Broadband micromachined microstrip patch antenna for G-band applications

In this paper, a 206 GHz broadband elevated microstrip patch antenna is presented a using new feeding technique. The new idea of the antenna design is based on modifying the configuration of the antenna patch and exciting it by using an elevated microstrip feed line via a λ/4 transformer. The elevated patch was realized by overlapping two small square patches in the diagonal of the main rectangular patch and combining them in a single metallization to get different resonant lengths to enhance the antenna bandwidth, is used as a main radiator. The antenna scheme offers a large operation bandwidth, compatibly with MMICs, reduction of the undesired substrate effects, and maximisation of antenna performance on high dielectric substrates. The antenna is fabricated on SI-GaAs substrate based on surface micromachining technology without need of etching the substrate. The measurement data have shown an excellent performance in agreement with simulated data; a bandwidth of 12.5 GHz is realized with better than 10 dB return loss, and simulation results show nearly constant broadside radiation pattern.