Monolithic Diode Arrays for Quasioptical Millimeter Wave Beam Steering

Antenna beam scanning is a critical aspect of many radars and systems used for remote sensing and radiometry. Traditional beam scanning is usually done mechanically or with a phased array. Mechanical scanning is cumbersome and often requires large amounts of power. Phased array beam scanning is lossy at millimeter wavelengths and and becomes very difficult due to the size and tolerancing in the phase circuitry. Other considerations are cost and reliability. In all of these areas quasioptical beam scanning offers significant advantages at millimeter wavelengths. In Phase I, we propose to study and design a monolithic beam steering array for implementation in one of our imaging systems during Phase II. After the design is complete, we will build and test a hybrid model at the end of Phase I. During the study we will consider the impact of substrate material and type of diode on the system requirements. The modeling of a monolithic beam steering array will be carried out on existing in-house software. When the design is in place we will build a hybrid prototype for testing at 94 GHz. This test device will serve as a basis for the Phase II effort, which will comprise building a monolithic beam steering array for use in one of our imaging systems. Anticipated Benefits: A successful outcome of the Phase I and Phase II efforts will give us a monolithic device which could be immediately implemented into our all-weather landing system or contraband detection system under development at 94GHz. The array will be used to enhance resolution.