Wideband millimeter (mmWave) antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11024971-B2
Application number	US-201916532815-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2019
Priority date	Aug 8, 2018
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

Described and disclosed herein is a wideband polarized patch antenna and the antenna array that can cover mmWave frequency band from 24.3 to 29.6 GHz for 5G applications, and a feeding structure for such an antenna comprising a single element of a polarized helical-shaped L-probe fed patch antenna (HLF-PA) package.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A polarized helical-shaped L-probe fed patch antenna comprising:
a substrate;
a copper-clad laminates (CCL) layer;
a plurality of layers of prepregs (PPG), wherein a portion of the plurality of layers of PPG are below the CCL layer and a portion of the plurality of layers of PPG are above the CCL;
a plurality of metal layers, wherein a portion of the plurality of metal layers are below the CCL layer and comprise bottom metal (BM) layers, and a portion of the plurality of metal layers are above the CCL and comprise top metal (TM) layers, wherein each metal layer is sandwiched between two PPG layers, between a PPG layer and the CCL layer, between the substrate and a PPG layer, or on top of a PPG layer,
wherein the CCL, the portion of the plurality of layers of PPG that are above the CCL, and the (TM) layers above the CCL comprise a patch antenna structure and the portion of the plurality of layers of PPG, and the (BM) layers below the CCL comprise feeding lines;
a patch radiator located on one of the TM layers; and
one or more helical-shaped L-probe feeding structures, wherein each structure comprises a vertical component having a helical winding structure, a horizontal component, and one or more coaxial-like feeding line structures,
wherein the one or more coaxial-like feeding line structures are implemented between metal layers to match impedance and the one or more helical-shaped L-probe feeding structures are also connected between metal layers.

2. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the antenna is dual-polarized.

3. The antenna of claim 2 , wherein the antenna comprises two helical-shaped L-probe feeding structures that are placed orthogonally to realize dual-polarization.

4. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein copper (Cu) is used for all metal layers.

5. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein a length of the horizontal component of the one or more L-probe feeding structures is in a range from 0.1 λ ceff to 0.4 λ ceff , where λ ceff is an effective wavelength at a center frequency.

6. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the helical winding structure of each of the one or more of the helical-shaped L-probe feeding structures has a number of turns and is connected between metal layers.

7. The antenna of claim 6 , wherein the number of turns is 1.5.

8. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the patch radiator can be in different shapes including circular, triangular, square, and rectangular.

9. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the helical winding structure can be in different shapes including circular, triangular, square, and rectangular.

10. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the antenna has a thickness of less than 1 mm.

11. The antenna of claim 10 , wherein the antenna has a thickness of 0.54 mm.

12. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the antenna has a frequency band of 24.3-29.6 GHz.

13. A polarized helical-shaped L-probe fed patch antenna array comprising a plurality of dual-polarized helical-shaped L-probe fed patch antennas, said array comprising:
a substrate;
a copper-clad laminates (CCL) layer;
a plurality of layers of prepregs (PPG), wherein a portion of the plurality of layers of PPG are below the CCL layer and a portion of the plurality of layers of PPG are above the CCL;
a plurality of metal layers, wherein a portion of the plurality of metal layers are below the CCL layer and comprise bottom metal (BM) layers, and a portion of the plurality of metal layers are above the CCL and comprise top metal (TM) layers wherein each metal layer is sandwiched between two PPG layers, between a PPG layer and the CCL layer, between the substrate and a PPG layer, or on top of a PPG layer,
wherein the CCL, the portion of the plurality of layers of PPG that are above the CCL, and the (TM) layers above the CCL comprise a patch antenna structure and the portion of the plurality of layers of PPG, and the (BM) layers below the CCL comprise feeding lines;
a plurality of patch radiators located on one of the TM layers;
one or more helical-shaped L-probe feeding structures associated with each patch radiator, wherein each structure comprises a vertical component having a helical winding structure, a horizontal component, and one or more coaxial-like feeding line structures,
wherein the one or more coaxial-like feeding line structures are implemented between metal layers to match impedance and each of the one or more helical-shaped L-probe feeding structures associated with each patch radiator is also connected between metal layers.

14. The antenna array of claim 13 , wherein copper (Cu) is used for all metal layers.

15. The antenna array of claim 13 , wherein a length of the horizontal component of the L-probe feeding structure is in a range from 0.1 λceff to 0.4 λceff, where λceff is an effective wavelength at a center frequency.

16. The antenna array of claim 13 , wherein the helical winding structure of each of the one or more helical-shaped L-probe feeding structures associated with each patch radiator has a number of turns and is connected between metal layers.

17. The antenna array of claim 16 , wherein the number of turns is 1.5.

18. The antenna array of claim 13 , wherein the each of plurality of patch radiators can be in different shapes including circular, triangular, square, and rectangular.

19. The antenna array of claim 13 , wherein each of the one or more helical winding structures associated with each patch radiator can be in different shapes including circular, triangular, square, and rectangular.

20. The antenna array of claim 13 , wherein the antenna has a thickness of less than 1 mm.

21. The antenna array of claim 20 , wherein the antenna has a thickness of 0.54 mm.

22. The antenna array of claim 13 , wherein each antenna comprises two helical-shaped L-probe feeding structures associated with each patch radiator and the two helical-shaped L-probe feeding structures are placed orthogonally to realize dual-polarization.

23. The antenna array of claim 13 , comprising 8 dual-polarized helical-shaped L-probe fed patch antennas arranged in a 2×4 pattern.

24. The antenna array of claim 23 , wherein the antenna array comprises a 2 by 4 wideband dual-polarized 5G antenna array.

25. The antenna of claim 13 , wherein the antenna array has a frequency band of 24.3-29.6 GHz.

Assignees

• Univ Alabama

Inventors

• Hong Yang-Ki
• Lee Woncheol
• Won Hoyun

Classifications

• H01Q21/24

  Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction {(circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001)} · CPC title

• H01Q9/0442

  with particular tuning means · CPC title

• H01Q9/0457 Primary

  electromagnetically coupled to the feed line · CPC title

• H01Q9/045 Primary

  with particular feeding means (for circular polarisation H01Q9/0428) · CPC title

• H01Q9/32

  Vertical arrangement of element (H01Q9/40 takes precedence) · CPC title