Tuning dielectric material in a patch antenna array
An antenna assembly includes a ground plane including conductive material, and a dielectric material above the ground plane. A patch antenna is on the dielectric material. In an example, a plurality of features extends from an upper surface or a lower surface of the dielectric material and within the dielectric material, wherein the plurality of features comprises voids filled with gas or are vacuum. Additionally, or alternatively, the dielectric material is doped with a dopant. In an example, the antenna assembly further includes a first aperture and a second aperture on the ground plane and below the patch antenna, and another dielectric material below the first and second apertures. In some such cases, a first feed line is below the first aperture, and a second feed line is below the second aperture.
1 . An antenna assembly comprising:
a ground plane;
a lower dielectric material above the ground plane;
an upper dielectric material above the lower dielectric material;
a lower patch antenna on the dielectric material;
an upper patch antenna on the upper dielectric material;
a first aperture and a second aperture on the ground plane, the first and second apertures below the patch antenna, wherein one of the first or second apertures is configured to transmit vertically polarized signals and wherein the other of the first or second apertures is configured to transmit horizontally polarized signals;
another dielectric material below the first and second apertures; and
a first feed line below the first aperture, and a second feed line below the second aperture, the first and second feed lines separated from the first and second apertures, respectively, by the other dielectric material;
wherein at least one of (i) a plurality of features extends from an upper surface or a lower surface of the lower dielectric material and/or the upper dielectric material and within the lower dielectric material and/or the upper dielectric material, wherein the plurality of features comprises voids filled with gas or are vacuum, and/or (ii) the lower dielectric material and/or the upper dielectric material is doped with a dopant.
2 . The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of features extends from the upper surface or the lower surface of the lower and/or upper dielectric material and within the lower and/or upper dielectric material, and wherein a feature of the plurality of features has a width of at least 0.15 mm.
3 . The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lower and/or upper dielectric material is doped with the dopant, and wherein the lower and/or upper dielectric material is a dielectric foam or epoxy, and the dopant is carbon.
4 . The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lower and/or upper dielectric material is doped with the dopant, wherein the lower and/or upper dielectric material is a first dielectric material, and wherein the dopant is a second dielectric material that is elementally and/or compositionally different from the first dielectric material.
5 . The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lower and/or upper dielectric material comprises a dielectric foam.
6 . The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lower and/or upper dielectric material is a first dielectric material, the patch antenna is a first patch antenna, the plurality of features are a first plurality of features, the dopant is a first dopant, and wherein the antenna assembly further comprises:
a second dielectric material above the first patch antenna; and
a second patch antenna on the second dielectric material;
wherein at least one of (i) a second plurality of features extends from an upper surface or a lower surface of the second dielectric material and within the second dielectric material, wherein the second plurality of features comprise voids filled with gas or are vacuum, and/or (ii) the second dielectric material is doped with a second dopant.
7 . The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein a feature of the plurality of features extends from the upper surface of the lower and/or upper dielectric material to the lower surface of the respective lower and/or upper dielectric material.
8 . The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein a feature of the plurality of features extends from one of the upper or lower surfaces of the lower and/or upper dielectric material and within the lower and/or upper dielectric material, and doesn't extend up to the other of the upper or lower surfaces of the lower and/or upper dielectric material.