CN117134105A

CN117134105A - Antenna and electronic equipment

Info

Publication number: CN117134105A
Application number: CN202210545673.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 董元旦; 许艺珍; 王政; 吴涛
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-05-19
Filing date: 2022-05-19
Publication date: 2023-11-28
Also published as: WO2023221601A1

Abstract

The application provides an antenna and electronic equipment, relates to the technical field of antennas, and can improve the impedance bandwidth of the antenna. The antenna comprises a top substrate and a first metal stratum which are sequentially stacked. The antenna further comprises at least one antenna element; the antenna unit includes: a radiating patch and at least two metal discs. The radiation patch and the at least two metal discs are arranged on the surface of one side of the top substrate, which is far away from the first metal stratum; the at least two metal plates are arranged around the radiation patch, and the at least two metal plates are symmetrically arranged about the radiation patch; at least one first metal through hole is formed in the position, corresponding to each metal disc, of the top layer substrate, and two ends of the first metal through hole are connected with the metal disc and the first metal stratum respectively.

Description

Antenna and electronic equipment

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of antenna technologies, and in particular, to an antenna and an electronic device.

Background

Currently, the D band (110 GHz-170 GHz) has been identified as a candidate band for beyond the fifth generation mobile communication technology (5th generation mobile communication technology,5G) and the sixth generation mobile communication technology (6th generation mobile communication technology,6G) and future automotive radar applications. Data rates in excess of 10Gbps (gigabits per second) and delays below 0.1 milliseconds can be achieved with D-band (terahertz band) communications.

The impedance bandwidth of the conventional patch antenna in the D band is relatively narrow, and there are many challenges for directly applying the patch antenna to the D band, so that it is difficult to meet the current communication requirements, and therefore, how to improve the impedance bandwidth of the patch antenna is one of the problems that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art.

Disclosure of Invention

The application provides an antenna and electronic equipment, which can improve the impedance bandwidth of the antenna.

The application provides an antenna which comprises a top substrate and a first metal stratum which are sequentially stacked. The antenna further comprises at least one antenna element; the antenna unit includes: a radiating patch and at least two metal discs. The radiation patch and the at least two metal discs are arranged on the surface of one side of the top substrate, which is far away from the first metal stratum; the at least two metal plates are arranged around the radiation patch, and the at least two metal plates are symmetrically arranged about the radiation patch; at least one first metal through hole is formed in the position, corresponding to each metal disc, of the top layer substrate, and two ends of the first metal through hole are connected with the metal disc and the first metal stratum respectively.

In the antenna provided by the embodiment of the application, a plurality of metal discs are symmetrically arranged around the radiation patch, and first metal through holes are arranged below the corresponding metal discs in the top-layer substrate, so that a mushroom structure is formed; the first metal through hole connects the metal disc with a first metal stratum below the top substrate; under the condition, mutual capacitance (coupling capacitance) can be formed between the metal disc and the radiation patch, namely capacitive coupling is generated, so that the input return loss of the antenna can be reduced, and the impedance bandwidth of the antenna is improved.

In some possible implementations, the at least two metal discs include at least two first metal discs; the at least two first metal plates are symmetrically arranged along a first direction about the radiation patch, and the first direction is the coupling electric field direction of the radiation patch. In this way, in the antenna unit, the first metal plates are symmetrically arranged in the coupling electric field direction (i.e., the first direction) of the radiating patch, and in this case, the mushroom structures symmetrically arranged along the first direction and the plane where the radiating patch is located form a loop, so that the radiation mode of the magnetic dipole along the second direction is introduced, and the resonance point of the antenna is further increased, that is, the antenna resonance mode is increased, so that the bandwidth of the antenna is expanded.

In some possible implementations, the at least two metal discs include at least two second metal discs; the at least two second metal plates are symmetrically arranged along a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction and is about the radiation patch. In this way, in the antenna unit, the "mushroom structure" symmetrically arranged along the second direction can increase the coupling path from the feed slot to the radiation patch, so that the coupling strength between the feed slot and the radiation patch can be adjusted, and the in-band matching of the antenna can be improved.

In some possible implementation manners, the radiation patch is provided with a notch at a position opposite to the metal disc, so as to increase the capacitive coupling area between the metal disc and the radiation patch, further reduce the input return loss of the antenna, and improve the impedance bandwidth of the antenna.

In some possible implementations, the concave shape of the notch matches the shape of the metal disc, increasing the capacitive coupling area between the metal disc and the radiating patch to a greater extent.

In some possible implementations, the antenna element further includes a metal ring; the metal ring is positioned on the surface of one side of the top substrate far away from the first metal stratum, and the radiation patch and at least two metal discs arranged around the radiation patch are positioned in an area surrounded by the metal ring; the top layer substrate is provided with a plurality of second metal through holes at positions corresponding to the metal rings, the second metal through holes are arranged along the circumference of the metal rings, and two ends of the second metal through holes are respectively connected with the metal rings and the first metal stratum. In this case, the metal ring and the plurality of second metal through holes can form a cavity around the radiation patch, which can form a wave-limiting structure through which an electric field can be bound around the radiation patch. Therefore, based on the arrangement of the cavity, the energy input to the radiation patch can be prevented from propagating along the top substrate, and meanwhile, the antenna can be prevented from being influenced by surface waves, so that the input return loss of the antenna is reduced, and the impedance bandwidth of the antenna is improved. In addition, the cavity is used as a part of the antenna unit, and the radiation caliber of the antenna can be enlarged.

