TW202008650A - Low side lobe array antenna has the effects and advantages of reducing area, more symmetrical circuit structure, and two-dimensional low side lobe - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a low side lobe array antenna which includes a structure in which a first substrate and a second substrate are stacked. The first substrate is provided thereon with a patch array antenna with a Taylor distribution, the second substrate is designed to have a SIW (Substrate Integrated Waveguide) with a Taylor distribution connected in parallel with a power-feeding network structure. The power-feeding signal inputted from an external signal source is proceeded with the equal-phase power division by the SIW (Substrate Integrated Waveguide). Then the power-feeding signal is coupled to the patch array antenna through the coupling channel. With the above structure, the low side lobe array antenna provided by the present invention has the effects and advantages of reducing area, more symmetrical circuit structure, and two-dimensional low side lobe.

Description

Low side lobe array antenna

The technology of the present invention relates to the field of antennas, and particularly refers to an array antenna with a two-dimensional low side lobe effect.

With the rapid development of related technologies in the telecommunications market and the communication and information industry, users' increasing demand for information and network services has prompted telecom operators to continue to advance in mobile communication-related technologies. The main services of the telecommunications industry have changed from traditional voice and text Transfer to multimedia data transmission services such as images and audio and video for transfer.

Mobile communication systems require large amounts of data transmission in limited frequency resources, and beam multiple access (BDMA) technology is required. Beam multiple access uses phased array antennas to achieve space division access. Multiple access is achieved by using beamforming techniques and using multiple beams. Under this concept, the status of the mobile device and the base station are in line of sight, and each other can know the location of the other party exactly. If it is not in the line of sight, it must rely on the phased array antenna and the smart antenna to perform beam switching. Through beam scanning, the signal arrival angle information is obtained from the base station and the mobile device to support the positioning of the phased array antenna to form the beam.

The 5th generation mobile networks (5G for short) is currently the mainstream research direction of various manufacturers. 5G communication antennas must have high gain characteristics. When the traditional array antenna radiates electromagnetic waves, besides the main lobe, side lobe will also be generated. For communication, side lobes are harmful and useless losses, because the main lobe has the benefit of sending/receiving signals. The side lobes not only waste radio frequency energy, but also greatly increase the communication interference due to the side lobes scattering elsewhere. opportunity. Therefore, how to reduce the interference and influence of the side lobes is also a problem that various manufacturers currently want to solve.

The main objective of the present invention is to provide an array antenna with the effects of reduced area, more symmetrical circuit structure, and two-dimensional low side lobe. In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical means to achieve, wherein the present invention provides a low side lobe array antenna, including: a first substrate, a patch array antenna, a first metal layer, a first Two substrates, a second metal layer, a third metal layer and a plurality of metal through holes. The patch array antenna is attached to a surface of the first substrate. The patch array antenna includes an even number of patch sub-array antennas, the patch sub-array antennas are arranged along a first direction, each of the patches Each chip array antenna includes a plurality of metal patches arranged in series. The first metal layer is disposed on the other surface of the first substrate. The first metal layer includes a plurality of first coupling channels. The first coupling channels are of an insulating structure. One surface of the second substrate is attached to the other surface of the first substrate. The second metal layer is disposed on the surface of the second substrate, the second metal layer includes a plurality of second coupling channels, the second coupling channels are insulating structures, and the number of the second coupling channels The number of the first coupling channels is the same, and the positions of the second coupling channels correspond to the positions of the first coupling channels. The third metal layer is disposed on the other surface of the second substrate. The plurality of metal through-holes penetrate the second substrate and the third metal layer, the metal through-holes are arranged at equal intervals and form a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) structure, the substrate integrated waveguide structure has a The feed input end and the even-numbered tail ends, the number of the tail ends is the same as the number of the second coupling channels, and the positions of the tail ends correspond to the positions of the second coupling channels.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the length of the metal patches is about half a wavelength.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the width of the metal patches gradually increases from the metal patches on both sides to the metal patch in the center.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the phases of the tail ends are the same.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the substrate integrated waveguide structure further includes a power splitter (referred to as a power splitter).

