Novel Design of a Dual-Band 5G MM-Wave Antenna Array Integrated with a Metal Frame of a Cellular Phone

A novel dual-band mm-Wave antenna array working at 28 GHz and 39 GHz for the fifth generation mobile communications (5G) is proposed to enable the integrated design with a metal frame of a cellular phone and is also promising to achieve the compelling integration solution of mm-Wave antennas in non-mm-Wave antennas (AiA) especially when the metal frame serves as non-mm-Wave antennas. A model for the exterior and dimensions of a popular cellular phone is simulated with a 5-element antenna array designed and integrated on its external metal frame. Based on the simulation results, the bandwidth (|S11| ≤ -10 dB) ranges from 27.4 to 29.6 GHz and from 36.9 to 40.2 GHz to cover the 5G mm-Wave bands of n260 and n261 in the third generation partnership project (3GPP). When the array performs the beam scanning at 28.0 GHz and 39.0 GHz, the peak realized gains of the array are 11.3 dBi and 12.0 dBi, the lowest antenna array efficiencies are -0.42 dB and -0.33 dB, respectively, and the maximum scan angles are both 60°. Based on the performance, satisfactory user experience on cellular phones or mobile devices with metal exteriors can be attained. The proposed design can be applied to THz antennas.