2015 6th International Conference on Computers and Devices for Communication (CODEC)

Institute of Radio Physics & Electronics, University of Calcutta, December 16-18, 2015 MLT

Substrate Integrated Waveguide Slot Array for

Millimeter-wave Space Applications
Kishor Dalavi Chinmoy Saha, Basudeb Ghosh A.Bhattacharya,A.Sharma,R.Dey
Department of E&TC Department of Avionics Space Applications Centre,
SGI, Kolhapur,India. IIST,Thiruvananthapuram, India. ISRO,Ahmedabad,India
[email protected]. [email protected] [email protected].

Abstract—In this paper SIW slot array is designed for W and radiation characteristics as discussed in subsequent
band applications using low temperature co-fired ceramics sections.
fabrication (LTCC) techniques. SIW corporate feed network was
designed using SIW T and Y junction power dividers and SIW II. LTCC FABRICATION
90˚ bend and operated over 86 GHz to 94 GHz. The antenna is
fed using GCPW-SIW transition which operates over the entire
Low temperature co-fired ceramics is a multilayer, high
W band. The 8×8 slot array has been simulated and the dielectric constant, low loss fabrication technology even at
impedance bandwidthis found from 87.5 GHz to 90.5 GHz with a millimeter wave frequencies. Its ability to tolerate high
gain of around 15dB over the entire band. temperature and harsh environment make it ideal candidate for
space applications. Space qualified design guidelines from
Keywords—SIW,Transition, LTCC, Slot array. ceramic Sciences Corp. are used. Minimum via diameter
and pitch allowed are 100 µm and 250 µm respectively for
I. INTRODUCTION
Ferro A6M tape with all gold metallization system [10].
Millimeter wave bands provide large bandwidths, high data Single tape height after firing is taken to be 94 µm. Dielectric
rates and also contributes to the miniaturization of constant of Ferro A6m tape is 5.9 and loss tangent is 0.001.
systems,extremely useful for space applications. W-band (75-
110 GHz) is mostly used for space communication, radiometry III. SIW SLOT ARRAY ANTENNA
and radar applications [1]. At this frequency substrate integrate SIW slot array antenna contains SIW-GCPW transition for
waveguide can be used to design different types of transitions, easy integration with MMIC. The feed network is designed
circuits and antennas. Substrate integrated waveguide provides using SIW power dividers and rectangular slots in the top
a high Q factor and high power handling capacity while metal plate of SIW. Design of SIW involves selection of
maintaining planar form factor. appropriate via dimension and via spacing so as to support
SIW can be used to design compact, planar antennas which single mode guided wave propagation with minimum radiation
can be easily integrated with MMIC. SIW slot antennas are loss. Radiation loss is mainly caused by field leakage through
popular because of its ease of fabrication and low cost. The sidewalls and is controlled by spacing between vias. The
slotted SIW arrays can be resonant or traveling wave type. The optimized width of SIW is taken as 1.2 mm for three tape
resonant array utilizes a short-circuit at the end of SIW to height with a via diameter 100 µm and pitch 250µm which
produce the standing waves within the SIW cavity, which satisfies the design equations given in [11-12].
feeds the slots uniformly with the same amplitude and A. GCPW-SIW Transition
phase. The traveling wave arrays use a matched load at the W band GCPW-SIW transition uses a pair of tapered slots
end of SIW to avoid the standing waves. The resonant which facilitates proper excitation of waveguide modes in
type usually has narrow bandwidth with the usable SIW. Vias are placed carefully around slots so as to minimize
bandwidth is only a few percent as compared to the leakage as is seen in Fig.1. Length of tapered slot is
traveling wave type. This limitation is due to the frequency approximately λ/4 at center frequency.Tapered slots facilitates
dependence of the slots as standing wave peaks move from the impedance as well as field matching over an ultra-wide
slots locations with respect to frequency. SIW resonant bandwidth [2]. Optimized parameters for tapered transition are
longitudinal slot array is designed using photoimagable thick given in Table.1.
film process [3] and PCB process [4-7]. In [8],SIW resonant
transverse slot array is demonstrated using PCB process.
In this paper, a 8×8 SIW based slot-array with very high
gain is proposed using LTCC technique for W-band
applications. The antenna is designed using a commercial
electromagnetic simulator [9]and provides good impedance

978-1-4673-9513-7/15/$31.00 ©2015 IEEE

2015 6th International Conference on Computers and Devvices for Communication (CODEC)
Institute of Radio Physics & Electronics, University of Caalcutta, December 16-18, 2015 MLT

B. 8×8 SIW Slot Array

Fig. 1 GCPW-SIW Transition

TABLE 1 OPTIMIZED GCPW-SIW PARAM

METERS

L L1 L2 w1 ar
3.83 mm 440 μm 150 μm 270 μm 1.2 mm
W g S g1 h
1.9 mm 110 μm 75 μm 110 μm 280 μm

Optimized transition has return loss betterr than 20 dB over

the entire W-band with insertion loss better than 0.51 dB as
shown in Fig.2.

