Nonlinear microstrip arrays

Pattern synthesis using linear arrays was done extensively in the past mainly in the context of radar antennas where a cosec2 beam is required in the elevation plane. The synthesis leads to a set of coefficients for the array components, which may be difficult to realize, and which, if realizable, may lead to a very narrow band performance. In the paper a new type of array is proposed. The shaped-beam nonlinear array is an array of microstrip elements, where the phasing is not generated through the feeding network, but by shaping the substrate. Microstrip arrays lend themselves well to configuration similar to the one proposed, and as it is shown, the final thickness of the array does not exceed a few substrate thicknesses.