Three-dimensional microfabricated broadband patch antenna for WiGig applications.

Abstract

The design, microfabrication, and characterization of a broadband patch antenna capable of covering the entire IEEE 802.11ad (WiGig) frequency band (57-66 GHz) are presented in this letter. A conductor-backed (CB) coplanar waveguide (CPW)-fed loop slot couples the energy to the patch antenna, resulting in a broad bandwidth. The feed circuitry along with the loop is formed on a quartz substrate (\varepsilon-{\rm r} = 3.9, \tan \delta = 0.0002 at 60 GHz), on top of which an SU-8-based three-dimensional (3-D) structure with air cavities is microfabricated. The patch metallization is deposited on top of this 3-D structure. While the main role of the structure made out of SU-8 material is to provide a mechanical support for the patch metallization, the antenna takes advantage of the air cavities underneath, thus resulting in an antenna substrate with a very low loss. This, in turn, improves the overall antenna performances. The simulated and measured impedance characteristics agree well, showing {\sim}15\hbox{%} bandwidth. Also, the radiation pattern results demonstrate the integrity of radiation pattern with reasonably constant gain values (average {\sim}6.4~dB) in the broadside direction over the entire WiGig band. © 2002-2011 IEEE.