Circular/linear polarization reconfigurable antenna on simplified RF-MEMS packaging platform in K-band

A linear-polarization (LP)/circular-polarization (CP) switchable reconfigurable antenna using a radio frequency micro-electro-mechanical-system (RF-MEMS) switch is proposed and a novel package platform is introduced. Since the package substrate of the novel package platform is used as a radiation aperture substrate of the antenna structure, the fabrication process can be simplified, and degradation of radiation performance can be prevented. As the radiation aperture exists on the top side of the package substrate, an aperture-coupling feed structure is employed. To implement the LP-CP-switchable antenna based on the package platform, a stub, acting as the other feed, is added to a slot ring and is connected to the RF-MEMS switch with an on/off state. The proposed antenna is simulated using the Finite-Element Method, after which it is fabricated and measured. The measured 10 dB impedance bandwidths (BWs) are 22.90% (LP state) and 28.43% (CP state). The measured 3 dB axial ratio BW is 13.07% in the CP state. The measured gains at 21 GHz are 2.63 dBi (LP state) and 3.90 dBi (CP state). © 2012 IEEE.