In some possible implementations, the antenna further includes: at least two intermediate substrates which are sequentially laminated; at least two intermediate substrates are positioned on one side of the first metal stratum away from the top substrate; a plurality of second metal through holes are formed on each intermediate substrate to form at least one power divider; in two adjacent intermediate substrates, one power divider in the intermediate substrate far from the top substrate is coupled with a plurality of power dividers in the intermediate substrate near the top substrate. The power divider on the top middle substrate (i.e., the middle substrate nearest to the top substrate) is coupled to the antenna unit; by providing a plurality of power splitters longitudinally distributed on a plurality of intermediate substrates, the size of the antenna in the lateral direction can be reduced.

In some possible implementation manners, the antenna further comprises at least two middle metal strata, wherein each middle substrate is provided with a middle metal stratum on the surface close to one side of the top substrate, and the middle metal stratum is provided with a feed port at the output end of the corresponding power divider; the power divider is provided with a plurality of (at least two) first matching metal through holes in the area corresponding to the feed port. Compared with the prior art, only one matching metal through hole is arranged to bring a large inductance component, a plurality of first matching metal through holes are arranged, and the inclination angle among the plurality of matching metal through holes is adjusted, so that the flexibility of antenna matching optimization is improved, and the matching state of the antenna is adjusted more favorably.

In some possible implementations, the power divider includes a main path and a plurality of branches connected to the main path; the power divider is provided with a plurality of (at least two) second matched metal through holes at the corners from the main path to the plurality of branches; through adjusting inclination between a plurality of second matching metal through holes and the main road to make the distribution energy of a plurality of power divider to the coupling more balanced, further make the radiation direction of antenna more symmetrical, directional radiation effect is better.

In some possible implementations, the antenna includes 16 antenna elements, two intermediate substrates; the two middle substrates are a first middle substrate and a second middle substrate respectively, and the first middle substrate is positioned at one side of the second middle substrate far away from the top layer substrate; a first power divider is arranged in the first intermediate substrate; four second power dividers are arranged in the second intermediate substrate; the first power divider and the second power divider are one-to-four power dividers; the four output ends of the first power divider are respectively coupled with the four second power dividers, and the four second power dividers are respectively coupled with 16 antenna units through 16 output ends.

In some possible implementations, the antenna further includes an underlying substrate; the bottom substrate is positioned on one side of at least two middle substrates away from the top substrate; a plurality of third metal through holes are formed on the bottom substrate to form a substrate integrated waveguide (substrate integrated waveguide, SIW) transmission line; the SIW transmission line comprises a first transmission section, a second transmission section and a switching part; the first end of the first transmission section is connected with the switching part, and the second end of the first transmission section is connected with the second transmission section; a plurality of fourth metal through holes are also formed on the bottom substrate; the plurality of fourth metal through holes are distributed along the extending direction of the SIW transmission line, and are positioned at the outer sides of the plurality of third metal through holes forming the first transmission section and/or the second transmission section and/or the switching part; the SIW transmission line is coupled with a power divider in the bottom intermediate substrate at the tail end of the second transmission section; the bottom intermediate substrate is an intermediate substrate adjacent to the bottom substrate of the at least two intermediate substrates.

In some possible implementations, the width of the second transmission segment is different along the length of the SIW transmission line. The matching state of the antenna can be adjusted by setting the different widths of the second transmission sections, namely the matching state of the antenna is more beneficial to adjustment.

In some possible implementations, the distance between the radiating patch and the first metal formation is one quarter of the medium wavelength.

In some possible implementations, the upper surfaces of each intermediate substrate and the underlying substrate are provided with a metal stratum, and the metal stratum is provided with a grid ground structure; through the arrangement of the grid ground structure, the technical errors caused by different shrinkage rates of the LTCC substrate and the metal layer in the sintering process can be improved, and meanwhile, the adverse phenomenon that the antenna warps can be effectively improved.

In some possible implementations, grid-land structures in two adjacent metal strata may be provided in a staggered arrangement to ensure the flatness of the antenna as a whole.

In some possible implementations, the bottom substrate, the middle substrate, and the top substrate are all low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrates; the LTCC technology can achieve higher precision, and is more beneficial to flexibly designing the antenna in a smaller space frame; and better high-frequency electrical characteristics can be obtained, so that the input return loss of the antenna is reduced, and the impedance bandwidth of the antenna is improved.

The embodiment of the application also provides electronic equipment, which comprises a circuit board and an antenna provided in any one of the possible implementation modes; the antenna is arranged on the surface of the circuit board and is electrically connected with the circuit board.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an interlayer schematic diagram of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an antenna unit portion in an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 taken along the OO' position;

fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of an antenna unit in an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 5a is a schematic diagram of an antenna unit in an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 5b is a schematic view of a first direction and a second direction in an antenna unit;

fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of an antenna unit in an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of five antenna units in an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8 is a graph showing reflection coefficient curves of the five antenna elements in FIG. 7;

fig. 9 is a graph showing gain curves of the five antenna elements in fig. 7;

fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of an antenna using an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 11 is a schematic plan view of an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of metal vias on a top substrate under the antenna array of fig. 11;

fig. 13 is a schematic structural diagram of a plurality of substrates in an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 14 is a schematic structural diagram of a substrate of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 15 is a schematic structural diagram of a substrate of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 16 is a schematic structural diagram of a metal layer of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 17 is a schematic structural diagram of a metal layer of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 18 is a schematic structural diagram of a metal layer of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 19 is a schematic structural diagram of a metal layer of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of a first power divider according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of a second power divider according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 22 is a schematic diagram of a transmission line according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

For the purpose of making the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more apparent, the technical solutions of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, and it is apparent that the described embodiments are some embodiments of the present application, not all embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be made by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the application without making any inventive effort, are intended to be within the scope of the application.

The terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and in the claims and drawings are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or order. "at least one" means one or more, and "a plurality" means two or more. "and/or" for describing the association relationship of the association object, the representation may have three relationships, for example, "a and/or B" may represent: only a, only B and both a and B are present, wherein a, B may be singular or plural. The character "/" generally indicates that the context-dependent object is an "or" relationship. "coupled," "connected," and the like are to be construed broadly, and may be, for example, fixedly connected or integrally connected; either directly or indirectly through intermediaries, or through communication between two elements. Furthermore, the terms "comprise" and "have," as well as any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such as a series of steps or elements. The method, system, article, or apparatus is not necessarily limited to those explicitly listed but may include other steps or elements not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", etc. are used merely with respect to the orientation of the components in the drawings, these directional terms are relative concepts which are used for descriptive and clarity with respect thereto and which may be varied accordingly with respect to the orientation in which the components are placed in the drawings.

The embodiment of the application provides electronic equipment, which comprises a circuit board (printed circuit board, a PCB; also called a printed circuit board) and an antenna (also called a patch antenna); the antenna is arranged on the surface of the circuit board and is electrically connected with the circuit board.

The present application is not particularly limited to the specific arrangement form of the above-described electronic device. For example, the electronic device may be a base station, radar, sensor, cell phone, computer, etc.

The novel patch antenna (hereinafter may be simply referred to as an antenna) is adopted in the electronic equipment, and the metal devices are introduced around the radiation patch, so that the capacitive coupling area between the radiation patch and the metal devices is increased, the input return loss of the antenna is reduced, and the impedance bandwidth of the antenna is improved.

The following describes the structure of the antenna provided in the embodiment of the present application in detail.

Fig. 1 is an interlayer schematic diagram of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 1, the antenna includes a plurality of substrates (S1, S2, S3, S4) and a plurality of metal layers (M1, M2, M3, M4, M5) stacked and alternately arranged. Among the plurality of substrates (S1, S2, S3, S4), there are included a top substrate S1, a bottom substrate S4, and two intermediate substrates (S2, S3) between the top substrate S1 and the bottom substrate S4. Of course, in other possible implementations, three or more intermediate substrates may be included, and the following embodiments of the present application are schematically illustrated with only two intermediate substrates (S2, S3).

The metal materials used for the plurality of metal layers (M1, M2, M3, M4, M5) are not limited, and for example, the metal materials used for the plurality of metal layers may be copper, copper alloy, silver, or other metal materials. Illustratively, in some possible implementations, silver plating may be used for each of the metal layers, and the following embodiments are illustrated in order.

The material used for the plurality of substrates (S1, S2, S3, S4) is not limited. For example, in some possible implementations, the plurality of substrates (S1, S2, S3, S4) may employ silicon substrates; for another example, in some possible implementations, a plurality of substrates (S1, S2, S3, S4) may also employ a low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate.

It can be appreciated that in the terahertz frequency band, compared with the disadvantages of the traditional PCB technology in terms of miniaturization and packaging set, the silicon-based technology and LTCC technology can achieve higher precision, which is more beneficial to flexibly designing the antenna in a smaller space frame. Compared with the silicon-based process manufacturing, the method has the advantages that the defects of high loss, low efficiency, high cost and the like are overcome, and better high-frequency electrical characteristics can be obtained by adopting the LTCC technology, so that the input return loss of the antenna is reduced, and the impedance bandwidth of the antenna is improved. The following examples are given by taking LTCC substrates as examples of the plurality of substrates (S1, S2, S3, S4).

For manufacturing an antenna using LTCC substrates, during the manufacturing process, an antenna structure (metal structure) may be manufactured on a green tape, then a plurality of LTCC substrates may be stacked and sintered by a high-temperature multilayer structure, so as to complete the manufacturing of the antenna.

In addition, the thickness of the plurality of metal layers and the plurality of LTCC substrates is not limited in the application. For example, in some embodiments, the thickness of the plurality of metal layers may be about 8 μm and the thickness of the LTCC substrate may be 192 μm.

It can be understood that structures such as metal through holes and through holes can be formed in each substrate as required, and pattern structures such as radiation patches, metal plates and metal stratum can be formed in each metal layer as required, so as to meet the actual functional requirements of the antenna.

The antenna provided by the embodiment of the application is further described below with reference to the arrangement of each substrate and each metal layer.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3 (schematic cross-sectional views of fig. 2 along OO') the antenna provided in the embodiment of the present application includes at least one antenna unit 1. The antenna unit 1 comprises a radiating patch 11 and a plurality of metal discs 12 (i.e. at least two metal discs) arranged on the upper surface of the top substrate S1. The plurality of metal plates 12 are disposed around the radiation patch 11, and the plurality of metal plates 12 are symmetrically disposed with respect to the radiation patch 11 to ensure equalization of radiation signals. In addition, the top substrate S1 is provided with at least one first metal through hole 13 at a position corresponding to each metal disc 11 (i.e., directly under the metal disc 11), and a first metal stratum 100 is disposed in the second metal layer M2 located on the lower surface of the top substrate S1, and two ends of the first metal through hole 13 are connected to the metal disc 11 and the first metal stratum 100 respectively. Wherein the first metal layer 100 may be electrically connected to a ground terminal as a ground layer (i.e., a reference layer) to provide a reference potential; similar to the metal underlayers referred to hereinafter are all the same and will not be described in detail.

Illustratively, in some possible implementations, the distance between the radiating patch 11 and the first metal formation 100 is one quarter of the wavelength of the medium.

It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present application, the first metal through hole 13 is disposed below one metal disc 12, for convenience of description of the metal disc 12 and the whole of the first metal through hole 13 disposed below the metal disc 12, the whole structure formed by the metal disc 12 and the first metal through hole 13 disposed below the metal disc may be referred to as a "mushroom structure" hereinafter.

In the antenna provided by the embodiment of the application, a plurality of metal discs 12 are symmetrically arranged around a radiation patch 11, and a first metal through hole 13 is arranged below each corresponding metal disc 12 in a top substrate S1, and the first metal through hole 13 connects the metal disc 12 with a first metal stratum 100 below the top substrate S1; in this case, the metal disc 12 can form a mutual capacitance (coupling capacitance) with the radiation patch 11, that is, a capacitive coupling is generated, so that the input return loss of the antenna can be reduced, and the impedance bandwidth of the antenna can be improved.

