PHASED ARRAY ANTENNA

• US 20150084814A1
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Israel Aerospace Industries Limited (Government of Israel)
• Original Assignee: Israel Aerospace Industries Limited (Government of Israel)
• Inventors: Rojanski, Vladimir, Starovolski, Aharon
• Granted Patent: US 9,929,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/368
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0414 in a stacked or folded configuration

Abstract

An antenna element having a vertically stacked structure and a phased array antenna that includes a plurality of antenna elements sharing a common conductive ground plane are described. The phased array antenna also includes a common conductive shell electrically coupled to the common conductive ground plane and extending away there from to encompass the antenna elements. The common conductive shell and the common conductive ground plane together define a common cavity having a common aperture. The phased array antenna also includes a common dielectric superstrate layer disposed over the common cavity at a predetermined distance from the antenna elements and a beam steering system coupled to the antenna elements and configured for steering an energy beam produced by the phased array antenna.

Claims

1. A phased array antenna comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements sharing a common conductive ground plane for all the antenna elements and spaced apart at a predetermined distance from each other;

a common conductive shell electrically coupled to said common conductive ground plane and extending away there from to encompass said plurality of the antenna elements, said common conductive shell and said common conductive ground plane together define a common cavity having a common aperture;

a common dielectric superstrate layer disposed over said common cavity at a predetermined distance from said plurality of the antenna elements; and

a beam steering system coupled to said plurality of the antenna elements and configured for steering an energy beam produced by said phased array antenna.

3. The phased array antenna of claim 1, wherein walls of said common conductive shell are perpendicular to said common conductive ground plane.

4. The phased array antenna of claim 1, wherein walls of said common conductive shell are tilted with respect to said common conductive ground.

6. The phased array antenna of claim 1, wherein said common dielectric superstrate layer is arranged at the common aperture of the common cavity.

8. The phased array antenna of claim 1, wherein a height L_g of a gap in the common cavity between said common superstrate layer and a top of said plurality of antenna elements has a predetermined value that complies with a relationship:

9. The phased array antenna of claim 1, wherein a thickness of said common dielectric superstrate layer is uniform and has a predetermined value that complies with a relationship L_SL=λ

_SL(0.2+n/2), where λ

_SL=λ

₀/√

∈

_SL, and λ

₀ is the wavelength corresponding to the central operation frequency of said phased array antenna, ∈

_SL is the dielectric permittivity of said common dielectric superstrate layer, and n=0, 1, 2, . . . .

10. The phased array antenna of claim 1, wherein a thickness of said common dielectric superstrate layer near walls of said common conductive shell is different than the thickness of said common dielectric superstrate layer at its center.

13. The phased array antenna of claim 1, wherein each antenna element of said plurality of antenna elements comprises a vertically stacked structure comprising:

an antenna element conductive shell extending away from and coupled to said common conductive ground plane, said antenna element conductive shell having a lumen to define an antenna element cavity having a bottom and an antenna element aperture;

a feeding radiator arranged at the bottom of the element cavity and disposed over said common conductive ground pane;

a parasitic radiator backed by the cavity and parasitically coupled to said feeding radiator, said parasitic radiator being disposed over and spaced apart from said feeding radiator, and

a feed arrangement coupled to the feeding radiator and operable to provide radio frequency energy thereto.

14. The phased array antenna of claim 13, wherein each antenna element includes a bottom dielectric substrate having a bottom substrate underside covered with a lower bottom conductive coating adhesively bound thereto, and a bottom substrate upper side covered with an upper bottom conductive coating adhesively bound thereto;

wherein said lower bottom conductive coating and said upper bottom conductive coating are grounded;

thereby forming said common conductive ground plane;

wherein said conductive shell of each antenna element is connected to said upper bottom conductive coating.

16. The phased array antenna of claim 14, wherein said the bottom feeding patch can be galvanically and electromagnetically grounded by an electrically conductive via at a central loci point (C) of the bottom feeding patch.

17. The phased array antenna of claim 13, wherein each antenna element includes a top dielectric substrate common for all the antenna elements, said top dielectric substrate having a top substrate underside having a lower top coating adhesively bound thereto, and a top substrate upper side having an upper top coating adhesively bound thereto, wherein said lower top coating being connected to said antenna element conductive shell.