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second coupling channels and the trailing ends have a horizontal distance in the horizontal direction.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first coupling channels are elongated structures and are arranged along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the number of the first coupling slots is the same as the number of the patch sub-array antennas, the vertical projection line of the first coupling slots and the number of the patch sub-array antennas The center intersects.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the feed input terminal includes two insulated channels for electrical connection with an external signal source.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it further includes a grounding structure, which is composed of a plurality of grounding metal pillars, the plurality of grounding metal pillars are respectively disposed on both sides of the patch sub-array antennas, and the The patch sub-array antenna is electrically connected.

The technical means and structure adopted by the present invention are described in detail in terms of the embodiments of the present invention. The features and functions are as follows, but it should be noted that the content does not constitute a limitation of the present invention.

Please also refer to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, which are a first perspective three-dimensional schematic diagram, a first substrate stacking schematic diagram, and a second perspective three-dimensional schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the low side lobe array antenna of the present invention. And a schematic diagram of the second substrate stacking. The invention provides a low side lobe array antenna, which includes: a first substrate 1, a patch array antenna 2, a first metal layer 3, a second substrate 4, a second metal layer 5, and a third metal Layer 6 and a plurality of metal through holes 7.

The first substrate 1 is a laminated substrate having the advantages of low dielectric constant, low loss factor, stable frequency and temperature, etc., and is suitable as a patch board for a patch antenna and a feeding network.

The patch array antenna 2 is attached to a surface 11 of the first substrate 1. The patch array antenna 2 includes an even number of patch sub-array antennas 21, and the patch sub-array antennas 21 are along a first direction Arranged in 91, each of the patch sub-array antennas 21 includes a plurality of metal patches 22 arranged in series, and the metal patches 22 may be copper foils. The patch array antenna 2 can be attached to the surface 11 by pasting, but it is not limited to this, and it can also be formed on the surface 11 by means of thick film printing, electroplating, and the like.

The patch sub-array antenna 21 is a 38 GHz one-dimensional Taylor distributed microstrip patch sub-antenna. In this embodiment, in order to increase the overall gain of the antenna, the patch array antenna 2 includes eight patch sub-array antennas 21, each Each patch sub-array antenna 21 includes ten metal patches 22 arranged in series, and the length of the metal patch 22 in the same patch sub-array antenna 21 is about half a wavelength, and the width is determined by the metal on both sides. The patch 22 gradually becomes larger toward the metal patch 22 at the center. The present invention controls the required amplitude distribution by changing the width of the metal patch 22, which has a good effect of suppressing the side lobe level, and the energy distribution changes less drastically. In this embodiment, the gain of the Taylor-distributed patch sub-array antenna is 15.6 dBi, and the maximum sidelobe level in the range of plus or minus 90° in the E-plane direction is -20 dB.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the patch array antenna 2 is covered with a protective layer (not shown). The protective layer may be a polyester film to protect the patch array antenna 2.

The first metal layer 3 is disposed on the other surface 12 of the first substrate 1 and can be formed on the other surface 12 by means of thick film printing, electroplating, etc. The first metal layer 3 includes a plurality of first Couple channel 31. The first coupling channels 31 are insulating structures, which may be hollow structures designed together when the first metal layer 3 is fabricated. The first coupling channels 31 have an elongated structure and are arranged along a second direction 92, which is perpendicular to the first direction 91. The number of the first coupling channels 31 is the same as the number of the patch sub-array antennas 21, in this embodiment, the number of the first coupling channels is eight, and the vertical projection of the first coupling channels 31 The line intersects the center of the patch sub-array antenna 21.

One surface 41 of the second substrate 4 is attached to the other surface 12 of the first substrate 1. It can use the same laminated substrate as the first substrate 1 and has a low dielectric constant, low loss factor, frequency and Temperature stability and other advantages.

The second metal layer 5 is provided on the surface 41 of the second substrate 4 and can be formed on the surface 41 by thick film printing, electroplating, or the like. The second metal layer 5 includes a plurality of second coupling channels 51. The second coupling channels 51 are insulating structures, which may also be a basket structure designed together when the second metal layer 5 is fabricated. The second coupling channels 51 are elongated structures, and are arranged along the second direction 92, the number of which is the same as the number of the first coupling channels 31. In this embodiment, the number of second coupling channels There are eight, and the positions of the second coupling channels 51 correspond to the positions of the first coupling channels 31.