On this basis, as shown in fig. 4, in some possible implementation manners, a notch a may be disposed at a position opposite to the radiation patch 11 and the metal disc 12, so as to increase the capacitive coupling area between the metal disc 12 and the radiation patch 11, further reduce the input return loss of the antenna, and improve the impedance bandwidth of the antenna.

Of course, in order to increase the capacitive coupling area between the metal disc 12 and the radiating patch 11 to a greater extent, as shown in fig. 4, in some possible implementations, the concave shape of the notch a may be arranged to match the shape of the metal disc 12. For example, in some embodiments, the notch a may be provided as a concave arc structure, and then the edge of the metal disc 12 at the corresponding position is a matched convex arc structure; for another example, in some embodiments, the notch a may be provided as a concave triangular structure, and the edge of the metal disc 12 at the corresponding position is a matched convex triangular structure.

The specific shapes of the radiation patch 11, the metal plate 12 and the notch a are not limited, and may be practically set as required. For example, in some embodiments, the radiation patch 11 may be provided with a plurality of circular arc-shaped notches at the edge of the circular structure, and the metal disc 12 adopts the circular structure.

In addition, for a plurality of metal discs 12 arranged around the perimeter of the radiation patch 11, in some possible implementations, as shown in fig. 5a, the plurality of metal discs 12 may include: a plurality of first metal plates b1 symmetrically disposed about the radiation patch 11 in the first direction YY', and the first metal plates b1 are connected to the first metal formation 100 through first metal vias 131 located below; i.e. a plurality of "mushroom structures" are symmetrically arranged about the radiating patch 11 in the first direction YY'. The first direction YY' is a coupling electric field direction of the radiation patch 11, and reference may be made to the following description.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the direction of the coupling electric field of the radiating patch 11 (i.e. the first direction) is related to the feeding of the radiating patch 11, and that in some embodiments, a rectangular feeding slot R is used for feeding, and that the following embodiments are each schematically illustrated by way of example in which the radiating patch 11 is fed with a feeding slot R, as shown in fig. 5 b. In this case, the coupling electric field direction (i.e., the first direction YY') of the radiation patch 11 is directed from one long side of the feed slot R to the direction of the other long side. Wherein the feed slot R is located in the first metal formation 100 directly below the radiating patch 11 (fig. 3 and 5 may be combined). In the present application, the vertical direction of the first direction YY 'is defined as the second direction XX' in the plane in which the radiation patch 11 is located.

In this way, in the antenna unit, the first metal disc b1 is symmetrically disposed in the coupling electric field direction (i.e. the first direction YY ') of the radiation patch 11, in this case, the "mushroom structure" symmetrically disposed along the first direction YY ' and the plane where the radiation patch 11 is located form a loop (loop), so as to introduce the radiation mode of the magnetic dipole along the second direction XX ', and further increase the resonance point of the antenna, that is, increase the antenna resonance mode, so as to expand the bandwidth of the antenna.

It should be noted that, fig. 5a only illustrates an example in which a "mushroom structure" is disposed on two sides of the radiation patch 11 along the first direction YY', respectively; in other possible implementations, two or more "mushroom structures" may be provided on both sides of the radiation patch 11 in the first direction YY', respectively. The following embodiments are described taking the case where a "mushroom structure" is provided on both sides of the radiation patch 11 in the first direction YY', respectively.

Additionally, in some possible implementations, as shown in fig. 5a, the plurality of metal discs 12 may further include: a plurality of second metal plates b2 symmetrically disposed about the radiation patch 11 in the second direction XX', the second metal plates b2 being connected to the first metal formation 100 through the first metal through holes 132 located below; i.e. a plurality of "mushroom structures" are symmetrically arranged about the radiating patch 11 in the second direction XX'.

In this way, in the antenna unit 1, by the "mushroom structure" symmetrically arranged in the second direction XX', the coupling path of the feed slot R to the radiation patch 11 can be increased, so that the coupling strength between the feed slot R and the radiation patch 11 can be adjusted, and the in-band matching of the antenna can be improved.

The second metal disk b2 may have the same size, shape, or the like as the first metal disk b1, or may be different from each other, and may be provided as needed in practice.

Fig. 5 is only schematically illustrated by way of example with a "mushroom structure" provided on each side of the radiating patch 11 in the second direction XX'; in other possible implementations, two or more "mushrooms" may be provided on each side of the radiating patch 11 in the second direction XX'. The following embodiments are described taking the case that the antenna unit 1 is provided with a "mushroom structure" on both sides of the radiating patch 11 in the second direction XX', respectively. The following embodiments are described taking the case of providing a "mushroom structure" on both sides of the radiation patch 11 in the second direction XX', respectively.

It should be noted that, fig. 5 is only a schematic illustration of the case where the "mushroom structure" is disposed in the radiation patch 11 along the first direction YY 'and the second direction XX', but the present application is not limited thereto. For example, in some possible implementations, the "mushroom structure" may be symmetrically disposed only on both sides of the radiation patch 11 in the first direction YY'. For another example, in other possible implementations, the "mushroom structure" may also be symmetrically arranged only on both sides of the radiation patch 11 in the second direction XX'.

