Dual-Polarized mm-Wave Endfire Antenna for Mobile Devices

Abstract

This article presents a dual-polarized millimeter-wave endfire antenna array for mobile devices. The antenna array is integrated into a metal-framed mobile phone and radiates through a 20 × 3.5 mm2 window in the metal frame. The measurement results show a realized gain above 6 dBi for the frequency band of 28-33 GHz for a three-element array. Beam-steering up to ±40 is possible. The array is physically offset from the metal frame, thus minimizing the capacitive loading effect on the sub-6 GHz antennas. Moreover, due to the lack of mechanical contact between the frame and the antenna module, the antenna is robust against external impacts or hits to the phone. The design of the antenna module facilitates integration in mobile devices for mm-wave operation.