Advancements in Antenna and Packaging Technologies at E- and W-Band

Doktorsavhandling, 2026

Driven by the move to higher carrier frequencies for next-generation wireless communications and high-resolution automotive radar, the losses of conventional PCB-based antennas and feed networks can become a dominant limitation. Fully metallic waveguide antennas are therefore attractive due to their inherently low loss. However, their adoption at millimeter-wave frequencies has historically been limited by manufacturing complexity and stringent mechanical tolerances. Gap waveguide technology mitigates these challenges by suppressing field leakage and relaxing electrical contact requirements, enabling robust performance even in the presence of small air gaps. This, in turn, supports scalable multilayer implementations and manufacturing approaches such as injection-molded waveguides (IMW) and chemically etched multilayer waveguides (MLW).

This thesis addresses two main topics. First, it investigates the recently introduced MLW technology and demonstrates its suitability for compact, fully metallic antenna implementations through the design, fabrication, and experimental characterization of new antenna prototypes. Second, it addresses a key integration bottleneck by proposing and experimentally validating compact, low-loss transitions between monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) and gap waveguides. The work progresses from early chip-to-waveguide demonstrators to surface-mountable packaging concepts for active MMIC integration.

Overall, this thesis advances millimeter-wave antenna and packaging technology by providing experimentally validated building blocks that enable high-efficiency, low-loss, and manufacturable solutions for future high-frequency systems.