In addition, in some possible implementations, as shown in fig. 6, the antenna unit 1 may further include a metal ring 14, where the metal ring 14 is disposed on an upper surface of the top substrate S1 (i.e., a surface on a side away from the first metal layer 100), and the radiation patch 11 and at least two metal plates 12 disposed around the radiation patch 11 are located in an area surrounded by the metal ring 14. The top substrate S1 is provided with a plurality of second metal through holes 15 at positions corresponding to the metal ring 14 (i.e. right under the metal ring 14), the plurality of second metal through holes 15 are distributed along the circumferential direction of the metal ring 14, and two ends of the plurality of second metal through holes 15 are respectively connected with the metal ring 14 and the first metal stratum 100. In this case, the metal ring 14 and the plurality of second metal through holes 15 can form a cavity around the radiation patch 11, which can form a wave-limiting structure through which an electric field can be bound around the radiation patch 11. In this way, based on the setting of the cavity, the energy input to the radiation patch 11 can be prevented from propagating along the top substrate S1, and meanwhile, the antenna can be prevented from being affected by surface waves, so that the input return loss of the antenna is reduced, and the impedance bandwidth of the antenna is improved. In addition, the cavity is used as a part of the antenna unit, and the radiation caliber of the antenna can be enlarged.

Illustratively, in some possible implementations, the plurality of second metal vias 15 may be uniformly dispersed along the circumference of the metal ring 14.

The shape of the metal ring 14 is not particularly limited in the present application, and the metal ring 14 may be rectangular, circular, elliptical, etc., and may be practically set as needed.

It should be noted that, the radiation patch 11, the plurality of two metal plates 12, the metal ring 14, and the like on the upper surface of the top substrate S1 may be made of the same metal material, or may be made of different metal materials, which is not limited in the present application. Illustratively, in some possible implementations, the radiating patch 11, the plurality of two metal discs 12, and the metal ring 14 are made of the same metal material; in this case, the radiation patch 11, the plurality of two metal plates 12, and the metal ring 14 may be formed by using the same metal layer (e.g. silver plating), so as to achieve the purpose of simplifying the manufacturing process.

It should be noted that, regarding the foregoing manner of disposing the first metal via hole 13, the metal disc 12 may be covered on the surface of the first metal via hole 13, that is, the first metal via hole 13 is first fabricated, and then the metal disc 12 is fabricated; of course, in other alternative implementations, the first metal vias 13 may extend through the metal plate 12, i.e., the metal plate 12 is fabricated first and then the first metal vias 13 are fabricated. Similarly, the second metal vias 15 are arranged.

The antenna unit provided by the embodiment of the application is further described below by combining the reflection coefficients and gains of the antenna units (A, B, C, D, E) with five different structures in the frequency range of 148 GHz-172 GHz.

Fig. 7 a is a schematic structural diagram of an antenna unit in which a first metal plate b1, a second metal plate b2, and a metal ring 14 are simultaneously disposed around a radiation patch 11; fig. 7B is a schematic structural diagram of an antenna unit in which only the radiation patch 11 is provided; fig. 7C is a schematic structural diagram of an antenna unit in which only the metal ring 14 is provided around the radiation patch 11; fig. 7D is a schematic structural diagram of an antenna unit in which only the first metal disk b1 is provided around the radiation patch 11; fig. 7E is a schematic structural diagram of an antenna unit in which only the second metal plate b2 is provided around the radiation patch 11.

Fig. 8 shows a graph of reflection coefficients of the five antenna elements (A, B, C, D, E) in fig. 7 in a frequency band of 148GHz to 172 GHz. As can be seen from fig. 8, the impedance bandwidth (typically referring to a frequency range with a reflection coefficient less than-10 dB) with antenna element a, antenna element C, antenna element D and patch antenna element E is significantly greater than the impedance bandwidth of antenna element B.

Fig. 9 shows graphs of gains of the five antenna elements (A, B, C, D, E) in fig. 7 in the frequency band of 148GHz to 172 GHz. As can be seen from fig. 9, the gains with antenna element a, antenna element C, antenna element D, and patch antenna element E are significantly greater than the gain with antenna element B.

In summary, compared with the antenna unit B of the single radiation patch 11, the antenna provided by the embodiment of the application increases the impedance bandwidth of the antenna by introducing the structures of the first metal disc B1 and the second metal disc B2, and improves the gain of the high-frequency part, especially the gain of the high-frequency part; while the cavity is introduced at the periphery of the radiating patch 11 by means of the metal ring 14 so that the antenna is not affected by surface waves. Illustratively, in some possible implementation manners, by adopting the antenna unit a, the impedance bandwidth of the antenna includes the basic index of 150 GHz-170 GHz, the gain in the working frequency band is flat, and the peak gain reaches 8.87dBi.

In addition, in order to obtain a higher gain for the antenna, especially in the millimeter wave as well as the terahertz frequency band, as shown in fig. 10, in some possible implementations, multiple antenna elements 1 may be employed in the antenna to form an antenna array 10, thus counteracting attenuation of spatial propagation. The antenna element 1 in the antenna array 10 may employ any of the antenna elements provided in the foregoing embodiments.

The number of the antenna units 1 in the antenna array 10 is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. Schematically, as shown in fig. 11 and 12 (schematic diagrams of the distribution of metal vias under the antenna array 10 in fig. 11), in some embodiments, the antenna array 10 may be a 4×4 array of 16 antenna elements 1. The following examples of the application are given by way of illustration.

It will be appreciated that in the antenna array 10, the plurality of radiating patches 11 can be isolated and the coupling reduced by providing the metal loop 14 in the antenna element 1.

In addition, in order to reduce the lateral size of the antenna array 10, in the antenna array 10, the same metal ring 14 may be provided in common for adjacent two antenna elements 1 at adjacent positions. Illustratively, in some embodiments, as shown in fig. 11, in the antenna array 10, the metal rings 14 of the plurality of antenna units 1 may be in a grid structure, and each antenna unit 1 is located in a mesh area of the grid structure. In this case, the metal rings 14 have a rectangular structure, and two metal rings 14 adjacent in the lateral direction share one longitudinal side, and two metal rings 14 adjacent in the longitudinal direction share one lateral side.

