Study on Wide-Angle Scanning Linear Phased Array Antenna

Two wide-angle scanning linear array antennas (E- and H-planes scanning linear array antenna) are studied and presented. In order to improve the wide-angle scanning performance of the phased array antenna, a wide beamwidth U-shaped microstrip antenna with the electric walls is designed. The wide-angle scanning linear array antennas are studied in the frequency band from 3.2 to 3.8 GHz. The 3 dB beamwidth of the antenna is 140° in the E-plane scanning linear array center and 220° in the H-plane scanning linear array center at 3.5 GHz. The main beams of the H-plane scanning linear array antenna can scan from -90° to +90° with a gain fluctuation less than 3 dB and a maximum sidelobe level (SLL) less than -5 dB. Simultaneously, the main beam of the E-plane scanning linear array antenna can scan from -75° to +75° with a gain fluctuation less than 3 dB and SLL less than -5 dB. The H- and E-planes scanning linear array antennas with nine elements are fabricated and tested. The measured results have a good agreement with the simulation results.