A mm-wave dielectric antenna with symmetric beam compatible with PCB machinery

The current decade is associated with the start of active deployment and use of fifth generation networks, while the ongoing developments in the sixth generation communication technologies should be finalized in the upcoming  decade. It is forecasted that sufficiently directive wireless transceivers will become integral parts of the next generation wireless communication systems. In this study, we report on the development of a low-cost millimeter wave dielectric antenna with nearly symmetric beam. The antenna makes use of a dual-stage dielectric multimode interference power divider terminated by 16 dielectric tapers with flare angles of 6–12°. It is designed for operation at  frequencies of 50–77 GHz. The design is developed for fabrication by the means of printed circuit board prototyping machinery from high-permittivity laminates and, therefore, is compatible with the Si platform for solid-state  electronics and integrated photonics. The fabricated antenna samples exhibit half-power beamwidths of 27° with corresponding side lobe levels of approximately –10 dB, as measured at 52 GHz.