Conformal Patch Array on Silicone Sponge Rubber with Integrated Low Noise Amplifier

摘要

A conformal 2x2 active patch array on a low-cost commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) silicone sponge rubber (SSR) flexible substrate, combined with flexible PCB technology, is presented. The active array consists of a passive 2x2 patch array integrated with a low noise amplifier (LNA). The passive array is designed and characterized first. Its measured performance on a flat surface is found to agree well with simulations. The simulated boresight gain is 13 dB and the measured gain is 11.8 dB. Subsequently, the LNA is designed and tested on the flexible substrate. Compared to the vendor's LNA evaluation board, a reduction in gain of 3.2 dB is measured. Finally, the passive array and the LNA are integrated together. The performance of the active array is measured on a flat surface, and when conformed to cylindrical surfaces. The gain of the active array on a flat surface agrees well with the summed performance of the constituting passive array and the LNA. When conformed to cylindrical surfaces, the gain of the active array reduces and the beamwidth increases.