La chambre réverbérante à brassage de modes (CRBM) est une cavité métallique fermée surdimensionnée, équipée d’un brasseur de modes. Le brassage de modes rend le champ électromagnétique homogène et isotrope à l’intérieur de la CRBM (dans son volume utile). Cette thèse illustre tout d’abord une nouvelle méthode pour évaluer les performances d’un brasseur de modes (via le spectre Doppler). Ensuite, elle présente une nouvelle méthode permettant de mesurer la surface équivalente radar (SER) d’un objet canonique en utilisant la technique de fenêtrage temporel ou time-gating. Enfin, elle présente une nouvelle méthode permettant de mesurer le diagramme de rayonnement d’une antenne dans une cavité surdimensionnée via la technique de time-gating. / The reverberation chamber (RC) is an oversized closed metal cavity, equipped with a mode-stirrer. The mode stirring makes the electromagnetic field homogeneous and isotropic inside the RC (in its useful volume). This thesis illustrates firstly a new method for evaluating the performance of a mode-stirrer (via the Doppler spectrum). Then, it presents a new method for measuring the radar cross section (RCS) of a canonical object using the time-gating technique. Finally, it presents a new method for measuring the antenna radiation pattern in an oversized cavity via the time-gating technique.

Lors de cette thèse, on a développé un banc automatisé de relevé du diagramme de rayonnement particulièrement pour des antennes millimétriques avec faible directivité. On propose trois méthodes d’alimentation. La première méthode développée a été de concevoir une nouvelle sonde ayant un accès micro-coaxial de plus de 5cm afin de réduire la zone de masquage au minimum. Associée à une configuration de type flip-chip inversée, cette méthode a permis d’avoir une réduction de la zone de masquage de 80° à 20°. La deuxième méthode a été de concevoir une liaison souple par film souple de Kapton. Cette méthode présente l’avantage de placer une plus grande partie des connexions métalliques sous un plan de masse, mais nécessite une connexion optimale à la puce. Les résultats obtenus présentent une zone de masquage pratiquement inexistante, et sont conformes à l’état de l’art. La troisième méthode SER est basée sur la mesure de l’antenne sans placer de sondes ou de connecteurs spéciaux, mais en utilisant un système à charges connues. La simulation nous montre qu'il nous manque une dynamique par ces trois charges. / In this thesis, we designed and built a new 3D test bench, particularly for low-directivity integrated antennas at millimeter-wave frequencies. We proposed three feeding techniques for the antenna under test (AUT): a probe-fed technique, a flexible-transmission-line-fed technique and a radar-cross-section (RCS) method. The probe-fed method was developed with a customized probe, which involves an elongated (50 mm) coaxial line between the probe tip and the probe body, wherein the probe body is reversed (relative to the conventional measurement configuration) so it lies below the plane of the AUT. This method reduces the range of angles that are masked from 80° (for a conventional probe setup) to 20°. The second method was developed using a flexible transmission line with a modified flip-chip connection to the AUT. This method completely eliminates the masked zone. The third method characterizes the radiation pattern using a radar cross-section (RCS) method. This method requires neither a probe system nor connectors. However the simulation results demonstrate that there is insufficient variation in the ratio of received power to incident power as the load on the AUT is varied in order to make precise measurement with conventional measurement equipment.

