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Thesis On
ADVANCE TECHNIC OF RECTANGULAR
MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNA WITH EBGS

A Thesis submitted to the Eastern University in fulfillment of the requirement for

the degree of Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

Submitted By

Md. Samsuzzaman 081800028

A B M Monsur Ali Khan 081800029
Md. Jahid Hossain 081800047
Md. Hasibul Alam 081800084
Sajjatujjaman Rubel 081800145

Supervised By

Professor Dr. Md. Nurunnabi Mollah

Dean
Faculty of Engineering and Technology
Eastern University

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Eastern University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

January, 2012
 Statement of Originality

We hereby certify that the content of this thesis is the result of work done by us and has not been
submitted for a higher degree to any other University or Institution.

External

……………………
S M Shakil Hassan
Lecturer
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Eastern University

…………………...
Md. Samsuzzaman
ID: 081800028

…………………………
A B M Monsur Ali Khan
ID: 081800029

…………………..
Md. Jahid Hossain
ID: 081800047

…………………..
Md. Hasibul Alam
ID: 081800084

…………………….
Sajjatujjaman Rubel
ID: 081800145

Supervisor

………………………………………….
Professor Dr. Md. Nurunnabi Mollah
Dean
Faculty of Engineering and Technology
Eastern University

2
 Approval

Eastern University
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
B.Sc. Dissertation

ADVANCE TECHNIC OF RECTANGULAR

MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNA WITH EBGS

Dean & Supervisor

………………………………………….
Professor Dr. Md. Nurunnabi Mollah
Dean
Faculty of Engineering and Technology
Eastern University

3
 Acknowledgments

It is our great pleasure that we have made our study with Professor Dr. Md. Nurunnabi Mollah
and we are very much thankful to him for his continuous and effective guidance throughout our
research work toward B Sc Engineering degree. We received continuous motivation and
suggestions from him and in our academic life, we are proud of having such a dynamic and
punctual supervisor. His contributions and encouragements we cannot repay. We wish him sound
and healthy and longer life.

We are very much thanked full to Shakil Ahmed (Eastern University) for his kind help on
providing us software and trained us to use the software too. However, we will remember his
support during our whole life span.

Our faculty members always heard from us about our progress whenever we met and they
encouraged us to complete the research work with successful approach and they motivate us to
give our best effort through out the research work. We cannot ever repay to their encouragement
and inspiration.

Author

4
 Table of Contents

Chapter 1
MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNA
1.1 Introduction………………..……………………..…………………………………………..07
1.2 Aim and Objectives.……………………………………………………………….................07
1.3 Antenna.…………………… ………………………………… ………………….................07
1.4 Antenna Characteristics……………………………………………………………………...07
1.5 Overview of Microstrip Antenna...……………………………………………......................08
1.6 Microstrip patch antenna………………………………………………………………..08 - 10
1.6.1 Advantages and Disadvantages……..……………………………………………………10

Chapter 2
FEED TECHNIQUE AND BANDWIDTH
2.1 Feed Techniques……………………………………………………………………………..11
2.1.1 Microstrip Line Feed………………………………………………………………..11 - 12
2.1.2 Coaxial Feed………………………………………………………………………...12 - 13
2.1.3 Aperture Coupled Feed………………………………………………………………13 -14
2.1.4 Proximity Coupled Feed…………………………………………………………………14
2.2 Methods of Analysis……………………………………………………………………..15 -16
2.3 Transmission Line Model………………………………………………………………..16 -19
2.4 Properties of Basic Microstrip Patch…………………………………………………....19 - 20
2.5 Dimension………………………………………………………………………………...20-21
2.6 Antenna Gain………………………………………………………………………………...21
2.7 Methods to Enhance Gain in Microstrip Patch Antenna…………………………………….21
2.8 Polarization…………………………………………………………………………………..22
2.9 Bandwidth……………………………………………………………………………………22
2.9.1 Impedance Bandwidth / Return Loss Bandwidth…………………………………….22-23
2.9.2 Directivity / Gain Bandwidth…………………………………………………………….23
2.9.3 Efficiency Bandwidth……………………………………………………………………23
2.9.4 Polarization Bandwidth…………………………………………………………………..23
2.9.5 Axial Ratio Bandwidth…………………………………………………………………..23

