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Miniaturized MIMO Antenna Array with High Isolation for 5G Metal-Frame Smartphone Application
Yuehui Gao1, Junlin Wang1, Xin Wang1
1College of Electronic Information Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China.
Micromachines
|July 27, 2022
Summary
A novel multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna array for 5G smartphones is presented. This design achieves high isolation and bandwidth, ensuring reliable anti-interference performance for advanced mobile communication.
Area of Science:
- Electromagnetic Engineering
- Wireless Communication Systems
- Antenna Design
Background:
- Fifth-generation (5G) smartphones require advanced antenna systems for high-speed data transmission.
- Metal frame smartphones present challenges in antenna integration due to limited space and potential interference.
- Existing multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna designs often struggle with inter-element coupling and achieving sufficient bandwidth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and validate a highly isolated MIMO antenna array specifically designed for the metal frame of 5G smartphones.
- To achieve adjustable bandwidth capable of covering the N79 band (4.4–5.0 GHz).
- To enhance element isolation and spatial diversity while mitigating coupling effects.
Main Methods:
- Design and simulation of an 8-element MIMO antenna array using inverted F-shaped folded slots etched on the smartphone's metal frame.
- Introduction of C-shape and I-shape slots between antenna elements to improve isolation.
- Adjustment of antenna bandwidth by modifying short branch lengths.
- Fabrication and measurement of the proposed antenna array, including performance evaluation with a hand model and SAR analysis.
Main Results:
- The proposed MIMO antenna array demonstrates good impedance matching with return loss > 6 dB.
- High element isolation exceeding 22 dB was achieved, crucial for MIMO performance.
- The envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) between antenna elements remained below 0.049, indicating effective anti-interference capabilities.
- Measured radiation efficiencies were consistently higher than 50%.
Conclusions:
- The developed MIMO antenna array offers a viable solution for 5G metal frame smartphones, providing excellent isolation and bandwidth.
- The design effectively mitigates inter-element coupling through strategic element placement and the use of isolation slots.
- The antenna system exhibits robust performance, including good impedance matching, high isolation, low ECC, and satisfactory radiation efficiency, even with hand interaction.
