Viasat, Inc.

Luis Astorga

Joseph J Luna

Thomas Stutting

Steven James Franson

An antenna apparatus includes an antenna substrate with opposite first and second surfaces; and a PCB having opposite first and second surfaces. Antenna elements are disposed at the first surface of the antenna substrate. Electrically conductive columns, each having a first end attached to the second surface of the PCB and a second end attached to the second surface of the antenna substrate, secure the PCB to the antenna substrate and provide an electrical interconnect between the PCB and the antenna substrate. RFIC chips are each attached to the second surface of the antenna substrate and are coupled to the antenna elements. At least one circuit element is attached to the first surface of the PCB and electrically coupled to at least one of the RFIC chips through at least one of the electrically conductive columns.

Antenna array architecture with electrically conductive columns between substrates

An antenna array may include shielding elements that provide a degree of radiation shielding to other components of the antenna array, such as a substrate of the antenna array. In some examples, the shielding elements may be positioned to overlap with one or more gaps between antenna elements, or one or more gaps between ground elements (e.g., when viewed from a radiation source, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to a substrate). Thus, shielding elements of an antenna array may reflect, absorb, or otherwise dissipate radiation that passes through such gaps before the radiation is incident on the other components of the antenna array, such as the substrate of the antenna array.

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Carlsbad, CA, United States of America

Luis Astorga