It will be appreciated that in the antenna array 10, the spacing between two adjacent radiating patches 11 may be determined according to the bandwidth range of the antenna, and that by adjusting the spacing between the radiating patches 11, the antenna gain and side lobes may be improved. Schematically, as shown in fig. 11, in some possible implementations, the spacing of the radiating patches 11 may be (Δx, Δy) = (0.89 λ) ₀ ，0.89λ ₀ )，λ ₀ A free space wavelength that is centered on the frequency point of the bandwidth range of the radiating patch 11. For example, if the bandwidth of the radiation patch 11 is in the range of 150 GHz-170 GHz, the center frequency point of the bandwidth of the radiation patch 11 is 160GHz, lambda ₀ Then the free space wavelength is based on 160 GHz.

Of course, in order to satisfy the fixed mounting of the antenna, as shown in fig. 10, in some possible implementations, a plurality of mechanical through holes P penetrating all the substrates (S1, S3, S4) may be provided at the side of the antenna array 100 to fix the antenna through the plurality of mechanical through holes P.

In addition, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, for an antenna, a feed network is provided below the antenna array 10, and a feed is provided below the feed network; the energy emitted by the feed is fed to the antenna unit 1 through the feed network and radiated through the antenna unit 1.

The following describes a specific arrangement of a feed network used in an antenna according to an embodiment of the present application in conjunction with the antenna array 10.

Illustratively, in some possible implementations, referring to fig. 13, the feed network may include a transmission line 30 and a power distribution network 20. Energy from a feed (below the underlying substrate S4, not shown) is fed through the transmission line 30 to the power distribution network 20 and then through the power distribution network 20 to each antenna element 1 in the antenna array 10.

Schematically, as shown in fig. 13, in some possible implementations, in order to reduce the size of the antenna in the transverse direction, a plurality of power splitters in the power splitting network 20 may be distributed on a plurality of intermediate substrates (e.g. S2, S3), where the power splitters are formed by using a plurality of metal through holes (second metal through holes) formed on the intermediate substrates. Wherein, in two adjacent intermediate substrates, one power divider located on the lower intermediate substrate is coupled with a plurality of (i.e. at least two) power dividers located on the upper intermediate substrate, i.e. the number of the power dividers located on the lower layer is smaller than that of the power dividers located on the upper layer, and energy is fed into the plurality of power dividers located on the upper layer through one power divider located on the lower layer; therefore, the miniaturization of the antenna is facilitated, and the problem that the transverse size of the antenna is large due to the fact that the design of the single-layer power divider is limited by the requirement of processing precision in the prior art is avoided.

It will be appreciated that a power divider may comprise a main circuit and a plurality of branches, and that the plurality of branches are connected to the main circuit, the power divider being capable of dividing the energy received by the main circuit into the plurality of branches.

Schematically, as shown in fig. 13, in some possible implementations, the transmission line 30 may be a substrate integrated waveguide (substrate integrated waveguide, SIW) transmission line, where the transmission line 30 is formed by a plurality of metal vias formed on an underlying substrate S4, and one end of the transmission line 30 is coupled to a feed source, and the other end is coupled to an underlying power divider in the power dividing network 20.

In this case, the power divider located on the bottom intermediate substrate (i.e., the intermediate substrate closest to the bottom substrate S4) in the power dividing network 20 is coupled to the transmission line 30, the power divider located on the top intermediate substrate (i.e., the intermediate substrate closest to the top substrate) is coupled to the antenna unit 1, and the power dividers located on two adjacent intermediate substrates are coupled to each other, so that the feed source located under the bottom substrate S4 transmits energy to the antenna unit 1 through the transmission line 30 via the power divider located on the multi-layer intermediate substrate.

The number of distribution layers of the power division network 20, the number of power dividers arranged in the power division network 20, and the like are not limited in the present application.

For example, in some embodiments, as shown in fig. 13, a plurality of power splitters in the power splitting network 20 may be distributed in the first intermediate substrate S3 and the second intermediate substrate S2; wherein the first intermediate substrate S3 is located below the second intermediate substrate S2 (i.e., on the side away from the top substrate S1). As shown in fig. 14, a first power divider 201 is disposed in the first intermediate substrate S3, and the first power divider 201 may be a quarter-division power divider. As shown in fig. 15, four second power splitters 202 are symmetrically disposed in the second intermediate substrate S2, and the second power splitters 202 are one-to-four power splitters. In this case, the four output terminals of the first power divider 201 are coupled to the four second power dividers 202, respectively, and the four second power dividers 202 are coupled to the 16 antenna elements 1 in the antenna array 100 through the 16 output terminals, respectively.

The application does not limit the coupling modes among the transmission line 30, the power division network 20 and the antenna unit 1; for example, the coupling may be by means of a feed slot to achieve the transfer of energy.

Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram of a fifth metal layer M5 located on the lower surface of the underlying substrate S4. As shown in fig. 1, 13 and 16, the fifth metal layer M5 is provided with a feed slot R1 at a position corresponding to the input end of the transmission line 30, and a feed source under the underlying substrate S4 is coupled to the transmission line 30 through the feed slot R1 and feeds energy to the transmission line 30 through the feed slot R1.

Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram of a fourth metal layer M4 on the upper surface of the underlying substrate S4. As shown in fig. 1, 13 and 17, the fourth metal layer M4 is provided with a feeding slot R2 at a position corresponding to the end (output end) of the transmission line 30, and the feeding slot R2 is located directly under the center of the first power divider 201, and the transmission line 30 is coupled to the first power divider 201 through the feeding slot R2, and feeds energy to the first power divider 201 through the feeding slot R2.

