Single-Feed Multi-Cell Metamaterial Antenna Devices

• US 20090251385A1
• Filed: 03/20/2009
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ajay Gummalla, Nan Xu, Norberto Lopez, Vaneet Pathak
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Services GmbH (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Xu, Nan, Gummalla, Ajay, Pathak, Vaneet, Lopez, Norberto
• Granted Patent: US 9,190,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/911.R
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/008 said selective devices having Sievenpipers' mushroom elements

Abstract

Designs and techniques of Composite Right-Left Handed (CRLH) Metamaterial (MTM) antenna devices, including a CRLH MTM devices that include MTM cells formed on a substrate and a conductive launch stub formed on the substrate to be adjacent to each of the MTM cells and electromagnetically coupled to each of the MTM cells.

Claims

1. A Composite Right-Left Handed (CRLH) metamaterial (MTM) antenna device, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of MTM cells formed on the substrate; and

a conductive launch stub formed on the substrate to be adjacent to each of the MTM cells and electromagnetically coupled to each of the MTM cells.

2. The device as in claim 1, comprising:

a meandering conductive line coupled to the conductive launch stub.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein:

each MTM cell comprises a cell conductive patch formed on a first surface of the substrate, a cell conductive via patch formed on the second surface of the substrate opposing the first surface, a cell conductive via that formed in the substrate to connect the cell conductive patch and the cell conductive via patch, a ground electrode formed on the second surface and separated from the cell conductive via patch, and a conductive via line formed on the second surface to connect the cell conductive via patch to the ground electrode.

4. The device as in claim 3, wherein:

two of the MTM cells have cell conductive patches that are different in shape and size.

5. The device as in claim 3, wherein:

in each MTM cell, the cell conductive via patch is smaller than the cell conductive patch.

6. The device as in claim 1, wherein:

the MTM cells and the conductive launch stub are structured to support two or more resonance frequencies.

7. The device as in claim 1, wherein:

each MTM cell comprises a cell conductive patch formed on the substrate, a ground electrode formed on the substrate and separated from the cell conductive patch, and a conductive line formed on the substrate to connect the cell conductive patch to the ground electrode.

8. A Composite Right-Left Handed (CRLH) Metamaterial (MTM) antenna device, comprising:

a dielectric substrate having a first surface on a first side and a second surface on a second side opposing the first side;

a first cell conductive patch formed on the first surface;

a second cell conductive patch formed on the first surface and adjacent to the first cell conductive patch by an insulation gap;

a shared conductive launch stub formed on the first surface adjacent to both the first and second cell conductive patches and separated from each of the first and second cell conductive patches by an insulation gap to be electromagnetically coupled to each of the first and second cell conductive patches, the shared conductive launch stub comprising an extended strip line that directs a signal to the first and second cell conductive patches and receives signals from the first and second cell conductive patches;

a cell ground conductive electrode formed on the second surface and located outside footprints projected by the first and second cell conductive patches onto the second surface;

a first cell conductive via patch formed on the second surface and in a footprint projected by the first cell conductive patch onto the second surface;

a first cell conductive via connector formed in the substrate to connect the first cell conductive patch to the first cell conductive via patch;

a second cell conductive via patch formed on the second surface and in a footprint projected by the second cell conductive patch onto the second surface;

a second cell conductive via connector formed in the substrate to connect the second cell conductive patch to the second cell conductive via patch;

a first conductive strip line formed on the second surface to connect the first cell conductive via patch to the cell ground conductive electrode; and

a second conductive strip line formed on the second surface to connect the second cell conductive via patch to the cell ground conductive electrode.

9. The device as in claim 8, comprising:

a first cell ground conductive electrode formed on the first surface and spaced away from the first and second cell conductive patches, the first cell ground conductive electrode patterned to include co-planar waveguide that has a first terminal and a second terminal,

wherein the extended strip line of the shared conductive launch stub is connected to the second terminal.

10. The device as in claim 8, wherein:

the first and second cell conductive patches are different in size.

11. The device as in claim 8, wherein:

the first and second cell conductive patches are different in shape.

12. A Composite Right-Left Handed (CRLH) Metamaterial (MTM) antenna device, comprising:

a dielectric substrate having a first surface on a first side and a second surface on a second side opposing the first side;

a first cell conductive patch formed on the first surface;

a second cell conductive patch formed on the first surface and separated from the first cell conductive patch;

a conductive launch stub formed on the first surface adjacent to both the first and second cell conductive patches and separated from each of the first and second cell conductive patches by an insulation gap to be electromagnetically coupled to each of the first and second cell conductive patches, the conductive launch stub comprising;

a first conductive line to receive a signal from an external launch cable;

a second conductive line extending from a first end of the conductive launch stub, the second conductive line guiding the signal to the first and second cell conductive patches;

a meandering conductive line extending from the second end of the conductive launch stub to a location away from the first and second conductive patches;

a cell ground conductive electrode formed on the second surface and located outside footprints projected by the first and second cell conductive patches, and the conductive launch stub onto the second surface;

a first cell conductive via patch formed on the second surface and in a footprint projected by the first cell conductive patch onto the second surface;

a first cell conductive via connector formed in the substrate to connect the first cell conductive patch to the first cell conductive via patch;

a second cell conductive via patch formed on the second surface and in a footprint projected by the second cell conductive patch onto the second surface;

a second cell conductive via connector formed in the substrate to connect the second cell conductive patch to the second cell conductive via patch;

a third conductive via patch formed on the second surface and in substantially a footprint projected by the meandering strip line onto the second surface;

a third conductive via connector formed in the substrate to connect the end of the meandering strip line to the third conductive via patch;

a first conductive strip line formed on the second surface to connect the first cell conductive via patch to the cell ground conductive electrode; and

a second conductive strip line formed on the second surface to connect the second cell conductive via patch to the cell ground conductive electrode.

13. The device as in claim 12, comprising:

a third conductive line interposed between and separated from the first and second conductive patches by an insulation gap to aid the electromagnetic coupling between the first and second cell conductive patches.

14. The device as in claim 12, wherein:

the first and second cell conductive patches are different in size.

15. The device as in claim 12, wherein:

the first and second cell conductive patches are different in shape.