Broadband Millimeter-Wave Microstrip Comb-Line Antenna Using Corporate Feeding System with Center-Connecting

Abstract

A broadband microstrip comb-line antenna using a corporate feeding system was developed. The antenna was composed of four colinearly-arranged comb-line antennas with traveling-wave excitation fed by a parallel-feeding circuit of tournament configuration. The total phase deviation due to frequency change became one fourth of the ordinary series feeding from the end of the antenna. Furthermore, the terminations of the inner two comb-lines were connected at the overall center of the developed antenna. Therefore, the narrowband matching elements are not necessary and the amplitude deviation of the aperture distribution for input from one side due to frequency change is compensated by deviation for input from the other side. Broad bandwidth can be expected by using the proposed configuration. The proposed antenna was designed at 76.5GHz. The effect of the proposed feeding-circuit for broadband operation was confirmed by comparing the measured performances of the antennas fed by other feeding circuits; the end feeding, the center feeding and the ordinary corporate feeding. The bandwidth of the proposed corporate feeding antenna with the center connecting was approximately 14% and 7% wider than the antennas of the center feeding and of the ordinary corporate feeding, respectively.