A process for making a self-aligned waveguide includes: disposing a central conductor layer on a substrate; disposing a mask layer on the central conductor layer; forming a mask from the mask layer; removing a portion of the central conductor layer; forming an undercut interposed between substrate and the mask; forming a central conductor; disposing a ground conductor layer on the mask and the substrate; removing a portion of the ground conductor layer disposed on the mask; forming a ground plane conductor from the ground conductor layer in response to removing the portion of the ground conductor layer; and removing the mask to make the self-aligned waveguide in which the undercut provides self-alignment of each of the inner walls of the ground plane conductor to each of the sidewalls of the central conductor, and the ground plane conductor is electrically isolated from the central conductor.

An apparatus includes a first waveguide configured to propagate electromagnetic energy along a propagation direction. The apparatus further includes a first waveguide flange configured to selectively operate in one of a plurality of modes. When operating in a first mode, the apparatus radiates at least a portion of the electromagnetic energy from the first waveguide via at least one radiating feature of the first waveguide flange. The at least one radiating feature is located on a surface of the first waveguide flange that is perpendicular to the propagation direction. Additionally, when operating in a second mode, the apparatus conducts at least a portion of the electromagnetic energy from the first waveguide to a subsequent element (e.g., a second waveguide). The at least one radiating feature is shorted to a portion of the subsequent element when operating in the second mode.

An apparatus includes a first waveguide configured to propagate electromagnetic energy along a propagation direction. The apparatus further includes a first waveguide flange configured to selectively operate in one of a plurality of modes. When operating in a first mode, the apparatus radiates at least a portion of the electromagnetic energy from the first waveguide via at least one radiating feature of the first waveguide flange. The at least one radiating feature is located on a surface of the first waveguide flange that is perpendicular to the propagation direction. Additionally, when operating in a second mode, the apparatus conducts at least a portion of the electromagnetic energy from the first waveguide to a subsequent element (e.g., a second waveguide). The at least one radiating feature is shorted to a portion of the subsequent element when operating in the second mode.

In an example embodiment, an azimuth combiner comprises: a septum layer comprising a plurality of septum dividers; first and second housing layers attached to first and second sides of the septum layer; a linear array of ports on a first end of the combiner; wherein the first and second housing layers each comprise waveguide H-plane T-junctions; wherein the waveguide T-junctions can be configured to perform power dividing/combining; and wherein the septum layer evenly bisects each port of the linear array of ports. A stack of such azimuth combiners can form a two dimensional planar array of ports to which can be added a horn aperture layer, and a grid layer, to form a dual-polarized, dual-BFN, dual-band antenna array.

In an example embodiment, an azimuth combiner comprises: a septum layer comprising a plurality of septum dividers; first and second housing layers attached to first and second sides of the septum layer; a linear array of ports on a first end of the combiner; wherein the first and second housing layers each comprise waveguide H-plane T-junctions; wherein the waveguide T-junctions can be configured to perform power dividing/combining; and wherein the septum layer evenly bisects each port of the linear array of ports. A stack of such azimuth combiners can form a two dimensional planar array of ports to which can be added a horn aperture layer, and a grid layer, to form a dual-polarized, dual-BFN, dual-band antenna array.

This disclosure provides an antenna and a base station device. The antenna includes: a plurality of first frequency band antenna groups; a plurality of second frequency band radiating elements; and a reflection plate on which a reflection plate through hole is provided. Each first frequency band radiating element includes: a first balun structure and a first signal transmission structure, which pass through the reflection plate through hole. A phase shifter includes a first phase shifter cavity, a choke cavity, and a first feed network signal transmission structure located in the first phase shifter cavity. A part that is of the first balun structure and that is located on a second side of the reflection plate is located in the choke cavity.

An antenna includes at least one feed line including a first feed line, and a plurality of first patch units serially connected to the first feed line in an extending direction of the first feed line. The first feed line and/or the plurality of first patch units each have a mesh structure, and the mesh structure is composed of a plurality of conductive lines. Of the plurality of conductive lines, a distance between two conductive lines that are adjacent and do not intersect is greater than or equal to a maximum width of any conductive line, and is less than or equal to a minimum width of any feed line.

An antenna includes at least one feed line including a first feed line, and a plurality of first patch units serially connected to the first feed line in an extending direction of the first feed line. The first feed line and/or the plurality of first patch units each have a mesh structure, and the mesh structure is composed of a plurality of conductive lines. Of the plurality of conductive lines, a distance between two conductive lines that are adjacent and do not intersect is greater than or equal to a maximum width of any conductive line, and is less than or equal to a minimum width of any feed line.

An impedance matching device includes a first dielectric substrate; a first transmission line circuit; a first conductive pad which extends toward the first transmission line circuit on the first dielectric substrate to at least partially vertically overlap the first transmission line circuit: a first reference potential layer; and a first matching load which is electrically connected to the first conductive pad and has a first resistance. An area where the first conductive pad vertically overlaps the first transmission line circuit has a size configured such that a load reactance associated with the first transmission line circuit is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold and an absolute value of a difference between a load resistance associated with the first transmission line circuit and the first resistance is equal to or less than a predetermined resistance threshold.

An impedance matching device includes a first dielectric substrate; a first transmission line circuit; a first conductive pad which extends toward the first transmission line circuit on the first dielectric substrate to at least partially vertically overlap the first transmission line circuit: a first reference potential layer; and a first matching load which is electrically connected to the first conductive pad and has a first resistance. An area where the first conductive pad vertically overlaps the first transmission line circuit has a size configured such that a load reactance associated with the first transmission line circuit is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold and an absolute value of a difference between a load resistance associated with the first transmission line circuit and the first resistance is equal to or less than a predetermined resistance threshold.