2012 IEEE Asia-Pacific Conference on Antennas and Propagation, August 27-29, 2012, Singapore

Design of A Millimeter-wave MEMS Antenna Array

Yong-sheng Dai, Hong-tu Sun, Ping Li, Hong-hao Yin
Nanjing University of Science & Technology Nanjing, China Email:daiyongsheng1005@126.com interference yield from the feed network radiation to patch antenna pattern. We can use thicker substrate to broaden the wideband. The design of aperture-coupled feed network can reduce the parasitic radiation of feed network and broaden the wideband significantly. In our design, the double-layer media is made of RT/5880 substrate made by ROGERS, whose permittivity is 2.2 and thickness is 0.254 mm. There is an air gap of 0.5 mm thickness between the double media, which can be used to widen the wideband of our antenna. According to the formulas of microstrip patch antenna design, we get that the length of patch is 2.7mm, whose width is 3.4mm, coupling gaps length is 2.4 mm, width is 3.4 mm, microstrip feeder beyond the center of gap 0.73 mm, whose width is 0.78 mm. While debugging, notice that coupling resistance reduce significantly as the width of patch increase, which indicate that gap coupling decline. The resonant frequency is sensitive to the length of patch. Generally gap length should not be too much long, otherwise back radiation will increase, but coupling cannot be insured if it is too short. So, we must compromise while designing. Based on the analysis and design of antenna unit above, our antenna array utilize 8-element linear array of the combination of feed structure. The antenna is feed by one divide eight power divided network, in which the distance from feed source to every unit is all uniform. The structure has some merit of simply designing, variable distance between units, wide bandwidth, which are also expedient integration to phase shifter. The distance between antenna unites is 0.8. Connect the 50 input impedance of edge with feeder of 50 impedance, which connect 50 feeder of adjacent unit at Tconnecter and back to single 50 feeder through a 35 1/4 wavelength converter. Apparently, all T-connecter is matched in this layer. In the next step, adjacent 50 feeder connect Tconnector in next level again, and the like. Thus, every connecter in all level is matched, which make sure that array unite matches feeder impendence. Waveguide microstrip transition is used in feed network; in which waveguide connect orthogonally with waveguide. In this structure, the distance from waveguide to jumper and the size of waveguide hatch is key parameter. Too big waveguide hatch will arouse seriously leak and influence pattern. Too small waveguide hatch is hard to be fixed and it is also hard to completely separate waveguide from microstrip, which will lead to short-circuit. By parameter optimization, the length of patch is 1.6mm, width 0.66mm, and the distance from probe to jumper is 1.35mm. According to the analysis above, we need shift phase by 0 degree or 180 degree by a phase shifter to realize angular super-resolution. We choose metal-contact Cantilever MEMS series switch to control 0- phase shifter. The working

AbstractIn this paper, a phased array of aperture coupled microstrip antenna with a 0- phase shifter is demonstrated. The phase shifting necessary to steer the main beam of the antenna of the aperture is achieved by 0- phase shifter, which are integrated in a hybrid fashion between the antenna and feed network. The design of RF-MEMS phase shifters is presented and validated by very good measurement results. Key wordsaperture coupled antenna; phase array; MEMS switch; 0- phase shifter

I. INTRODUCTION Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) has the ability of fabricating micron scale devices with high precision and easy process, which makes it a preferable fabrication method for millimeter wave applications. Recently, RF MEMS switches have drawn much attention due to its rapid isolation and connection, as well as good performance of the reconfiguration in microelectronics. Based on MEMS switch, the MEMS phase shifter has many outstanding performances, such as broadband, low loss, miniaturization. Phased array antennas are pivotal components of millimeter-wave front-ends offering huge opportunities in the field of communication and sensors. Driven by the always increasing need of such devices for emerging millimeter-wave applications like automobile collision avoidance radar, the last decade has seen the development of new antenna concepts and technologies, making the realization of electrically steerable antennas possible. II. ARCHITECTURE E Based on the requirement and the recent situation in relevant fields, we proposed the issue: millimeter-wave MEMS 0- phased one-dimension 18 super-resolution array antenna, whose feed network, phase scanning, antenna array are respectively realized by microstrip antenna array, microstrip feeder, millimeter-wave MEMS and drive circuit. In this way we can use existing technique and qualification to realize super-resolution character by using millimeter MEMS vary the phase of 0-. The radiate implement utilize microstrip antenna unit, RT/5880 substrate. The input port utilizes W28 waveguide. The guide line is: center frequency at 35GHz, bandwidth larger than 5%, the largest gain better than 13dB when all units of array are at the same phase. One difficulty is the solution of the mutual coupling of the antenna array. Double-layer aperture-coupled microstrip antenna is used in the 18 antenna array for its unique superiority:(1) The design of aperture-coupled feed network eliminate the welding between the patch and the feed network, also reduce the difficulty of fabricating large patch antenna array.2The ground plane between feed network and radiate patch eliminate the

978-1-4673-0668-3/12/$31.00 2012 IEEE

principle of metal-contact Cantilever MEMS serious switch is that static electricity control the status of metal stick, by which the circuit will realize turn-on or off. Metal-contact Cantilever MEMS serious switch is equivalent to serious-variable capacitance. The photo of physical Metal-contact Cantilever MEMS serious switch is presented in Fig. 1. It is well-known that there are species of phase shifter. Taking the idiographic demand, application environment and fabrication into account, switched-line MEMS phase shifter is used in this design. We designed the switched-line MEMS phase shifter by ADS. RT/5800 substrate is used in the phase shifter, whose permittivity is 2.2 and media thickness is 0.254mm.The photo of physical MEMS phase shifter is present in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5. measured pattern

Fig. 6. measured pattern

Fig. 1. MEMS switch

Fig. 2. MEMS phase shifter

The antenna array and phase shifter are both made by Nanjing 14 research institute. Antenna array and phase shifter are compatible for they both utilize the same media. All metal patches are gilded to prevent them from oxidation. The final sample is shown in Fig. 3.
2.2 2.0

measurement simulate

1.8

VSWR

1.6

1.4

Fig. 7. measured pattern

1.2

1.0 34.0 34.5 35.0 35.5 36.0

Frequence (GHz)

Fig. 3. sample of antenna

Fig. 4. VSWR

. MEASUREMENTS Simulate (dotted line) and measured (solid line) VSWR is shown in Fig. 4. When eight antennas are all at the same shift phase of 0 degree, the measured pattern is shown in Fig. 5. When shift phase of eight antennas are alternate with 0 degree and 180 degree, the measured pattern is shown in Fig. 6.When the first four antennas are at the shift phase of 0 degree and the other antennas are at the shift phase of 180 degree, the measured pattern is shown in Fig. 7. The simulated and measured gain of antenna array is shown in Fig. 8. . CONCLUSION In this work a 81 MEMS antenna array with phase shifter for 34.2-36GHz has been designed. The VSWR of the antenna is better than 2. The non-inverting gain is better than 13 dB and the horizontal beam-width is 5.8-6.2 degree.

Fig. 8. gain of antenna array REFRENCES

[1] [2] C.A.Balanis, Antenna TheoryAnalysis and Design,1982 Himdi, M, J.P.Danniel, and C.Terret, Transmission Line Analysis of Aperture-Coupled Microstrip Antenna Using Cavity Method, Electron. Lett, Vol.25, 1989,pp. 1229-1230 Pozar, D.M. Microstrip Antennas, Proc, IEEE, Vol. 80, 1922, pp.79-91 BaHI J, Bhaeria P.Microwave Solid State Circuit Design. A WileyInterscience Publication, 1988

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