Millimeter Wave Antennas

For next generation of mobile communication standards (e.g. 5G, WiGig) it can be expected that this part of wireless connectivity will undergo several changes resulting in challenging requirements on the affected RF systems. One major aspect is the increase of operating frequency ranges to millimeter waves that is actually indicated. In concern of the fabrication of these devices the smaller wavelength and the possibly resulting smaller geometric dimensions may increase the requirements of fabrication accuracy, resolution and reproducibility. At the same time and especially in consumer market applications the costs will be strictly limited. The exact requirements on fabrication process are mainly influenced by the type of RF structure. RF structures with a small operation bandwidth will be more sensitive for small changes in the fabrication process than a structure with a broadband behavior. Another aspect that influences the functionality of a RF device is the specific antenna characteristic. For applications in millimeter wave range a high path loss is induced. This indicates that a concept using directive antennas that provide a high gain pattern would be suitable. There can be found different concepts for future antennas in millimeter wave range using dielectric lens or horn antennas. These types of antennas can be fed e.g. by a waveguide or a patch antenna providing typically a broad bandwidth and a directive radiation pattern. Besides the requirements resulting of the operating frequency range the integration related aspects dominantly influence the fabrication costs.

Considering the fact that the housings and in that concern the provided space is decreasing the possibilities of efficient integration can be another factor to influence the fabrication costs and additionally the functionality.