Fig. 18 is a schematic diagram of a third metal layer M3 on the upper surface of the first intermediate substrate S3. As shown in fig. 1, 13 and 18, the third metal layer M3 is provided with four feed slots R3 at positions corresponding to the four output ends of the first power divider 201, and the four feed slots R3 are respectively located right under the centers of the four second power dividers 202, and the four output ends of the first power divider 201 are respectively coupled with the four second power dividers 202 through the four feed slots R3, and feed energy to the four second power dividers 202 through the four feed slots R3.

Fig. 19 is a schematic view of the second metal layer M2 on the upper surface of the second intermediate substrate S2. As shown in fig. 1, 13 and 19, the second metal layer M2 is provided with four feed slots R4 at positions corresponding to the four output ends of each second power divider 202, that is, provided with 16 feed slots R4, and feeds energy to 16 antenna units 1 through the 16 feed slots R4.

In addition, the specific arrangement of the first power divider 201, the second power divider 202, and the transmission line 30 is not limited, and may be actually set according to the needs.

Fig. 20 is a schematic diagram of a first power divider 201 according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 20, the first power divider 201 adopts a plurality of metal through holes c1 to surround the outer contour of the power divider, and matching metal through holes may be provided as needed inside the power divider. For example, in some embodiments, a plurality of matching metal through holes c2 may be provided at sides of positions of four output ends of the first power divider 201 corresponding to four feed slots R3 (refer to fig. 18); compared with the prior art, only one matching metal through hole is arranged to bring a large inductance component, a plurality of matching metal through holes c2 are arranged, and the inclination angle among the plurality of matching metal through holes c2 is adjusted, so that the flexibility of antenna matching optimization is improved, and the matching state of the antenna is adjusted more favorably. For another example, in some embodiments, a plurality of matching metal through holes c3 may be disposed at the corners from the main path to the branches of the first power divider 201, so that the energy distributed by the first power divider to the four second power dividers 202 is more uniform and balanced by adjusting the inclination angle between the plurality of matching metal through holes c3 and the main path, further, the radiation direction of the antenna is more symmetrical, and the directional radiation effect is better. For another example, in some embodiments, matching metal vias c4 may be provided at both ends of the main path of the first power divider 201 to adjust the matching state of the antenna. Illustratively, the metal vias (c 1, c2, c3, c 4) in the first power divider 201 may be symmetrically disposed along the main path.

Fig. 21 is a schematic diagram of a second power divider 202 according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 21, the second power divider 202 includes a plurality of metal through holes d1 surrounding the outer contour of the power divider, and matching metal through holes may be provided inside the power divider as needed. For example, a plurality of matching metal through holes d2 may be provided on the sides of the four output ends of the second power divider 202 corresponding to the positions of the feed slots R4 (refer to fig. 18), and the matching state of the antenna may be more advantageously adjusted by adjusting the inclination angle between the plurality of matching metal through holes d 2. For another example, matching metal through holes d3 may be provided at both ends of the main path of the second power divider 202 to adjust the matching state of the antenna. Illustratively, the metallic vias (d 1, d2, d 3) in the second power divider 202 may be symmetrically disposed along the main path.

The feed grooves (R1, R2, R3, R4) may have a rectangular structure or may have other shapes, and the present application is not limited thereto.

Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram of a transmission line 30 according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 22, the transmission line 30 is formed by forming a plurality of third metal vias e1 on the underlying substrate S4, and the transmission line 30 includes a transfer portion 31 (i.e., an input end), a first transmission segment 32, and a second transmission segment 33. One end of the first transmission section 32 is connected to the adapter 31, and the other end is connected to the second transmission section 33. In this case, the feed source located below the underlying substrate S4 is coupled to the switching part 31 through the feed slot R1, and energy can flow from the switching part 31 to the second transmission section 33, and be transmitted upward through the first power divider 201, the second power divider 202 to the antenna unit 1 through the second transmission section 33.

On this basis, in some possible implementation manners, referring to fig. 22, a plurality of fourth metal through holes e2 may be further formed on the underlying substrate S4, and the plurality of fourth metal through holes e2 are distributed on the outer sides of part or all of the third metal through holes e1 along the extending direction of the transmission line 30, so as to form double-row metal through holes, and further, leakage loss of long-line transmission may be reduced. For example, a plurality of fourth metal vias e2 may be disposed in a distributed manner outside the plurality of third metal vias e1 forming the first transmission section 32 such that the transmission line 30 forms a double row of metal vias at the side of the first transmission section 32. For another example, a plurality of fourth metal vias e2 may be disposed in a distributed manner outside the plurality of third metal vias e1 forming the second transmission section 33 such that the transmission line 30 forms a double row of metal vias at the side of the second transmission section 33. For another example, a plurality of fourth metal through holes e2 may be distributed outside the plurality of third metal through holes e1 forming the through-connection part 31, so that the transmission line 30 forms double-row metal through holes at the side of the through-connection part 31.

In addition, in some possible implementations, referring to fig. 22, the width of the second transmission section 33 may be set to be different in the length direction along the transmission line 30, for example, the width of the second transmission section 33 may be a gradual width; of course, the width of the second transmission section 33 may be larger than the width of the first transmission section 32, or may be smaller than the width of the first transmission section 32. By setting the width of the second transmission section 33 to be different, the matching state of the antenna can be adjusted, i.e. the matching state of the antenna can be adjusted more advantageously.

The present application is not limited to the width of the first transfer section 32, and may be practically set as desired. For example, the first transmission section 32 may be provided differently along the length direction of the transmission line 30, or the first transmission section 32 may be provided to have a fixed width.

In addition, as shown in fig. 1, 17, 18, and 19, in the antenna provided by the embodiment of the application, the grid structure G may be provided in the metal layers (M2, M3, and M4) except the first metal layer M1 located on the upper surface of the top substrate S1 and the fifth metal layer M5 located on the lower surface of the bottom substrate S4; that is, the ground layer areas except the functional structures in the second metal layer M2, the third metal layer M3 and the fourth metal layer M4 can all adopt the grid ground structure G, and through the arrangement of the grid ground structure G, the process errors caused by different shrinkage rates of the LTCC substrate and the metal layers in the sintering process can be improved, and meanwhile, the adverse phenomenon of warping of the antenna can be effectively improved.

