Apparatus and Method for a High Aperture Efficiency Broadband Antenna Element with Stable Gain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016294066-A1
Application number	US-201514673601-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 30, 2015
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for an antenna element design with high aperture efficiency and stable gain across a frequency range. In an embodiment, the antenna element is obtained by placing a conductive layer on a dielectric substrate, forming a slot in the conductive layer, and forming two feed lines inside the dielectric substrate. A dielectric layer is placed on the dielectric substrate and over the conductive layer and the slot. A circular or elliptical conductive wall is formed inside the dielectric layer. A conductive element is also formed on the dielectric layer and over the slot. One or more second dielectric layers are placed on the dielectric layer and over the conductive element. A second circular or elliptical conductive wall is formed inside each second dielectric layer. A second conductive element is also formed on each second dielectric layer, over the conductive element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An antenna element structure comprising:
a dielectric substrate; a conductive layer on the dielectric substrate; two feed lines inside the dielectric substrate, the two feed lines in contact with the conductive layer; a slot in the conductive layer exposing a surface of the dielectric substrate, the slot positioned between the two feed lines; at least two dielectric layers on the dielectric substrate; a conductive element on each dielectric layer, the conductive element positioned over the slot and between the feed lines; and a conductive wall inside each dielectric layer and surrounding the conductive element.

2 . The antenna element of claim 1 , wherein the conductive walls in each dielectric layer are in contact with each other.

3 . The antenna element of claim 1 , wherein the conductive wall in a first dielectric layer on top of the dielectric substrate is in contact with the conductive layer on the dielectric substrate.

4 . The antenna element of claim 1 , wherein the conductive element on a first dielectric layer on top of the dielectric substrate is a driven element.

5 . The antenna element structure of claim 1 further comprising on each dielectric layer, a side-wall extension around a circumference of the conductive wall, the side-wall extension perpendicular to the conductive wall and surrounding the conductive element on the dielectric layer.

6 . The antenna element structure of claim 5 , wherein the side-wall extension extends inside the circumference of the conductive wall.

7 . The antenna element structure of claim 1 further comprising a dielectric resonator layer on a top dielectric layer.

8 . The antenna element structure of claim 7 , wherein the dielectric resonator layer has a thickness multiple times larger than a thickness of the dielectric layers.

9 . The antenna element structure of claim 6 , wherein the dielectric resonator layer has a permittivity higher than a permittivity of the dielectric layers.

10 . The antenna element structure of claim 1 , wherein the conductive wall in each dielectric layer has a height extending an entire thickness of the dielectric layer.

11 . The antenna element structure of claim 1 , wherein the conductive element on each dielectric layer is positioned concentrically with the conductive wall in the dielectric layer.

12 . The antenna element structure of claim 11 , wherein the conductive walls in each second dielectric layer are aligned coaxially with the conductive elements.

13 . The antenna element structure of claim 1 , wherein the conductive elements and the conductive walls are circular.

14 . The antenna element structure of claim 1 , wherein the conductive elements and the conductive walls are elliptical.

15 . The antenna element structure of claim 1 , wherein the slot is a rectangular slot oriented in a direction perpendicular to the two feed lines.

16 . An antenna array structure comprising:
a dielectric substrate; an array of adjacent antenna elements on the dielectric substrate, each antenna elements comprising:
a conductive layer on the dielectric substrate;
two feed lines inside the dielectric substrate, the two feed lines in contact with the conductive layer;
a slot in the conductive layer exposing a surface of the dielectric substrate, the slot positioned between the two feed lines;
at least two dielectric layers on the dielectric substrate;
a conductive element on each dielectric layer, the conductive element positioned over the slot and between the feed lines; and
a conductive wall inside each dielectric layer and surrounding the conductive element, the conductive wall having a height equal to a thickness of the dielectric layer.

17 . The antenna array structure of claim 16 , wherein each antenna element further comprises:
on each dielectric layer, a side-wall extension around a circumference of the conductive wall, the side-wall extension perpendicular to the conductive wall and surrounding the conductive element on the dielectric layer.

18 . The antenna array structure of claim 16 , wherein the conductive walls in each dielectric layer have different diameters.

19 . A method for making an antenna element, the method comprising:
forming a conductive layer on a dielectric substrate; forming a slot in the conductive layer, the slot exposing the dielectric substrate; forming two feed lines inside the dielectric substrate; placing at least two dielectric layers on the dielectric substrate and; forming, inside each dielectric layer, a circular or elliptical conductive wall; and forming a conductive element on each dielectric layer and over the slot.

20 . The method of claim 19 further comprising forming, on each dielectric layer, a side-wall extension around a circumference of the circular or elliptical conductive wall, the side-wall extension perpendicular to the circular or elliptical conductive wall.

21 . The method of claim 19 further comprising forming a dielectric resonator layer on a top dielectric layer.

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Canada Co Ltd

Inventors

• Djerafi Tarek
• Wu Ke
• GUNTUPALLI Ajay Babu
• Wang kuangda

Classifications

• H01Q19/28

  using a secondary device in the form of two or more substantially straight conductive elements (log- periodic antennas H01Q11/10; constituting a reflecting surface H01Q19/10) · CPC title

• H01Q9/0457

  electromagnetically coupled to the feed line · CPC title

• H01Q21/064

  using horn or slot aerials (slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005) · CPC title

• H01Q1/523

  between antennas of an array · CPC title

• H01Q13/106 Primary

  Microstrip slot antennas (patch antenna elements H01Q9/0407) · CPC title