There is currently a demand of mm‑wave on‑chip antennas to enable all kinds of new applications in several different areas. But the development requires, among other things, special equipment used during the measurement phase due to the small dimensions and the high frequencies. In this project a robotic measurement system, SAX (Single Arm eXtra), was designed and constructed at Micro and Nanosystems (MST) department at KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden). The purpose of the SAX is to enable radiation pattern measurements of on‑chip antennas ( 140 GHz to 325 GHz ), whether the boresight is vertical or horizontal along with other requirements, by moving a converter with the measurement antenna around the antenna in question. Several alternative designs for the basic construction, both from other works and invented by the author, were analyzed based on the requirements for this project and other limitations. The chosen unique design, the SAX, is very compact and uses only one stepper motor. Several parts have been developed in this project to ensure the proper functionality of the SAX. That includes a main operator program, a motor input signal generating program, a motor input signal executing system, a security system, and a system for controlled rotation of the SAX. For the input signal to the motor two different algorithms to generate the time delays were developed and tested. They were adapted to make the motor manage the sweeps of an ever‑changing load with high inertia during acceleration and deceleration. One of them was developed to make the time delay array generation much more efficient albeit with larger approximation error. The SAX worked well and should be rather easy‑to‑use regarding the operation of the system, from the physical maneuvering to utilizing the sub‑systems to the running of the main operator program. It fulfilled the specific requirements by enable a cross pattern measurement from  -60° to +60°  both from above and from the side, adjustment of the radius between 15cm to 45cm , adjustment 10cm in height, to be rotated along the floor in steps of 1°, measurement steps of 1° with an accuracy of less than 0,5° (the largest error was measured to be ≤ 0,461°). However, some calibration work needs to be done before the optimal performance of the system is reached. As a verification of the operation of the system data from measurements of open‑ended waveguides was presented. / Det finns en efterfrågan på chipantenner för millimetervågor eftersom de kan möjliggöra allehanda produkter inom flera olika områden. Forskningen på dessa ställer dock bl.a. speciella krav på utrustning som används under testmätningsfasen p.g.a. de små dimensionerna och den höga frekvensen. I detta projekt har ett robotsystem, SAX (Single Arm eXtra), utformats och konstruerats på avdelningen för Mikro- och nanosystem på KTH. Syftet med SAX är att mäta högfrekventa chipantenner ( 140 GHz till 325 GHz ) genom att förflytta en frekvensomvandlare med tillhörande mätantenn i en cirkulär bana runt antennen ifråga, oavsett om den är riktad vertikalt eller horisontellt och givet andra kravspecifikationer. Flera designalternativ för den grundläggande konstruktionen, både från andras arbeten och framtagna av författaren själv, har analyserats utifrån kravspecifikation för detta projekt och andra begränsningar. Den valda unika designen, SAX, är väldigt kompakt och använder sig bara av en stegmotor. För att möjliggöra funktionen i den slutgiltiga produkten har flera delar tagits fram vilka inkluderar ett operatörsprogram, ett program för genererandet av motorstyrsignaler, ett program för motorstyrning, ett säkerhetssystem och ett rotationssystem för kontrollerad rotation av SAX. För genererandet av motorstyrsignaler i form av tidsfördröjda pulser framtogs två olika algoritmer. De ger anpassade accelerations- och retardationssignaler för att motorn ska klara av att förflytta en föränderlig last med stor tröghet. En av dessa framtogs med syfte att mycket effektivt generera pulstiderna om än med större approximationsfel. SAX fungerade tillfredsställande och torde vara ganska lättanvänd med tanke på vad systemet kräver av operatören, från att fysiskt manövrera systemet till att använda delsystemen till att använda operatörsprogrammet. Systemet uppfyllde de givna specifika kraven genom att möjliggöra mätningar i form av ett kryssmönster från -60° till +60°  både ovanifrån och från sidan, radiejustering från 15cm till 45cm , höjdjustering över 10cm , rotation över golvet i steg om 1° , mätningar i steg om 1° med en noggrannhet på 0,5° (den största avvikelsen uppmättes till ≤ 0,461°). Vidare kalibrering behöver dock utföras för att utnyttja den fulla potentialen hos konstruktionen. För att verifiera funktionsdugligheten för systemet presenterades data från mätningar gjorda på öppna vågledare.

This thesis describes an electrically thin surface used for electromagnetic applications in the microwave regime. The surface is free-standing and its primary purpose is to modify the phase distribution, or the phase and amplitude distribution of electromagnetic fields propagating through it: it is called phase shifting surface (PSS) in the first case, and phase and amplitude shifting surface (PASS) in the second case. For practical applications, the surface typically comprises three or four layers of metallic patterns spaced by dielectric layers. The patterns of the metallic layers are designed to locally alter the phase (and amplitude in the case of the PASS) of an incoming wave to a prescribed set of desired values for the outgoing wave. The PSS/PASS takes advantage of the reactive coupling by closely spacing of the metallic layers, which results in a larger phase shift range while keeping the structure significantly thin. The PSS concept is used to design components such as gratings and lens antennas which are presented in this document. The components are designed for an operating frequency of 30 GHz. The PSS phase grating gives high diffraction efficiency, even higher than a dielectric phase grating. Several types of lens antennas are also presented, which show comparable performance to that of a conventional dielectric plano-hyperbolic lens antenna with similar parameters. The PASS concept is used in a beam shaping application in which a flat-topped beam antenna is designed. This work demonstrates the potential for realising thin, lightweight and low-cost antennas at Ka band, in particular for substituting higher-gain antenna technologies such as conventional dielectric shaped lens antennas.

