rigid due to air gaps.
Innovation Solution
A wideband dual-polarized patch antenna design featuring multiple stacked radiator patches and a ground plane on separate substrates without air gaps, using conductive materials and feed lines to achieve orthogonal dual-polarization, allowing for a compact and rigid structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If a thick dielectric substrate is used to achieve larger bandwidth and better radiation, then bandwidth is improved, but the antenna profile becomes large making it infeasible in many applications
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna is segmented into multiple stacked radiator patches (first, second, and third radiator patches) separated by dielectric substrate layers. This segmentation allows the antenna to achieve wideband operation through multiple resonance modes while maintaining a compact overall profile, resolving the contradiction between bandwidth and antenna height.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If air gaps are introduced between substrate layers to achieve wideband dual-polarized operation, then bandwidth is improved, but the antenna becomes less rigid and more difficult to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple radiator patches and ground planes onto a single multi-layer PCB substrate without air gaps. The dielectric substrate layers are directly bonded between adjacent radiator patches and ground planes, creating a rigid, integrated structure that is easy to manufacture while achieving wideband dual-polarized operation through the stacked configuration.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional single-layer PCB structures are used, then manufacturing is simple, but bandwidth is narrow and dual-polarization is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a conventional single-layer PCB structure to a multi-layer stacked configuration in the vertical dimension. Multiple radiator patches are stacked along the z-axis with dielectric substrate layers between them, enabling wideband operation and dual-polarization while maintaining manufacturability through standard multi-layer PCB fabrication processes.
4Power
If dual-polarized array antennas are designed to provide high gain, then system capacity is improved, but antenna size increases and bandwidth narrows due to PCB substrate thickness restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds multiple functional elements (multiple radiator patches, ground planes, and feed lines) within a compact stacked structure. The nested configuration of radiator patches at different heights allows the antenna to achieve high gain through constructive interference while maintaining a small overall footprint and wide bandwidth, overcoming the limitations of conventional planar array designs.
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 solution provides a wideband dual-polarized antenna with high gain and isolation between input ports, enabling two transmission channels in the same frequency band, suitable for MIMO communications, and is easily manufacturable on a multi-layer PCB, suitable for both downlink and uplink signals across various frequency ranges.
Implementation Method 1
Patch antennas radiate because of the fringing fields between the patch edge and the ground plane
Implementation Method 2
A patch antenna includes a base conductor layer (the ground plane), a dielectric spacer (the substrate), and a signal conductor layer (the patch)
Data Source
AI summary
A wideband dual-polarized patch antenna includes a ground plane layer and a first dielectric substrate layer disposed on the ground plane layer. A first radiator patch is disposed on the first dielectric substrate layer and a second dielectric substrate layer is disposed on the first radiator patch. A second radiator patch is disposed on the second dielectric substrate layer and a third dielectric substrate layer is disposed on the second radiator patch. A third radiator patch is disposed on the third dielectric substrate layer. The patch antenna also includes first and second feed lines electrically connected to the radiator patches and to the ground plane. The first and second feed lines are configured to excite the antenna in two separate directions to cause orthogonal dual-polarization. The radiator patches and the ground plane are comprised of a conductive material.