Glueless Compound Ground Technique for Dielectric Resonator Antenna and Arrays

Abstract

A newly conceived compound ground technique has been explored for dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) and arrays. The aim is to discard the traditional bonding by chemical glue that suffers from several limitations, especially in arrays. The proposed configuration uses a secondary ground plane with strategic perforations and clipping arrangement to achieve required mechanical stability along with accurate DRA positioning. It does not affect any radiation mode(s) or characteristics. The design has been tested for a single as well as a four-element array in S-band indicating close corroboration with its traditional counterpart. Scalability study ensures its operation up to K-band. This technique should find potential applications, especially in large arrays and in any platform subjected to mechanical vibrations.