Millimeter-Wave Air-Filled SIW Antipodal Linearly Tapered Slot Antenna

International audienceThe emerging millimeter-wave wireless technologies spurs the development of low-cost and high performance devices, circuits and systems. It is in this context that an Air-Filled Substrate Integrate Waveguide (AFSIW) Antipodal Linearly Tapered Slot Antenna (ALTSA) made of a multilayer Printed Circuit Board (PCB) process is proposed in this paper. The proposed three-layered AFSIW structure provides very low loss and is of high interest for the design of highly efficient ALTSA. For comparaison, the proposed AFSIW ALTSA and a convientional SIW ALTSA are designed, fabricated and measured at Ka-band (26 to 40 GHz). For identical dimensions, at 35.5 GHz, the proposed antenna exhibits a 17° narrower measured xy-plane half-power beamwidth and a simulated radiation efficiency improved by 2.9%. The narrower beamwidth and efficiency improvement results in a simulated directivity and measured gain improved by 3.9 dB and 4 dB respectively at the same frequency. This antenna is of interest for the design of efficient array based on AFSIW feeding network