Chapter 3
RECTANGULAR PATCH ANTENNA
3.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..24 - 25
3.2 Basic Principles of Operation……………………………………………………………25 -26
3.3 Resonant Frequency………………………………………………………………………….26

5
Chapter 4
MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNA AND RESULTS
4.1 Design Specifications……………………………………………………………….……27-30
4.2 Design Procedure (PSO/IE3D)………………………………………………………….30 - 32
4.3 Simulation Setup and Results………………………………………………………………..33
4.4 Return Loss………………………………………………………………………….…..33 - 34
4.5 Development Model.…………………………………………………………………………34
4.5.1 Case I: Resonant Frequency…………….……………………………………...34
4.5.2 Case II: Feed Point calculation……….…………………………………………….........35

Chapter 5
Conclusion and Future Prospects………………………………………………………………...37

List of Figures
Figure 1.1: Structure of a Microstrip Patch Antenna……………………………...………………9
Figure 1.2: Common shapes of microstrip patch elements………………………..........................9
Figure 2.1: Microstrip Line Feed……………………………………………………...…………11
Figure 2.2: Probe fed Rectangular Microstrip Patch Antenna……………………...……………12
Figure 2.3: Aperture-coupled feed…………………………………………………...…………..13
Figure 2.4: Proximity-coupled Feed………………………………………………...…………...14
Figure 2.5: Comparison of different feed techniques……………………………………………15
Figure 2.6: (a) Microstrip Line (b) Electric Field Lines…………………………...…………….16
Figure 2.7: Microstrip Patch Antenna……………………………………………………………17
Figure 2.8: (a) Top View of Antenna (b) Side View of Antenna…………………….………….18
Figure 2.9: Basic Microstrip patch antenna with probe feeding…………………………………19
Figure 2.10: VSWR bandwidth Calculate ion…………………………………………………...23
Figure 3.1: Rectangular & Circular Patch Antenna……………………………………………...24
Figure 4.1: Microstrip patch antenna (with 70Ω T-line Design Using IE3D.…………………...30
Figure 4.2: Microstrip patch antenna (with 50Ω T-line) Design Using IE3D.…………………..31
Figure 4.3: Microstrip patch antenna Design with EBGS Using IE3D.……………………….32
Figure 4.4: S-parameter Plot for return loss V/S frequency of (a)………….……………………33
Figure 4.5: S-parameter Plot for return loss V/S frequency of (b)……….……………………...34
Figure 4.6: S-parameter Plot for return loss V/S frequency of (c)………….……………….…...35

List of Tables
Table 2.1: Comparison of different feed techniques……………………………..........................16
Table 4.1: Comparison between three designs of Microstrip patch antenna…………………….36

6
 Chapter 1
MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNA

1 .1 Introduction

Communication between humans was first by sound through voice. With the desire for slightly
more distance communication came, devices such as drums, then, Visual methods such as signal
flags and smoke signals were used. These optical communication devices, of course, utilized the
light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. It has been only very recent in human history that
the electromagnetic spectrum, outside the visible region, has been employed for communication,
through the use of radio. One of humankind’s greatest natural resources is the electromagnetic
spectrum and the antenna has been instrumental in harnessing this resource.

1.2 Aim and Objectives

Microstrip patch antenna used to send onboard parameters of article to the ground while under
operating conditions. The aim of the thesis is to design and fabricate an inset-fed rectangular
Microstrip Patch Antenna and study the effect of antenna dimensions Length (L), Width (W) and
substrate parameters relative Dielectric constant (εr), substrate thickness (t) on the Radiation
parameters of Bandwidth and Beam-width.

1.3 Antenna

An antenna changes radio signals in the air into electricity, or vice versa. Antennas send signals,
receive signals, or both. All NETGEAR wireless devices have an antenna, either a visible pole
on the outside, or inside where you do not see it. The distance that an antenna sends (transmits)
depends on the type, and the amount of power running through it.

