Microstrip Array Antennas Packaged in Metal Fixture for 150 GHz Beamforming Applications

An innovative array-antenna packaging technique is introduced for D-band beamforming applications. This technique involves a metallic module that houses the antenna array, effectively mitigating radiation losses in antenna feed lines. This method also results in the generation of a radiation beam from the opening at the module edge, facilitating the seamless assembly of a two-dimensional array. Test modules have been constructed, featuring both a single-channel antenna and an eight-channel array antenna, to validate the loss improvements at 150 GHz. The modules for both single and array antenna exhibit similar amounts of insertion losses of 1.5–3 dB within the 110–170 GHz range. Moreover, the main radiation beam of the array module shifts predictably, from 0° to 14° and 28°, with incremental phase delays of 45° and 90°, respectively, applied to the feed lines.