A V-band antenna module based on vertical TEM waveguides fully integrated in LTCC

A broadband antenna for highly integrated communication systems at 60 GHz is presented and fully integrated in a low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) module. Four long slots are parallel-fed by a full corporate feeding network (CFN), based on a novel implementation of parallel plate waveguides (PPWs) in stacked dielectric substrates. The CFN is designed to support only the transverse electromagnetic mode (TEM) and allows propagation along the vertical axis of the module. The pillbox system is designed to achieve low SLLs in H-plane (<; -19 dB as per simulations) and to maximize the directivity. A -10 dB relative matching bandwidth of 25.2% is measured (51.2-66 GHz). The antenna concept and technology allow for multibeam operation and are attractive for access point links in fifth generation (5G) networks