Single-Substrate UWB Antenna Array With Two-Layer Balun Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna designs face challenges in achieving low-cost, high-volume commercial applications for 5G wireless networks due to complexity, impedance mismatch, and spurious mode generation, particularly in maintaining wide-angle scanning capabilities while keeping cross coupling low.
Innovation Solution
A modular wideband antenna and antenna array design utilizing a single substrate with a two-layer feed balun and coupling capacitances to suppress spurious resonance, featuring a ground plane, antenna elements, and grounding posts, which simplifies fabrication and reduces size, enabling low-profile, lightweight commercial products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional multi-layer UWB antenna designs are used, then wideband performance can be achieved, but fabrication complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The feed balun is divided into two separate layers: the first portion on the first surface and the second portion on the second surface. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized independently while maintaining overall wideband performance, reducing fabrication complexity compared to conventional multi-layer designs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional planar single-surface designs to a three-dimensional configuration utilizing both surfaces of the substrate. The feed balun portions are distributed across different spatial dimensions (first surface and second surface), enabling wideband performance with simplified single-substrate fabrication
2Reliability
If antenna element length is extended to achieve low frequency coverage, then bandwidth is improved, but antenna size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses strong mutual coupling between antenna elements to extend the effective electrical length without increasing physical dimensions. By utilizing the third dimension (substrate thickness) and distributing feed balun portions across both surfaces, the design achieves low frequency coverage (700 MHz to 6 GHz) while maintaining a compact form factor
Solution Approach 2:
The feed balun structure acts as an intermediary that enables strong mutual coupling between antenna elements. This coupling mechanism effectively extends the electrical length of the antenna elements, allowing the antenna to resonate at lower frequencies without requiring physically longer elements
3Adaptability or versatility
If beam scanning is implemented to improve coverage, then adaptability is improved, but impedance matching deteriorates due to cross coupling
Solution Approach 1:
The feed balun is segmented into two portions located on opposite surfaces of the substrate. This spatial separation reduces parasitic coupling effects that typically degrade impedance matching during beam scanning, allowing the antenna to maintain stable impedance characteristics across wide scanning angles while preserving adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The distributed feed balun structure serves as an intermediary that manages coupling between antenna elements during beam scanning. By positioning feed portions on both surfaces, the design mitigates severe de-tuning and impedance mismatch that occur in conventional single-surface designs, enabling practical wide-angle scanning applications
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 design achieves a low profile and small size, simplifies manufacturing, and maintains impedance matching across a wide frequency range, addressing the complexity and cost issues of existing UWB antenna designs, while enabling efficient commercial applications for 5G networks.
Implementation Method 1
a first coupling capacitance and a second coupling capacitance disposed on the second surface of the substrate, the first coupling capacitance being capacitively coupled to the first antenna element, and the second coupling capacitance being capacitively coupled to the second antenna element
Data Source
AI summary
A modular wideband antenna includes a ground plane, first and second antenna elements disposed on a first surface of a substrate, a first portion of a two-layer feed balun disposed on the first surface of the substrate, and electrically coupled to the first and second antenna elements, and to the ground plane, a second portion of the two-layer feed balun disposed on a second surface of the substrate, the second portion of the two-layer feed balun being electrically coupled to a signal feed, and being capacitively coupled to the first portion of the two-layer feed balun, first and second coupling capacitances disposed on the second surface of the substrate, the first coupling capacitance being capacitively coupled to the first antenna element, and the second coupling capacitance being capacitively coupled to the second antenna element, and first and second grounding posts being electrically coupled to the first and second coupling capacitances.