High-Isolation Array Antenna Design for 5G mm-Wave MIMO Applications

Abstract A low form-factor design of an eight-element antenna array is presented for 5G mm-wave MIMO applications. The design features modified circular patch radiators that achieve an impedance bandwidth of 2.6 GHz, covering frequencies from 37.7 to 40.3 GHz. The radiating elements are strategically arranged on opposite sides of a common substrate and interleaved to significantly reduce mutual coupling between adjacent elements. This innovative technique effectively minimizes coupling between the array’s radiators without the need of a decoupling structure. The MIMO antenna is fabricated on a low-loss Rogers-5880 substrate, with a thickness of 0.8 mm, a dielectric constant of 2.2, and a loss tangent of 0.0009, ensuring minimal signal loss and confirming the accuracy of simulation results. The inter-element isolation exceeds 25 dB, and the array provides a gain greater than 6 dBi, with a peak gain of 7.5 dBi at 39 GHz. This high gain enhances the antenna’s ability to mitigate atmospheric attenuation at higher frequencies, making it highly suitable for 5G mm-wave applications.