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的通信、数据传输、高速公路安全、智能交通、民用超宽带雷达等领域有着广泛的应用。对于这些应用，需要mm波平面天线解决方案，因为它们具有低剖面、重量轻和可重复性的特点。从这个角度来看，我们已经提出了几个研究项目，旨在设计新的先进的毫米波天线。在这些项目中，毫米波天线的设计、原型制作和实验表征是实现增益、带宽和效率方面高性能的三个最关键的步骤。为了实现这些目标，基于电磁场模拟的数值分析已被用于设计毫米波天线。虽然数值分析提供了一个很好的设计指南，实际的天线原型和RF测量是强制性的准确实验验证所提出的概念。第一个用于模拟的项目和第三个用于RF测量的项目已经在我们的实验室中提供，但与毫米波天线原型设计设施相关的第二个项目是缺失的部分。在毫米波段，天线通常具有较小的尺寸，并且需要高精度的制造技术。然而，像光刻和蚀刻工艺这样的普通原型制作工艺不能应用，因为它们不能提供所需的精度。因此，在本提案中，我们要求基于LPKF公司的ProtoLaser S系统的新原型制作设备，与传统的原型制作技术相比，该设备提供了更高的精度，用于毫米波天线和设备的原型制作和实验验证。所要求的仪器将加强我们在INRS射频实验室已有的设备。本申请的目标是，（i）原型设计和测试用于未来毫米波无线通信系统的新的高效毫米波高增益和宽带天线，与加拿大高科技产业的具体需求一致，以及（ii）训练高素质的人员以响应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.