A dual-band polarization switchable antenna switch module for 5G new-radio applications

In this paper, a dual-band antenna switch module with switching capability targeting the inter-band carrier aggregation at 5G new-radio (NR) frequency range 2 (FR2) is presented. Inter-band carrier aggregation has become increasingly prevalent in millimeter-wave applications at Ka-band frequencies as a means to secure sufficient bandwidth for improving the rate of data transmission. Antenna modules with polarization switching capability are considered as a critical component for maintaining proper transmission and reception of the signals at millimeter-wave frequencies. The integrated system consists of a wideband single-pole-double-throw (SPDT) switch and a dual-band power amplifier (PA) that are realized on the Rogers RO3010 substrate. With the two double exponentially tapered slot antennas (DETSA) arranged in the mutually orthogonal configuration, the antenna switch module can provide linear polarization at ±45 degrees. A measured error-vector-magnitude (EVM) of −30.3 dB at 38 GHz using 200-MHz standard 5G NR 256-QAM orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation has demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed module to be implemented for millimeter-wave applications.