Fig. 3 8x8 Longitudinal SIW slot array

The SIW feed network is design ned by a combination of H

plane power dividers (T and Y jun nction) and SIW 90° bend.
The layout of longitudinal slot arrayy of 8x8 slots with SIW1:8
power divider is shown in Fig.3. Feed network has -20dB
impedance bandwidth from 86 GH Hz to 94 GHz and output
ports have insertion loss of 10.5 ± 0.25
0 dB as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 2 Simulated S parameter for GCPW-SIW transition

Fig. 4 Simulated S parameter for SIW

W Feed network (j=2-8)

Longitudinal slots of length λ/2

λ are placed in alternate
positions with an offset from the center of SIW. All slots are

978-1-4673-9513-7/15/$31.00 ©2015 IEEE

2015 6th International Conference on Computers and Devices for Communication (CODEC)
Institute of Radio Physics & Electronics, University of Calcutta, December 16-18, 2015 MLT

excited with the same phase. The spacing between slots H Plane
provides 180⁰ phase shift which is compensated by alternate 20
0
E Plane
330 30
positioning of slots. Last slot is placed at a quarter wavelength 10

distance from the shorted end of SIW, so that the slots are 0
300 60
positioned on the peaks of standing waves generated inside -10
SIW cavity. The antenna is simulated over 87 GHz to 91 GHz -20
using HFSS. Optimized array parameters are given in Table 2.

Gain (dB)
-30 270 90
The simulated input reflection coefficient is shown in Fig. 5
-20
which exhibits an impedance bandwidth (S11≤-10dB) from
-10
87.5 to 90.5 GHz. 240 120
0

TABLE 2 OPTIMIZED ANTENNA PARAMETERS 10

210 150
20
L W SL SS 180

17.165mm 11mm 760mm 850μm

Fig. 6 E-plane and H-plane Radiation pattern
dx SW ESS h
E plane Co-pole
95μm 100 μm 1275μm 280 μm 0 E plane Cross-pole
20
E1 E2 E3 ar 330 30
10
480 µm 1.75 mm 410 μm 1.2 mm 0
300 60
-10

-20

-30

Gain (dB)
-40 270 90

-30

-20

-10
240 120
0

10
210 150
20
180

Fig. 7 E-plane co-pole and cross-pole patterns

H plane Co-pole
0
H plane Cross-pole
20
330 30
10

0
300 60
-10

-20

-30
Gain (dB)

-40 270 90
Fig. 5 Simulated S parameter for 8x8 SIW slot array
-30

-20

The simulated radiation pattern of 8x8 slot array at 89GHz -10

240 120

is shown in Fig. 6. Maximum gain is achieved atθ = 0⁰ with a 0

10
half power beamwidth (HPBW) of 16.54⁰ and 29.96⁰ in E and 20
210 150

H-plane, respectively. Maximum simulated directivityof 180

antenna is 17.93 dB and max gain is 16.16 dB, providing Fig. 8 H-plane co-pole and cross-pole patterns
simulated efficiency of 67.22%. Sidelobe level is below -13.5
dB in both the planes witha Front to back ratio (FTBR) of
31.41 dB. Co and cross polarization pattern of 8x8 slot IV. CONCLUSION
antenna at 89 GHzare shown in Figs. 7 and 8 for E and H- SIW 8x8 slot array is designed for space application using
planes, respectively. In both the planes, the cross polarization LTCC technology. This antenna can be easily integrated with
level is below -30dB. MMIC’s for system in package applications. SIW-GCPW
transition and basic SIW components like power divider and
bend are also designed and integrated with antenna. The
antenna provides more than 15dB gain over 87.5 GHz to 90.5
GHz.

978-1-4673-9513-7/15/$31.00 ©2015 IEEE

2015 6th International Conference on Computers and Devices for Communication (CODEC)
Institute of Radio Physics & Electronics, University of Calcutta, December 16-18, 2015 MLT

V. ACKNOWLEDEGMENT
We extend our gratitude to Dr. K.S. Dasgupta, Director,
IIST for providing opportunity to work at Space Applications
Centre, Ahmedabad, India during which the work is conceived.
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978-1-4673-9513-7/15/$31.00 ©2015 IEEE