Substrate-Integrated Quasi-Optimal Dome Lens Antenna System

Abstract

The present paper discusses some considerations for the design of 2D dome-lens (DL) antenna system. This DL antenna is for wide-angle scan in the E-plane. Embedded DL consists of discrete channels and has a quasi-optimal shape - circular arc with the center displaced from the primary antenna array. The first key point of the research is related to the application of a dome-lens antenna principle for completely substrate-integrated structure design. In this case, DL channels’ inner side radiating elements and primary antenna array act as ports of the lens-like cavity they circumscribe. The second key point is associated with displacement of the outward DL border along the symmetry axis relative to the inward in order to provide longer paths for DL’s distant channels in comparison to the central. As the dielectric-filled DL inner part could be scaled, such an additional degree of freedom is available for substrate-integrated DL antenna systems. This design approach allows employing phase delay lines with no zoning to maximize the total frequency bandwidth of the system. The final antenna system structure and its parameters are described using engineering equations and resulting graphs.