1.4 Antenna Characteristics

An antenna is a device that is made to efficiently radiate and receive radiated electromagnetic
waves. There are several important antenna characteristics that should be considered when
choosing an antenna for your application as follows:

• Antenna radiation patterns

• Power Gain
• Directivity
• Polarization

7
1.5 Overview of Microstrip Antennae

A microstrip antenna consists of conducting patch on a ground plane separated by dielectric

substrate. This concept was undeveloped until the revolution in electronic circuit miniaturization
and large-scale integration in 1970. After that many authors have described the radiation from
the ground plane by a dielectric substrate for different configurations. The early work of Munson
on micro strip antennas for use as a low profile flush mounted antennas on rockets and missiles
showed that this was a practical concept for use in many antenna system problems. Various
mathematical models were developed for this antenna and its applications were extended to
many other fields. The number of papers, articles published in the journals for the last ten years,
on these antennas shows the importance gained by them. The micro strip antennas are the present
day antenna designer’s choice.

Low dielectric constant substrates are generally preferred for maximum radiation. The
conducting patch can take any shape but rectangular and circular configurations are the most
commonly used configuration. Other configurations are complex to analyze and require heavy
numerical computations. A microstrip antenna is characterized by its Length, Width, Input
impedance, and Gain and radiation patterns. Various parameters of the microstrip antenna and its
design considerations were discussed in the subsequent chapters. The length of the antenna is
nearly half wavelength in the dielectric; it is a very critical parameter, which governs the
resonant frequency of the antenna. There are no hard and fast rules to find the width of the patch.

1.6 Microstrip Patch Antenna

Microstrip antennas are attractive due to their light weight, conformability and low cost. These
antennas can be integrated with printed strip-line feed networks and active devices. This is a
relatively new area of antenna engineering. The radiation properties of micro strip structures
have been known since the mid 1950’s. The application of this type of antennas started in early
1970’s when conformal antennas were required for missiles. Rectangular and circular micro strip
resonant patches have been used extensively in a variety of array configurations. A major
contributing factor for recent advances of microstrip antennas is the current revolution in
electronic circuit miniaturization brought about by developments in large scale integration. As
conventional antennas are often bulky and costly part of an electronic system, micro strip
antennas based on photolithographic technology are seen as an engineering breakthrough.

In its most fundamental form, a Microstrip Patch antenna consists of a radiating patch on one
side of a dielectric substrate which has a ground plane on the other side as shown in Figure 1.1.
The patch is generally made of conducting material such as copper or gold and can take any
possible shape. The radiating patch and the feed lines are usually photo etched on the dielectric
substrate.

8
 Figure 1.1 Structure of a Microstrip Patch Antenna

In order to simplify analysis and performance prediction, the patch is generally square,
rectangular, circular, triangular, and elliptical or some other common shape as shown in Figure
1.2. For a rectangular patch, the length L of the patch is usually 0.3333λo< L < 0.5 λo, where λo is
the free-space wavelength. The patch is selected to be very thin such that t << λo (where t is the
patch thickness). The height h of the dielectric substrate is usually 0.003 λo≤h≤0.05 λo. The
dielectric constant of the substrate (εr) is typically in the range 2.2 ≤ εr≤ 12.

Figure 1.2 Common shapes of microstrip patch elements

9
Microstrip patch antennas radiate primarily because of the fringing fields between the patch edge
and the ground plane. For good antenna performance, a thick dielectric substrate having a low
dielectric constant is desirable since this provides better efficiency, larger bandwidth and better
radiation. However, such a configuration leads to a larger antenna size. In order to design a
compact Microstrip patch antenna, substrates with higher dielectric constants must be used
which are less efficient and result in narrower bandwidth. Hence a trade-off must be realized
between the antenna dimensions and antenna performance.

1.6.1 Advantages and Disadvantages

Microstrip patch antennas are increasing in popularity for use in wireless applications due to
their low-profile structure. Therefore they are extremely compatible for embedded antennas in
handheld wireless devices such as cellular phones, pagers etc. The telemetry and communication
antennas on missiles need to be thin and conformal and are often in the form of Microstrip patch
antennas. Another area where they have been used successfully is in Satellite communication.
Some of their principal advantages discussed by Kumar and Ray are given below:

• Light weight and less volume.

• Low fabrication cost, therefore can be manufactured in large quantities.
• Supports both, linear as well as circular polarization.
• Low profile planar configuration which can be easily made conformal to
host surface.
• Can be easily integrated with microwave integrated circuits (MICs).
• Capable of dual and triple frequency operations.
• Mechanically robust when mounted on rough surfaces.

Microstrip patch antennas suffer from more drawbacks as compared to conventional antennas.