18. The phased array antenna of claim 17, wherein said parasitic radiator includes a top slot in said upper top coating to define a top radiating patch encompassed by the top slot.

19. The phased array antenna of claim 17, wherein said parasitic radiator includes a top slot arranged within the cavity in said lower top coating to define a top radiating patch encompassed by the top slot.

21. The phased array antenna of claim 13, wherein each antenna element further comprises an intermediate layer sandwiched between the bottom dielectric substrate and the top dielectric substrate for providing a vertical separation and support to the bottom dielectric substrate and the top dielectric substrate.

29. The phased array antenna of claim 1, wherein each antenna element of said plurality of antenna elements comprises a vertically stacked structure comprising:

a bottom dielectric substrate having a bottom substrate underside having a lower bottom conductive coating adhesively bound thereto, and a bottom substrate upper side having an upper bottom conductive coating adhesively bound thereto;

an antenna element conductive shell extending away from the bottom substrate upper side and connected to said upper bottom conductive coating, said antenna element conductive shell having a lumen to define an antenna element cavity having an antenna element aperture;

a feeding radiator including a bottom slot arranged within the cavity in said upper bottom conductive coating to define a bottom feeding patch encompassed by the bottom slot;

a top dielectric substrate common for all the antenna elements, said top dielectric substrate having a top substrate underside having a lower top coating adhesively bound thereto, and a top substrate upper side having an upper top coating adhesively bound thereto, said lower top coating being connected to said antenna element conductive shell;

a parasitic radiator backed by the cavity being disposed over and spaced apart from said feeding radiator, and parasitically coupled to said feeding radiator, said parasitic radiator including a top slot in said upper top coating to define a top radiating patch encompassed by the top slot;

a feed arrangement coupled to the feeding radiator and operable to provide radio frequency energy thereto; and

an intermediate layer sandwiched between the bottom dielectric substrate and the top dielectric substrate for providing a vertical separation and support to the bottom dielectric substrate and the top dielectric substrate.

32. The phased array antenna of claim 29, further comprising a plurality of separating vias passing through at least the intermediate layer and the top dielectric substrate, and connecting the conductive upper bottom coating mounted on the bottom substrate upper side to the upper top coating mounted on the top substrate upper side.

33. The phased array antenna of claim 32, further comprising separating notches and arranged between the separating vias and cut into the conductive lower top coating mounted on the top substrate underside and into the upper top coating mounted on the top substrate upper side, correspondingly.

34. The phased array antenna of claim 29, further comprising other separating notches cut into the intermediate layer between each neighboring pair of the elements.

2. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

11-12. -12. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

22-28. -28. (canceled)

30-31. -31. (canceled)

35. An antenna element having a vertically stacked structure comprising:

a bottom dielectric substrate, said bottom dielectric substrate having a bottom substrate underside having a lower bottom conductive coating adhesively bound thereto, and a bottom substrate upper side having an upper bottom conductive coating adhesively bound thereto;

an antenna element conductive shell extending away from the bottom substrate upper side and connected to said upper bottom conductive coating, said antenna element conductive shell having a lumen to define an antenna element cavity having an antenna element aperture;

a feeding radiator including a bottom slot arranged within the cavity, in said upper bottom conductive coating to define a bottom feeding patch encompassed by the bottom slot;

a top dielectric substrate common for all the antenna elements, said top dielectric substrate having a top substrate underside, having a lower top coating adhesively bound thereto, and a top substrate upper side having an upper top coating adhesively bound thereto, said lower top coating being connected to said antenna element conductive shell;

a parasitic radiator backed by the cavity being disposed over and spaced apart from said feeding radiator, and parasitically coupled to said feeding radiator, said parasitic radiator including a top slot in said upper top coating to define a top radiating patch encompassed by the top slot;

an antenna element feed arrangement coupled to the feeding radiator and operable to provide radio frequency energy thereto; and

an intermediate layer sandwiched between the bottom dielectric substrate and the top dielectric substrate for providing a vertical separation and support to the bottom dielectric substrate and the top dielectric substrate.

38. The antenna element of claim 35, further comprising other separating notches cut into the intermediate layer between each neighboring pair of the elements.

36-37. -37. (canceled)

39. (canceled)