Compact RF Integration and Packaging Solutions Based on Metasurfaces for Millimeter-Wave Applications
Doktorsavhandling, 2018
The millimeter-wave frequency range has got a lot of attention over the past few years because it contains unused frequency spectrum resources that are suitable for delivering Gbit/s end-user access in areas with high user density. Due to the limited output power that the current RF active components can deliver in millimeter-wave frequencies, antennas with the features of low profile, high gain, high efficiency and low cost are needed to compensate free space path loss and increase the communication distance for the emerging high data rate wireless systems. Moreover, it is desired to have a compact system by integration of the antenna with passive and active components at high frequencies.
In order to move towards millimeter-wave frequencies we need to face significant hardware challenges, such as active and passive components integration, packaging problems, and cost-effective manufacturing techniques. The gap waveguide technology shows interesting characteristics as a new waveguide structure. The main goal of this thesis is to demonstrate the advantages of gap waveguide technology as an alternative to the traditional guiding structures to overcome the problem of good electrical contact due to mechanical assembly with low loss. This thesis mainly focuses on high-gain planar array antenna design, integration with passive and active components, and packaging based on gap waveguide technology. We introduce several low-profile multilayer corporate-fed slot array antennas with high gain, high efficiency and wide impedance bandwidth operating at the millimeter-wave frequency band. A system demonstration consisting of two compact integrated antenna-diplexer and Tx/Rx MMICs for Frequency-division duplex (FDD) low latency wireless backhaul links at E-band is presented to show the advantages of gap waveguide technology in building a complete radio front-end. Moreover, the use of several new manufacturing methods, such as die-sink Electric Discharge Machining (EDM), direct metal 3-D printing, and micro-molding are evaluated to fabricate gap waveguide components in a more effective way.
Furthermore, a novel air-filled transmission line, so-called multi-layer waveguide (MLW), that exhibits great advantages such as low-cost, simple fabrication, and low loss, even for frequencies beyond 100 GHz, is presented for the first time. To constitute an MLW structure, a rectangular waveguide transmission line is formed by stacking several thin metal layers without any electrical and galvanic contact requirement among the layers. The proposed concept could become a suitable approach to design millimeter-wave high-performance passive waveguide components, and to be used in active and passive components integration ensuring mass production at the same time.
In order to move towards millimeter-wave frequencies we need to face significant hardware challenges, such as active and passive components integration, packaging problems, and cost-effective manufacturing techniques. The gap waveguide technology shows interesting characteristics as a new waveguide structure. The main goal of this thesis is to demonstrate the advantages of gap waveguide technology as an alternative to the traditional guiding structures to overcome the problem of good electrical contact due to mechanical assembly with low loss. This thesis mainly focuses on high-gain planar array antenna design, integration with passive and active components, and packaging based on gap waveguide technology. We introduce several low-profile multilayer corporate-fed slot array antennas with high gain, high efficiency and wide impedance bandwidth operating at the millimeter-wave frequency band. A system demonstration consisting of two compact integrated antenna-diplexer and Tx/Rx MMICs for Frequency-division duplex (FDD) low latency wireless backhaul links at E-band is presented to show the advantages of gap waveguide technology in building a complete radio front-end. Moreover, the use of several new manufacturing methods, such as die-sink Electric Discharge Machining (EDM), direct metal 3-D printing, and micro-molding are evaluated to fabricate gap waveguide components in a more effective way.
Furthermore, a novel air-filled transmission line, so-called multi-layer waveguide (MLW), that exhibits great advantages such as low-cost, simple fabrication, and low loss, even for frequencies beyond 100 GHz, is presented for the first time. To constitute an MLW structure, a rectangular waveguide transmission line is formed by stacking several thin metal layers without any electrical and galvanic contact requirement among the layers. The proposed concept could become a suitable approach to design millimeter-wave high-performance passive waveguide components, and to be used in active and passive components integration ensuring mass production at the same time.
Författare
Abbas Vosoogh
Chalmers, Elektroteknik, Kommunikation, Antenner och Optiska Nätverk
The continuous connectivity on smart phones driven by wireless systems has become a necessity on the daily-life of billions of people around the world. Due to the increasing demand for higher data rate transmission and the existing overcrowded frequency spectrum, the millimeter-wave frequency band (30-300 GHz) has received increasing attention to provide more available bandwidth and higher capacity. However, we need to face significant hardware challenges at these high frequencies, such as active and passive components integration, packaging problems and the need for cost-effective manufacturing techniques that allow for mass-production. My PhD research focuses on compact passive RF component design, integration and packaging solutions for next generation millimeter-wave wireless systems. We have introduced several planar array antennas and compact integrated modules using the advantages of Gap waveguide technology as a low loss alternative to the traditional guiding structures. As a system demonstrator, we have designed a compact integrated antenna-diplexer- circuitry with a unique architecture, and successfully demonstrated a multi-Gbit/s data transmission for millimeter-wave wireless backhaul links application. Moreover, we have introduced a novel air-filled transmission line, so-called multi-layer waveguide (MLW), that can offer key advantages, such as fast assembly, high system reconfigurability, and low cost, even for frequencies beyond 100 GHz where usually very precise and expensive manufacturing techniques are required. This novel technology can function as a millimeter-wave system platform by providing a low loss interconnect and package solution to design compact solderable surface-mount devices (SMD) showing an extremely attractive industrial adoption as well.
Ämneskategorier
Telekommunikation
Datorsystem
Annan elektroteknik och elektronik
ISBN
978-91-7597-802-4
Doktorsavhandlingar vid Chalmers tekniska högskola. Ny serie: 4483
Utgivare
Chalmers