Some of their major disadvantages are given below:

• Narrow bandwidth
• Low efficiency
• Low Gain
• Low power handling capacity.
• Surface wave excitation
• Extraneous radiation from feeds and junctions
• Poor end fire radiator except tapered slot antennas

Microstrip patch antennas have a very high antenna quality factor (Q). It represents the losses
associated with the antenna where a large Q leads to narrow bandwidth and low efficiency. Q
can be decreased by increasing the thickness of the dielectric substrate. But as the thickness
increases, an increasing fraction of the total power delivered by the source goes into a surface
wave.

10
 Chapter 2
FEED TECHNIQUE AND BANDWIDTH

2.1 Feed Techniques

Microstrip patch antennas can be fed by a variety of methods. These methods can be classified
into two categories- contacting and non-contacting. In the contacting method, the RF power is
fed directly to the radiating patch using a connecting element such as a microstrip line. In the
non-contacting scheme, electromagnetic field coupling is done to transfer power between the
microstrip line and the radiating patch. The four most popular feed techniques used are the
microstrip line, coaxial probe (both contacting schemes), aperture coupling and proximity
coupling (both non-contacting schemes).

2.1.1 Microstrip Line Feed

In this type of feed technique, a conducting strip is connected directly to the edge of the
Microstrip patch as shown in Figure 2.1. The conducting strip is smaller in width as compared to
the patch and this kind of feed arrangement has the advantage that the feed can be etched on the
same substrate to provide a planar structure.

Figure 2.1 Microstrip Line Feed

11
The purpose of the inset cut in the patch is to match the impedance of the feed line to the patch
without the need for any additional matching element. This is achieved by properly controlling
the inset position. Hence this is an easy feeding scheme, since it provides ease of fabrication and
simplicity in modeling as well as impedance matching.

However as the thickness of the dielectric substrate being used, increases, surface waves and
spurious feed radiation also increases, which hampers the bandwidth of the antenna. The feed
radiation also leads to undesired cross polarized radiation.

2.1.2 Coaxial Feed

The Coaxial feed or probe feed is a very common technique used for feeding Microstrip patch
antennas. As seen from Figure 2.2, the inner conductor of the coaxial connector extends through
the dielectric and is soldered to the radiating patch, while the outer conductor is connected to the
ground plane.

Figure 2.2 Probe fed Rectangular Microstrip Patch Antenna

12
The main advantage of this type of feeding scheme is that the feed can be placed at any desired
location inside the patch in order to match with its input impedance. This feed method is easy to
fabricate and has low spurious radiation. However, a major disadvantage is that it provides
narrow bandwidth and is difficult to model since a hole has to be drilled in the substrate and the
connector protrudes outside the ground plane, thus not making it completely planar for thick
substrates (h > 0.02λo). Also, for thicker substrates, the increased probe length makes the input
impedance more inductive, leading to matching problems. It is seen above that for a thick
dielectric substrate, which provides broad bandwidth, the microstrip line feed and the coaxial
feed suffer from numerous disadvantages. The non-contacting feed techniques which have been
discussed below, solve these issues.

2.1.3 Aperture Coupled Feed

In this type of feed technique, the radiating patch and the microstrip feed line are separated by
the ground plane as shown in Figure 2.3. Coupling between the patch and the feed line is made
through a slot or an aperture in the ground plane.

Figure 2.3 Aperture-coupled feed

The coupling aperture is usually centered under the patch, leading to lower cross polarization due
to symmetry of the configuration. The amount of coupling from the feed line to the patch is
determined by the shape, size and location of the aperture. Since the ground plane separates the
patch and the feed line, spurious radiation is minimized.

13
Generally, a high dielectric material is used for bottom substrate and a thick, low dielectric
constant material is used for the top substrate to optimize radiation from the patch. The major
disadvantage of this feed technique is that it is difficult to fabricate due to multiple layers, which
also increases the antenna thickness. This feeding scheme also provides narrow bandwidth.

2.1.4 Proximity Coupled Feed

This type of feed technique is also called as the electromagnetic coupling scheme. As shown in
Figure 2.4, two dielectric substrates are used such that the feed line is between the two substrates
and the radiating patch is on top of the upper substrate. The main advantage of this feed
technique is that it eliminates spurious feed radiation and provides very high bandwidth (as high
as 13%), due to overall increase in the thickness of the microstrip patch antenna. This scheme
also provides choices between two different dielectric media, one for the patch and one for the
feed line to optimize the individual performances.

