A wideband low cost E-band SIW antenna array for high capacity mmWave radio

In this paper, a novel E-band antenna array with high bandwidth is presented. The distribution network is based on Substrate-Integrated-Waveguide (SIW) technology and consists of several H-plane T-junctions in the lower layer. The coupling slot aperture has been designed with a special offset from the center axis of the waveguide for strong excitation of the SIW antenna. The radiating element has 3-dB beam-width of 25 degrees in E plane and 30 degrees in H plane making it compatible with beam steering. To show the validity of the approach, a 4×4 E-band array prototype is presented in this paper. The E-band antenna array is approximately 12mm×12mm in size realized by Rogers 4350 substrate. The antenna has been optimized for 71-86 GHz E-band frequency range. The broadside measured gain from 77-86 GHz is better than 15 dBi. This concept can be used for any application where SIW transmission can be implemented, and is compatible with low cost multilayer technologies.