Low-cost broadband millimetre-wave array antenna using waveguide/microstrip feed network and slot pair

A low-cost broadband millimetre-wave planar 30 x 30 array antenna is presented. The antenna is fed by a microstrip feed network in the H-plane to decrease fabrication costs, and a waveguide feed network in the E-plane to reduce the feed line loss. The waveguide and microstrip feed network are coupled through the proposed slot pair. The slots are placed one quarter of a guided-wavelength distance apart, so that the reflected waves from the slots cancel each other. A conductive bar is laid above the slots to increase the coupling, which increases the antenna gain by about 1 dBi. The maximum gain is 30.5 dBi at 41.5 GHz. The measured bandwidth is as broad as 7.1%.