Figure 2.4 Proximity-coupled Feed

Matching can be achieved by controlling the length of the feed line and the width to line ratio of
the patch. The major disadvantage of this feed scheme is that it is difficult to fabricate because of
the two dielectric layers which need proper alignment. Also, there

14
2.2 Methods of Analysis

The preferred models for the analysis of Microstrip patch antennas are the transmission line
model, cavity model, and full wave model (which include primarily integral equations/Moment
Method). The transmission line model is the simplest of all and it gives good physical insight but
it is less accurate. The cavity model is more accurate and gives good physical insight but is
complex in nature. The full wave models are extremely accurate, versatile and can treat single
elements, finite and infinite arrays, stacked elements, arbitrary shaped elements and coupling.
These give less insight as compared to the two models mentioned above and are far more
complex in nature.

Figure 2.5: Comparison of different feed techniques

15
 Table 2.1 Comparison of different feed techniques

2.3 Transmission Line Model

This model represents the microstrip antenna by two slots of width W and height h, separated by
a transmission line of length L. The microstrip is essentially a non homogeneous line of two
dielectrics, normally the substrate and air.

(a) (b)

Figure 2.6 (a) Microstrip Line (b) Electric Field Lines

Hence, as shown in Figure.2.6 (b), most of the electric field lines lies in the substrate and parts of
some lines are in air. As a result, this transmission line do not support pure transverse
electromagnetic mode of transmission, since the phase velocities would be different in the air
and the substrate. Instead, the dominant mode of propagation would be the quasi-TEM mode.
Hence, an effective dielectric constant (εreff) must be obtained in order to account for the

16
fringing and the wave propagation in the line. The value of εreff is little less then εr because the
fringing fields around the edge of the patch are not confined in the dielectric substrate but are
also spread in the air as shown in Figure above. The expression for εreff can be given as:

Where,
εreff = Effective dielectric constant
εr = Dielectric constant of substrate
H = Height of dielectric substrate
W = Width of the patch

Consider Figure 2.7, which shows a rectangular microstrip patch antenna of length L, width W
lying on a substrate of height h. The co-ordinate axis is selected in such a way that the length is
along the x axis direction, width is along the y axis direction and the height is along the z axis
direction.

Figure 2.7 Microstrip Patch Antenna

In order to operate in the TM10 mode, the length of the patch must be slightly less than λ/2 where
λ is the wavelength in the dielectric medium and is equal to λo/√εreff where λo is the free space
wavelength. The TM10 mode implies that the field varies one λ/2 cycle along the length, and there
is no difference along the width of the patch. In the Figure 2.7, the microstrip patch antenna is
shown by two slots and separated by a transmission line of length L and open circuited at both
the ends. Along the width of the patch, the voltage is maximum and current is minimum due to
the open ends. The fields at the edges can be resolved into normal and tangential components
with respect to the ground plane.

17
 (a) (b)

Figure 2.8 (a) Top View of Antenna (b) Side View of Antenna

It is shown in Figure 2.8.b that the normal components of the electric field at the two edges along
the width are in opposite directions and thus out of phase since the patch is λ/2 long and hence
they nullify each other in the broadside direction. The tangential components which are in phase,
means that the resulting fields combine to give maximum radiated field normal to the surface of
the structure. Hence the edges along the width can be represented as two radiating slots, which
are λ /2 apart and excited in phase and radiating in the half space above the ground plane.

The fringing fields along the width can be modeled as radiating slots and electrically the patch of
the microstrip antenna looks greater than its physical dimensions. The dimensions of the patch
along its length have now been extended on each end by a distance ∆L, which is given
empirically as:

The effective length of the patch Leff now becomes:

For a given resonance frequency fo, the effective length is given by as:

18
For a rectangular Microstrip patch antenna, the resonance frequency for any TMmn mode is given
by as:

Where m and n are modes along L and W respectively for efficient radiation, the width W is
given as;

2.4 Properties of a Basic Microstrip Patch

A microstrip or patch antenna is a low profile antenna that has a number of advantages over
other antennas it is lightweight, low cost, and easy to integrate with accompanying electronics.
While the antenna can be 3D in structure (wrapped around an object, for example), the elements
are usually flat; Hence their other name, planar antennas. Note that a planar antenna is not
always a patch antenna.

