A Planar SIW-Based Mm-Wave Frequency-Scanning Slot Antenna Array With No Scan Blindness at Normal

Planar antenna reflectors are the modern design trend of both multibeam and frequency-scanning antenna arrays. The planar implementation of reflectors is typically performed using substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) technology. A reflector’s profile can be different from the canonical one (parabolic, elliptic, hyperbolic, etc.) because of the effect of spatial dispersion of the reflection coefficient of the SIW-based surface. It should be synthesized considering the magnitude and argument of the field reflected from such a surface to maximize the efficiency of the reflection. In this article, we present a planar millimeter-wave (mm-wave) slot antenna array with SIW-based horn–reflector feeding. We analytically formulate the optimization of the SIW surface dimensions while accounting for the spatial dispersion of the reflection coefficient. We minimize the dimensions of the planar horn–reflector feeding. Finally, we demonstrate that using a dual-slot radiating element, and we can avoid the effects of scan blindness along the normal direction. A prototype has been built and a good agreement has been achieved between the measured results and the predicted results based on calculations. The prototype achieved ±17° beam scanning within 16% of the operational frequency range, with no scan blindness along the normal direction.