This thesis describes an electrically thin surface used for electromagnetic applications in the microwave regime. The surface is free-standing and its primary purpose is to modify the phase distribution, or the phase and amplitude distribution of electromagnetic fields propagating through it: it is called phase shifting surface (PSS) in the first case, and phase and amplitude shifting surface (PASS) in the second case. For practical applications, the surface typically comprises three or four layers of metallic patterns spaced by dielectric layers. The patterns of the metallic layers are designed to locally alter the phase (and amplitude in the case of the PASS) of an incoming wave to a prescribed set of desired values for the outgoing wave. The PSS/PASS takes advantage of the reactive coupling by closely spacing of the metallic layers, which results in a larger phase shift range while keeping the structure significantly thin. The PSS concept is used to design components such as gratings and lens antennas which are presented in this document. The components are designed for an operating frequency of 30 GHz. The PSS phase grating gives high diffraction efficiency, even higher than a dielectric phase grating. Several types of lens antennas are also presented, which show comparable performance to that of a conventional dielectric plano-hyperbolic lens antenna with similar parameters. The PASS concept is used in a beam shaping application in which a flat-topped beam antenna is designed. This work demonstrates the potential for realising thin, lightweight and low-cost antennas at Ka band, in particular for substituting higher-gain antenna technologies such as conventional dielectric shaped lens antennas.

This thesis describes an electrically thin surface used for electromagnetic applications in the microwave regime. The surface is free-standing and its primary purpose is to modify the phase distribution, or the phase and amplitude distribution of electromagnetic fields propagating through it: it is called phase shifting surface (PSS) in the first case, and phase and amplitude shifting surface (PASS) in the second case. For practical applications, the surface typically comprises three or four layers of metallic patterns spaced by dielectric layers. The patterns of the metallic layers are designed to locally alter the phase (and amplitude in the case of the PASS) of an incoming wave to a prescribed set of desired values for the outgoing wave. The PSS/PASS takes advantage of the reactive coupling by closely spacing of the metallic layers, which results in a larger phase shift range while keeping the structure significantly thin. The PSS concept is used to design components such as gratings and lens antennas which are presented in this document. The components are designed for an operating frequency of 30 GHz. The PSS phase grating gives high diffraction efficiency, even higher than a dielectric phase grating. Several types of lens antennas are also presented, which show comparable performance to that of a conventional dielectric plano-hyperbolic lens antenna with similar parameters. The PASS concept is used in a beam shaping application in which a flat-topped beam antenna is designed. This work demonstrates the potential for realising thin, lightweight and low-cost antennas at Ka band, in particular for substituting higher-gain antenna technologies such as conventional dielectric shaped lens antennas.

This thesis describes an electrically thin surface used for electromagnetic applications in the microwave regime. The surface is free-standing and its primary purpose is to modify the phase distribution, or the phase and amplitude distribution of electromagnetic fields propagating through it: it is called phase shifting surface (PSS) in the first case, and phase and amplitude shifting surface (PASS) in the second case. For practical applications, the surface typically comprises three or four layers of metallic patterns spaced by dielectric layers. The patterns of the metallic layers are designed to locally alter the phase (and amplitude in the case of the PASS) of an incoming wave to a prescribed set of desired values for the outgoing wave. The PSS/PASS takes advantage of the reactive coupling by closely spacing of the metallic layers, which results in a larger phase shift range while keeping the structure significantly thin. The PSS concept is used to design components such as gratings and lens antennas which are presented in this document. The components are designed for an operating frequency of 30 GHz. The PSS phase grating gives high diffraction efficiency, even higher than a dielectric phase grating. Several types of lens antennas are also presented, which show comparable performance to that of a conventional dielectric plano-hyperbolic lens antenna with similar parameters. The PASS concept is used in a beam shaping application in which a flat-topped beam antenna is designed. This work demonstrates the potential for realising thin, lightweight and low-cost antennas at Ka band, in particular for substituting higher-gain antenna technologies such as conventional dielectric shaped lens antennas.