Reuse of Electromagnetic Band Gap Structures and Antennas

The current mobile communication application products have put forward higher requirements for antennas, including high efficiency, miniaturization, and high reliability. Among them, the miniaturization of antennas, especially in the 5G frequency band, is one of the most concerning engineering issues. Many factors constrain the miniaturization of antennas, such as the impact of radiation efficiency on their performance, the multi-band requirements of antennas, and the coupling between antenna units. Among these, the coupling between antenna units is one of the main reasons affecting the miniaturization of antenna arrays. Electromagnetic Band Gap (EBG) structures are periodic structures with characteristics such as band rejection, slow wave, and high impedance, and are considered as a potential option to reduce the coupling between antenna units.In recent years, EBG structures have attracted a lot of research attention, and various EBG structures have been proposed. For example, E-shaped EBG and T-resonance cavity (TRC-EBG) structures have been used to reduce mutual coupling in transmit-receive (T/R) arrays. The Vertical Inductance Bridge Electromagnetic Band Gap (VIB-EBG) structure has been used to reduce the size of units and suppress wideband synchronous switch noise (SSN) in multilayer packaging. The Vertical Step Impedance Electromagnetic Band Gap (VSI-EBG) structure has been used to suppress wideband synchronous switch noise (SSN) coupling in multilayer printed circuit boards (PCBs). However, existing research treats EBG structures and antennas as two separate units, with little focus on the reuse of EBG structures for both coupling suppression and regular antenna functionality. This study explores the use of EBG suppression structures as antennas. In an EBG array, EBG units with feed inputs instead of ground can serve as antenna units, while other EBG structures are used to suppress coupling between antennas, achieving a hybrid array with uniform dimensions for EBG and antennas. This modular structure offers the following advantages:Miniaturization and high reliability: By matching the dimensions with the antennas, a more compact and miniaturized antenna design can be achieved, meeting the increasing demands of modern devices for size and appearance. At the same time, using EBG structures to address coupling effects between antennas improves the reliability and performance stability of the antenna system.Simplified design process: Designing on a board containing only EBG structures simplifies the overall design process, reducing the number and complexity of related components. This helps to improve manufacturing efficiency and reduce costs, promoting the popularization and application of antenna technology.Reduced production costs: Utilizing the modular nature of EBG structures enables industrial-scale and standardized production. This further reduces production costs, driving the development and application of antenna technology.The reuse, dimensional consistency, and modular application of EBG structures with antennas have a positive impact on the popularization of 5G technology and the practical needs of people’s lives. This innovative approach is expected to drive advances in antenna design, meeting the modern society’s demand for high-performance, miniaturized, and reliable communication devices, and bringing new opportunities and breakthroughs to related industries.