An aperture coupled microstrip antenna with a proximity feed on a perpendicular substrate

A new feeding configuration for microstrip antennas is described, where separate substrates are used for the radiating patch element and the microstrip feedline. The substrates are joined perpendicular to each other, and the patch is excited through an aperture in the antenna substrate ground plane by proximity coupling to the microstrip feedline, This design thus has a number of advantages over other feeding configurations, particularly when used in an integrated phased array application. These features, as well as the measured results from two experimental models, are described.