The third metal layer 6 is disposed on the other surface 42 of the second substrate 4 and can be formed on the other surface 42 by thick film printing, electroplating, etc. The third metal layer 6 includes a plurality of baskets Structure, the empty structure corresponds to the position of the plurality of metal through holes 7.

The plurality of metal through holes 7 is a solid metal pillar or a hollow metal pillar structure, which penetrates the second substrate 4 and the third metal layer 6, the metal through holes 7 are arranged at equal intervals V and form a substrate integrated waveguide ( Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) structure 71. The present invention does not limit the size and spacing of the metal through holes 7 and can be fine-tuned according to different designs. In an embodiment of the invention, the radius of the metal through holes 7 is 0.1 millimeters (mm), the distance V between the two metal through holes 7 is 0.4 millimeters, and the width W of the channel is 3.2 millimeters.

Please refer to FIG. 5, which is a schematic diagram of a substrate integrated waveguide structure of a preferred embodiment of a low side lobe array antenna of the present invention. The substrate integrated waveguide structure 71 has a feed input terminal 711, an even number of tail terminals 712, and a power splitter (abbreviated as power splitter). The feed input terminal 711 includes two insulated channels 710 for telecommunication connection with an external signal source (not shown) to receive a feed signal. Preferably, the two insulating channels 710 can be a basket structure designed together with the third metal layer 6. The number of the tail ends 712 is the same as the number of the second coupling channels 51. In this embodiment, the number of the tail ends 712 is eight. The positions of the tail ends 712 correspond to the positions of the second coupling channels 51, so that the vertical projection lines of the second coupling channels 51 are respectively located within the tail end 712, and the second coupling slots The track 51 and the trailing ends 712 have a horizontal distance X in the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, the power splitter is a one-eight eight splitter, which includes a plurality of metal posts (713,714), the metal posts (713,714) are disposed in the substrate integrated waveguide structure 71, when the feed signal passes When the feed input end 711 enters the substrate integrated waveguide structure 71, the phase of the feed signal can be adjusted through the metal posts (713, 714) so that the phase of the tail end 712 is the same, and the H-direction of the array antenna can be suppressed Side-lobe level (SLL).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the lengths of the first coupling channel 31 and the second coupling channel 51 are 3.2 mm, the width is 0.15 mm, and the horizontal distance X from the trailing ends 712 is 1 mm. The chip integrated waveguide structure 71 is characterized by a Taylor distribution of -20 dB, and avoids interference to the radiation pattern of the patch array antenna 2.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the low side lobe array antenna further includes a ground structure 8, the ground structure 8 is composed of a plurality of ground metal pillars, and the plurality of ground metal pillars are respectively disposed on the patch sub-arrays Both sides of the antenna 21 are electrically connected to the patch sub-array antennas 21 and penetrate the first substrate 1, a first metal layer 3, a second substrate 4, a second metal layer 5 and a third metal Layer 6.

Through the above structure, the present invention provides a low side lobe array antenna, which is designed with a patch array antenna 2 having a Taylor distribution on the first substrate 1, which can effectively suppress the side lobe level. And using the principle of Taylor distributed gradual feeding, a substrate-integrated waveguide parallel feeding network structure with Taylor distribution is designed on the second substrate 4 to replace the traditional method of using microstrip line feeding, which has low loss and does not interfere with the array antenna advantage. After the feed signal enters the substrate integrated waveguide structure 71, the energy is distributed to each tail end 712 through the power splitter, and then the energy is coupled to the patch array antenna 2 through the second coupling channel 51 and the first coupling channel 31 . Since the feed signal enters from the middle of the patch sub-array antenna 21, it will cause a 180-degree phase difference on the left and right sides, so no additional 180-degree phase shifter is needed, and the energy of both sides of the patch sub-array antenna 21 More balanced, can increase the symmetry of the overall circuit structure and radiation pattern. In summary, the array antenna provided by the present invention has the effects and advantages of reduced area, more symmetrical circuit structure, and two-dimensional low side lobe.

