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The rapid evolution of wireless technologies toward 5G, 6G, and advanced sensing systems has intensified research on antennas operating in the millimeter-wave (mm-wave) spectrum. The mm-wave band offers vast bandwidth and high-resolution capabilities but also presents challenges in design efficiency, material selection, and integration. This review provides an extensive analysis of 110 mm-wave antenna designs reported in 104 journal publications across major scientific publishers, mapping current research trends, dominant design techniques, and emerging materials. The survey categorizes six principal antenna families -leaky-wave, horn, reflector, lens, printed and planar, and dielectric resonator antennas- highlighting their performance characteristics, typical frequency ranges, and dominant application fields. Moreover, the paper identifies the most frequently employed substrate materials and discusses their impact on antenna efficiency and manufacturability. A comparative analysis of the reviewed antenna categories is also presented to emphasize their respective advantages, challenges, and preferred application scenarios. By contextualizing recent developments and identifying research gaps, this work provides useful insights for future antenna innovations in communication, sensing, and imaging systems.
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Khacha et al. (2026) studied this question.