A new low-cost microstrip antenna array for 60 GHz applications.

摘要

In this thesis, the design, fabrication, and characterization of a 2x8 microstrip planar antenna array operating at the 60 GHz band for Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig) appli- cations are presented. The trade-offs among low production costs, performance, and ease of fabrication were considered. Full-wave electromagnetic (EM) analysis is implemented for the antenna design by using ANSYSRTM High Frequency Structural Simulator (HFSS), a finite-element EM solver. The antenna structure consists of two layers, where each array element is a Conductor-Backed Coplanar Waveguide (CB-CPW) loop-fed patch antenna. The bottom layer houses the transmission line and feeding circuitry, while the patch antennas are built on the top layer. The transmission line is designed on microfabrication-compatible quartz substrate, and the patches on a Rogers RO3003 Printed Circuit Board (PCB) substrate. The CPW network's right-angle bends are optimized with chamfered lines. Air bridges are used to suppress the parasitic coupled slot line mode of the CPW line divisions. Results of the EM analysis show that the array covers the United States (US) 60 GHz unlicensed band (57-64 GHz), and has a maximum realized gain of 18 dB at 61 GHz on the broadside direction. The antenna design is later fabricated combining microfabrication and standard PCB procedures.