Bandwidth Extension of Planar Microstrip-to-Waveguide Transition by Controlling Transmission Modes Through Via-Hole Positioning in Millimeter-Wave Band

This paper presents a design technique to achieve a broadband planar microstrip-to-waveguide transition in a millimeter-wave (mmWave) band. In the conventional planar microstrip-to-waveguide transition, via holes are located around the rectangular waveguide and microstrip line to prevent power leakage due to the generation of a multi-transmission mode. Therefore, a single-transmission mode is dominant at the input port of the transition, with a narrow bandwidth of the single resonance. In the broadband planar microstrip-to-waveguide transition, via-hole positioning is utilized to add inductance to constrain the predominance of the single-transmission mode at the input port of the transition. The double-resonant frequency yielded by excitation of the grounded coplanar waveguide transmission mode and parallel plate transmission mode is obtained by controlling the positions of holes adjacent to the microstrip line. Moreover, to simplify the structure and meet the requirement of high assembly accuracy in fabrication, two holes adjacent to the microstrip line are maintained, but the remaining holes are replaced by a choke structure that performs the equivalent function to the via-hole arrangement. The influences of the multi-transmission mode and choke structure on the characteristics are investigated by electromagnetic analysis, and the feasibility is confirmed by experiments in this work. A double-resonant frequency and a broad bandwidth of 10.6 GHz (13.8%) are obtained. The measured results of the broadband planar microstrip-to-waveguide transition using via-hole positioning show an insertion loss of 0.41 dB at the center frequency of 76.5 GHz.

[1]  N. Kikuma,et al.  Design of via-less planer microstrip-to-waveguide transition with choke structure , 2012, 2012 International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation (ISAP).

[2]  Stefan Lindenmeier,et al.  An Automotive Antenna Set at 26.5 GHz for 5G-Mobile Communication , 2018, 2018 IEEE MTT-S International Conference on Microwaves for Intelligent Mobility (ICMIM).

[3]  Robert Weigel,et al.  Design of Planar Microstrip-to-Waveguide Transitions Using Topology Optimization , 2019, 2019 IEEE Radio and Wireless Symposium (RWS).

[4]  Zhenyu Shi,et al.  Millimeter-Wave Mobile Communications , 2017 .

[5]  Andrey Mozharovskiy,et al.  Wideband Probe-Type Waveguide-To-Microstrip Transition for 28 GHz Applications , 2016, 2018 48th European Microwave Conference (EuMC).

[6]  Thanh Tuan Nguyen,et al.  Bandwidth Extension of Planar Microstrip-to-Waveguide Transition by Via-hole Arrangement , 2018, 2018 International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation (ISAP).

[7]  N. Dib,et al.  Analysis of grounded coplanar waveguide fed patches and waveguides , 1997, IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium 1997. Digest.

[8]  T. Itoh,et al.  A broad-band microstrip-to-waveguide transition using quasi-Yagi antenna , 1999 .

[9]  Abdelrazik Sebak,et al.  Broadband Transition of Substrate-Integrated Waveguide-to-Air-Filled Rectangular Waveguide , 2018, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[10]  Keiichi Ohata,et al.  Sixty-GHz-band ultra-miniature monolithic T/R modules for multimedia wireless communication systems , 1996 .

[11]  Kawthar A. Zaki,et al.  Analysis and design of microstrip-to-waveguide transitions , 1994 .

[12]  N. Kikuma,et al.  Grating Lobe Suppression of Narrow-Wall Slotted Hollow Waveguide Millimeter-Wave Planar Antenna for Arbitrarily Linear Polarization , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[13]  Nobuyoshi Kikuma,et al.  Transition from Waveguide to Two Microstrip Lines with Slot Radiators in the Millimeter-Wave Band , 2011, IEICE Trans. Commun..

[14]  Lingyang Song,et al.  Multi-gigabit millimeter wave wireless communications for 5G: from fixed access to cellular networks , 2014, IEEE Communications Magazine.

[15]  Toshiaki Watanabe,et al.  Millimeter-wave microstrip line to waveguide transition fabricated on a single layer dielectric substrate , 2002 .

[16]  Xinfeng Dai,et al.  An Integrated Millimeter-Wave Broadband Microstrip-to-Waveguide Vertical Transition Suitable for Multilayer Planar Circuits , 2016, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[17]  M. Ando,et al.  Efficiency of 76-GHz post-wall waveguide-fed parallel-plate slot arrays , 2000 .

[18]  W. Menzel,et al.  A 77 GHz FM/CW radar frontend with a low-profile, low-loss printed antenna , 1999, 1999 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest (Cat. No.99CH36282).

[19]  N Kikuma,et al.  Millimeter-Wave Microstrip Comb-Line Antenna Using Reflection-Canceling Slit Structure , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[20]  S. Weinreb,et al.  Full band waveguide-to-microstrip probe transitions , 1999, 1999 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest (Cat. No.99CH36282).

[21]  M. Murad,et al.  Next generation short range radar (SRR) for automotive applications , 2012, 2012 IEEE Radar Conference.

[22]  N. Kikuma,et al.  Millimeter-Wave Transition From Waveguide to Two Microstrip Lines Using Rectangular Patch Element , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[23]  Tao Yang,et al.  Low loss and broadband transition between substrate integrated waveguide and rectangular waveguide , 2016 .

[24]  N. Kikuma,et al.  Low-Sidelobe Design of Microstrip Comb-Line Antennas Using Stub-Integrated Radiating Elements in the Millimeter-Wave Band , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[25]  Reinhard Feger,et al.  Experimental verification of a 77-GHz synthetic aperture radar system for automotive applications , 2017, 2017 IEEE MTT-S International Conference on Microwaves for Intelligent Mobility (ICMIM).

[26]  Theodore S. Rappaport,et al.  Millimeter Wave Mobile Communications for 5G Cellular: It Will Work! , 2013, IEEE Access.

[27]  Jonathan J. Lynch,et al.  128 Element Coded Aperture Radar at 77 GHz , 2018, 2018 IEEE MTT-S International Conference on Microwaves for Intelligent Mobility (ICMIM).

[28]  W. Menzel,et al.  Microstrip to waveguide transition compatible with MM-wave integrated circuits , 1994 .

[29]  Kwai-Man Luk,et al.  A Broadband V-Band Rectangular Waveguide to Substrate Integrated Waveguide Transition , 2014, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[30]  D. A. Williams.  Millimetre wave radars for automotive applications , 1992, 1992 IEEE Microwave Symposium Digest MTT-S.

[31]  K. Wu,et al.  Integrated microstrip and rectangular waveguide in planar form , 2001, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[32]  Hyok J. Song,et al.  Semi-Transparent and Conformal Antenna Technology for Millimeter-wave Intelligent Sensing , 2018, 2018 IEEE MTT-S International Conference on Microwaves for Intelligent Mobility (ICMIM).