| In this thesis a new scanning grating antenna at 24 GHz for automotive radars has been investigated. A novel scanning technique at a single frequency has been utilized where the antenna was fed by two surface wave launchers arranged in a side-by-side configuration and by varying the phase difference between them the antenna beam can be scanned. In order to cascade the two launchers in this configuration, a new compact broadband CPW-fed surface wave launcher was developed where the lateral dimensions allow this arrangement without having the two launchers physically connected together.;The grating antenna was fabricated on a 50 mil thick Duroid 6010 substrate (&egr;r=10.2). Metallic gratings were used as they are planar, cheap and easy to fabricate. Analysis of the metallic grating antenna was performed using mode matching technique as it is rigorous, versatile, it doesn't have any restrictions on the geometry of the structure in terms of period and aspect ratio and it takes the gratings thickness into account. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). |
