24-GHz Wide-Beam Patch Antenna Array Laterally Loaded With Parasitic Strips

This study develops a 24-GHz 1 × 8 patch antenna array for automotive radar applications. The proposed wide-beam antenna array can offer a narrow beamwidth in elevation and a wide beamwidth in azimuth. The series-fed patches are constructed and laterally loaded with parasitic strips. The current direction of the parasitic strips is opposite to the patch current, resulting in gain cancelation and wide beamwidth in the H-plane radiation pattern. The experimental demonstration showed the proposed design achieved a gain of 13.5 dBi and a wide beamwidth of 100°.