In some possible implementations, the second metal layer M2, the third metal layer M3, and the fourth metal layer M4 may be disposed, and the grid ground structures G located in two adjacent metal layers may be staggered, that is, the grid structures forming the grid ground structures G are staggered, so as to ensure the overall flatness of the antenna.

The foregoing is merely illustrative of the present application, and the present application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art will readily recognize that variations or substitutions are within the scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An antenna is characterized by comprising a top substrate and a first metal stratum which are sequentially stacked;

the antenna further comprises at least one antenna element;

the antenna unit includes: a radiating patch and at least two metal discs;

the radiation patch and the at least two metal discs are arranged on the surface of one side of the top substrate, which is far away from the first metal stratum; the at least two metal plates are arranged around the radiation patch, and the at least two metal plates are symmetrically arranged around the radiation patch;

and the top substrate is provided with at least one first metal through hole at a position corresponding to each metal disc, and two ends of the first metal through hole are respectively connected with the metal disc and the first metal stratum.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the antenna is configured to transmit the antenna signal,

The at least two metal discs include at least two first metal discs;

the at least two first metal plates are symmetrically arranged along a first direction relative to the radiation patch, and the first direction is the coupling electric field direction of the radiation patch.

3. An antenna according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that,

the at least two metal discs include at least two second metal discs;

the at least two second metal plates are symmetrically arranged along a second direction about the radiation patch, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction.

4. An antenna according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that,

the radiation patch is provided with a notch at a position opposite to the metal disc.

5. The antenna of claim 4, wherein the antenna is configured to transmit the antenna signal,

the concave shape of the notch is matched with the shape of the metal disc.

6. An antenna according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that,

the antenna unit further comprises a metal ring;

the metal ring is positioned on the surface of one side of the top substrate, which is far away from the first metal stratum, and the radiation patch and at least two metal discs arranged around the radiation patch are positioned in an area surrounded by the metal ring;

The top layer substrate is provided with a plurality of second metal through holes at positions corresponding to the metal rings, the second metal through holes are arranged along the circumference of the metal rings, and two ends of the second metal through holes are respectively connected with the metal rings and the first metal stratum.

7. An antenna according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that,

the antenna further comprises: at least two intermediate substrates which are sequentially laminated; the at least two middle substrates are positioned on one side of the first metal stratum away from the top substrate;

a plurality of second metal through holes are formed in each intermediate substrate to form at least one power divider;

one power divider in the middle substrate far away from the top layer substrate is coupled with at least two power dividers in the middle substrate close to the top layer substrate in two adjacent middle substrates;

the power divider on the intermediate substrate nearest to the top substrate is coupled to the antenna element.

8. The antenna of claim 7, further comprising at least two intermediate metal strata;

the surface of each intermediate substrate, which is close to one side of the top substrate, is provided with the intermediate metal stratum, and the intermediate metal stratum is provided with a feed port at the output end corresponding to the power divider; the power divider is provided with a plurality of first matched metal through holes in the area corresponding to the feed port.

9. An antenna according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that,

the power divider comprises a main path and a plurality of branches connected with the main path;

the power divider is provided with a plurality of second matched metal through holes at corners from the main path to a plurality of branches.

10. An antenna according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that,

the antenna comprises 16 antenna units and two middle substrates; the two intermediate substrates are a first intermediate substrate and a second intermediate substrate respectively, and the first intermediate substrate is positioned at one side of the second intermediate substrate far away from the top layer substrate;

a first power divider is arranged in the first intermediate substrate; four second power dividers are arranged in the second intermediate substrate; the first power divider and the second power divider are one-to-four power dividers;

the four output ends of the first power divider are respectively coupled with the four second power dividers, and the four second power dividers are respectively coupled with 16 antenna units through 16 output ends.

11. The antenna of any of claims 7-10, further comprising an underlying substrate;

the bottom substrate is positioned on one side of the at least two middle substrates away from the top substrate;

A plurality of third metal through holes are formed in the bottom substrate to form a SIW transmission line;

the SIW transmission line comprises a first transmission section, a second transmission section and a switching part;

the first end of the first transmission section is connected with the switching part, and the second end of the first transmission section is connected with the second transmission section;

a plurality of fourth metal through holes are also formed in the bottom substrate;

the plurality of fourth metal through holes are distributed along the extending direction of the SIW transmission line, and the plurality of fourth metal through holes are positioned at the outer sides of the plurality of third metal through holes forming the first transmission section and/or the second transmission section and/or the switching part;

the SIW transmission line is coupled with at least one power divider on the bottom intermediate substrate at the second transmission section; the bottom intermediate substrate is an intermediate substrate adjacent to the bottom substrate among the at least two intermediate substrates.

12. An antenna according to any one of claims 7-11, characterized in that,

the second transmission segments have different widths along the length of the SIW transmission line.

13. An antenna according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that,

the distance between the radiation patch and the first metal stratum is one quarter of the medium wavelength.

14. An antenna according to any one of claims 11-13, characterized in that,

the upper surfaces of the middle substrate and the bottom substrate are respectively provided with a metal stratum, and a grid ground structure is arranged in the metal stratum;

the grid ground structures in two adjacent metal strata are arranged in a staggered mode.

15. An antenna according to any one of claims 11-14, characterized in that,

the bottom substrate, the middle substrate and the top substrate are all low-temperature co-fired ceramic substrates.

16. An electronic device comprising a circuit board and an antenna according to any one of claims 1-15; the antenna is arranged on the surface of the circuit board and is electrically connected with the circuit board.