2D Beam-Steerable Array Antennas for 5G Antenna-in-Package Applications

In this research, a compact dual-polarized (DP) dielectric cavity antenna is presented for wide-angle two dimensional (2D) scanning phased arrays, operating in the 5G n261 band. The design utilizes low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology, advantageous for scalability at millimeter-wave (mmW) frequencies. The antenna consists of a dielectric cavity fed by a cross-shaped slot, with a metasurface layer atop the cavity to improve active impedance-matching to air. Designed in a compact multilayer LTCC substrate, the antenna element is examined in an infinite array setting and characterized through an 8 × 8 array architecture, comprising 2 × 2 subarray tiles. Optimized for the n261 band (27.5-28.35 GHz), the design achieves an active reflection coefficient |Γ| ≤ −10 dB within the ±60° scan range. The array exhibits a scan loss between 2.9 dB to 3.8 dB in the H-, D-, and V-planes for both polarizations.