Advances in semiconductor technology have enabled the proliferation of phased-array antennas across the industry. This shift away from mechanically steered antennas to active electronically scanned antennas (AESAs) began years ago in military applications, but of late it’s rapidly advanced in satcom-on-the-move and 5G communications.
The low-profile AESA has advantages such as fast steering capability, the ability to produce multiple radiation patterns, and higher reliability. However, these antennas required significant advances in IC technology before they could become widely available. Planar phased arrays require devices operating with high levels of integration, low power consumption, and high efficiency so that users may fit these components behind the antenna array while keeping heat generation to acceptable levels.