Prototyping facility for the development and experimental validation of advanced millimeter-wave antennas

毫米波无线通信系统在移动通信、数据传输、公路安全、智能交通、民用超宽带雷达等领域有着广泛的应用前景。对于这些应用，毫米波平面天线解决方案因其外形小、重量轻和可重复性而被需要。从这个角度出发，我们提出了几个旨在设计新型先进毫米波天线的研究项目。在这些项目中，毫米波天线的设计、原型制作和实验表征是获得高增益、带宽和效率性能的三个最关键的步骤。为此，基于电磁场模拟的数值分析被用于毫米波天线的设计。虽然数值分析为设计提供了很好的指导方针，但实际的天线原型和射频测量是对所提出的概念进行准确的实验验证所必需的。第一个用于模拟的项目和第三个用于射频测量的项目已经在我们的实验室获得，但与毫米波天线原型设施相关的第二个项目是缺失的部分。在毫米波段，天线通常尺寸较小，需要高精度的制造技术。然而，常见的原型工艺，如光刻和蚀刻工艺，不能应用，因为它们不能提供所需的精度。因此，在这份提案中，我们要求LPKF公司提供一种新的基于Proto激光器S系统的原型设备，与传统的原型技术相比，该设备可以提供更高的精度，用于毫米波天线和器件的原型制作和实验验证。所要求的仪器将加强我们在INRS的射频实验室现有的设备。本申请的目标是：(I)根据加拿大高科技行业的具体需求，为未来的毫米波无线通信系统设计和测试新型高效毫米波高增益和宽带天线，以及(Ii)培养高素质的人员，以应对我们社会的科学和技术挑战。

Millimetre-wave wireless communication systems are emerging for many applications, such as mobile communications, data transfer, highway safety, intelligent transport, and civilian ultra-wide band radar. For these applications, mm-wave planar antenna solutions are required due to their low profile, light-weight and reproducibility. In this perspective, we have proposed several research projects that aim to design new advanced millimeter-wave antennas. In these projects, design, prototyping and experimental characterization of mm-wave antennas are the three most crucial steps for achieving high performances in terms of gain, bandwidth and efficiency. For these objectives, numerical analyses based on electromagnetic field simulations have been used to design mm-wave antennas. Although numerical analysis provides a good guideline of the design, actual antenna prototypes and RF measurements are mandatory for accurately experimental validation of the proposed concepts. The first item for simulations and the third one for RF measurements are already available in our laboratory, but the second item related to the mm-wave antenna prototyping facility is the missing part. At mm-wave bands, antennas often have smaller sizes and require high precision fabrication techniques. However, the common prototyping processes like photolithography and etching processes cannot be applied since they do not provide the required precision. Therefore in this proposal, we request a new prototyping facility based on the ProtoLaser S system from LPKF Company, which provides a higher precision compared to the conventional prototyping techniques, for prototyping and experimental validation of millimeter-wave antennas and devices. The requested instrument will strengthen the equipment already available in our RF laboratory at INRS. The objectives of the present application are, (i) prototyping and testing new efficient mm-wave high-gain and broadband antennas for future mm-wave wireless communications systems, consistently with the specific needs of the high-technology Canadian industry, and (ii) train highly qualified personnel to respond to the scientific and technological challenges of our society.