The above are only examples of the present invention, and thus do not limit the implementation and protection scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should be able to realize that equivalent replacements and equivalents made by using the description and the illustrated content of the present invention The solutions obtained by the obvious changes should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

1‧‧‧The first substrate 2‧‧‧ SMD array antenna 21‧‧‧ SMD sub-array antenna 22‧‧‧Metal patch 3‧‧‧First metal layer 31‧‧‧The first coupling channel 4‧‧‧Second substrate 5‧‧‧Second metal layer 51‧‧‧Second coupling channel 6‧‧‧The third metal layer 7‧‧‧Metal through hole 71‧‧‧Substrate integrated waveguide structure 710‧‧‧Insulation channel 711‧‧‧Feeder input 712‧‧‧End 713,714‧‧‧Metal pillar 8‧‧‧Ground structure 91‧‧‧First direction 92‧‧‧Second direction 11,12, 41, 42‧‧‧surface V‧‧‧spacing W‧‧‧Width X‧‧‧Horizontal spacing

FIG. 1 is a first perspective perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a low side lobe array antenna of the present invention. 2 is a schematic diagram of a first substrate stack of a preferred embodiment of a low side lobe array antenna of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a second perspective perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the low side lobe array antenna of the present invention. 4 is a schematic diagram of a second substrate stack of a preferred embodiment of a low side lobe array antenna of the present invention. 5 is a schematic diagram of a substrate integrated waveguide structure of a preferred embodiment of a low side lobe array antenna of the present invention.

1‧‧‧The first substrate

2‧‧‧ SMD array antenna

3‧‧‧First metal layer

4‧‧‧Second substrate

5‧‧‧Second metal layer

8‧‧‧Ground structure

Claims (10)

A low side lobe array antenna includes: a first substrate; a patch array antenna attached to a surface of the first substrate, the patch array antenna includes an even number of patch sub-array antennas, the patches The chip array antennas are arranged along a first direction, and each of the patch sub-array antennas includes a plurality of metal patches arranged in series; a first metal layer is disposed on the other surface of the first substrate, the The first metal layer includes a plurality of first coupling channels, the first coupling channels are insulating structures; a second substrate, one surface of which is attached to the other surface of the first substrate; a second metal layer , Disposed on the surface of the second substrate, the second metal layer includes a plurality of second coupling channels, the second coupling channels are an insulating structure, the number of the second coupling channels and the first A same number of coupling channels, and the positions of the second coupling channels correspond to the positions of the first coupling channels; a third metal layer is provided on the other surface of the second substrate; and A plurality of metal through-holes penetrate the second substrate and the third metal layer, the metal through-holes are arranged at equal intervals and form a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) structure, the substrate integrated waveguide structure has a The feed input end and the even-numbered tail ends, the number of the tail ends is the same as the number of the second coupling channels, and the positions of the tail ends correspond to the positions of the second coupling channels. The low side lobe array antenna as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the length of the metal patches is half a wavelength. The low side lobe array antenna as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the width of the metal patches gradually increases from the metal patches on both sides to the metal patch in the center. The low side lobe array antenna as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the phase of the tail end is the same. The low side lobe array antenna as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the substrate integrated waveguide structure further includes a power splitter. The low side lobe array antenna as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the second coupling channels and the trailing ends have a horizontal distance in the horizontal direction. The low side lobe array antenna as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the first coupling channels are elongated structures and are arranged along a second direction, the second direction and the first direction are mutually vertical. The low side lobe array antenna as described in item 1 of the patent scope, wherein the number of the first coupling channels is the same as the number of the patch sub-array antennas, and the vertical projection line of the first coupling channels Intersect the center of these patch sub-array antennas. The low side lobe array antenna as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the feed input terminal includes two insulated channels for telecommunication connection with an external signal source. The low side lobe array antenna as described in item 1 of the patent application scope further includes a grounding structure, the grounding structure is composed of a plurality of grounding metal pillars, and the plurality of grounding metal pillars are respectively disposed on the patch sub-arrays Both sides of the antenna are electrically connected to the patch sub-array antennas.

Images