Wide-Scan Patch Antenna Arrays in Triangular Lattice for K-/Ka-Band 6G SATCOM

Licentiate thesis, 2026

Satellite communications (SATCOM)-on-the-move (SOTM) user terminals require low-profile, dual-polarized phased arrays with grating-lobe-free 2-D scanning up to ±60°, while also requiring printed circuit board (PCB) solutions that enable co-location of radiating elements and front-end electronics and
scalable measurement setups for connectorized phased-array prototypes. This thesis addresses these requirements through a shared-aperture phased array antenna on a triangular lattice and through a scalable measurement setup for PCB-based dual-polarized wide-scanning phased arrays operating up to the SATCOM Ka-band (27.5–31 GHz).
The antenna design co-integrates a wide-angle impedance matching dielectric layer above the aperture, realized with an air gap, and broadband coaxial microstrip-to-stripline interconnects embedded in the PCB. In an infinite array, Active VSWR < 2 is maintained over 17.9–21.2 GHz and 28.1–30.6 GHz for θs ≤ 60° E-/H-plane scan. The measurement setup uses surface-mount device (SMD) SMPM connectors and compact terminations implemented with SMD resistors, eliminating the need for additional fixtures and/or PCB conductor layers. The connector pad is shaped to mitigate the resonance caused by the limited number of pad-grounding vias, and the terminations are designed by co-simulating transmission lines, grounding vias, and resistor equivalent models.
Measurements of 19-element and 127-element prototypes validate the Active VSWR and radiation characteristics of the array, while measurements of test boards validate the repeatable performance of the designed transition and terminations. The results show a PCB-compatible solution for compact K-
/Ka-band SATCOM phased arrays and for the characterization of PCB-based dual-polarized wide-scanning phased arrays operating up to the Ka-band.