The figure 2.9 shows a patch antenna in its basic form: a flat plate on a ground plane. The center
conductor of a coax serves as the feed probe to couple electromagnetic energy in and/or out of
the patch. The electric field distribution of a rectangular patch in its fundamental mode is also
shown

Figure 2.9 Basic Microstrip patch antenna with probe feeding

19
The electric field is zero at the center of the patch, maximum (positive) at one side, and
minimum (negative) on the opposite side. It should be mentioned that the minimum and
maximum continuously change side according to the instantaneous phase of the applied signal.
The electric field does not stop abruptly at the patch's periphery as in a cavity rather; the fields
extend the outer periphery to some degree. These field extensions are known as fringing fields
and cause the patch to radiate. Some popular analytic modeling techniques for patch antennas are
based on this leaky cavity concept. Therefore, the fundamental mode of a rectangular patch is
often denoted using cavity theory as the TM10 mode.

Since this notation frequently causes confusion, we will briefly explain it. TM stands for
transversal magnetic field distribution. This means that only three field components are
considered instead of six. The field components of interest are: the electric field in the z direction
and the magnetic field components in x and y direction using a Cartesian coordinate system,
where the x and y axes is parallel with the ground plane and the z axis is perpendicular.

In general, the modes are designated as TMnmz. The z value is mostly omitted since the electric
field variation is considered negligible in the z axis.

Hence TMnm remains with n and m the field variations in x and y direction. The field variation
in the y direction (impedance width direction) is negligible; Thus m is 0. And the field has one
minimum to maximum variation in the x direction (resonance length direction) ; Thus n is 1 in
the case of the fundamental. Hence the notation TM10.

2.5 Dimensions

The resonant length determines the resonant frequency and is about l/2 for a rectangular patch
excited in its fundamental mode. The patch is, in fact, electrically a bit larger than its physical
dimensions due to the fringing fields. The deviation between electrical and physical size is
mainly dependent on the PC board thickness and dielectric constant.

A better approximation for the resonant length is:

This formula includes a first order correction for the edge extension due to the fringing fields,
with:

· L = resonant length
· λd = wavelength in PC board
· λo = wavelength in free space
· εr = dielectric constant of the PC board material

20
Other parameters that will influence the resonant frequency:

· Ground plane size

· Metal (copper) thickness
· Patch (impedance) width

2.6 Antenna Gain

Antenna gain relates the intensity of an antenna in a given direction to the intensity that would be
produced by a hypothetical ideal antenna that radiates equally in all directions or is tropically and
has no losses. Since the radiation intensity from a lossless isotropic antenna equals the power
into the antenna divided by a solid angle of 4π steradians, we can write the following equation:

The gain of a rectangular microstrip patch antenna with air dielectric can be very roughly
estimated as follows. Since the length of the patch, half a wavelength, is about the same as the
length of a resonant dipole, we get about 2 dB of gain from the directivity relative to the vertical
axis of the patch. If the patch is square, the pattern in the horizontal plane will be directional,
somewhat as if the patch were a pair of dipoles separated by a half-wave; this counts for about
another (2-3) dB. Finally, the addition of the ground plane cuts off most or all radiation behind
the antenna, reducing the power averaged over all directions by a factor of 2 (and thus increasing
the gain by 3 dB). Adding this all up, we get about 7-9 dB for a square patch, in good agreement
with more sophisticated approaches.

2.7 Methods to Enhance Gain in Microstrip Patch Antenna

Most compact microstrip antenna designs show decreased antenna gain owing to the antenna size
reduction. To overcome this disadvantage and obtain an enhanced antenna gain, several designs
for gain-enhanced compact microstrip antennas with the loading of a high permittivity dielectric
supers rate or the inclusion of an amplifier-type active circuitry have been demonstrated.
Use of a high-permittivity super’s rate loading technique gives an increase in antenna gain of
about 10 dB with a smaller radiating patch. An amplifier-type active microstrip antenna as a
transmitting antenna with enhanced gain and bandwidth has also been implemented.

21
2.8 Polarization

The plane wherein the electric field varies is also known as the polarization plane. The basic
patch covered until now is linearly polarized since the electric field only varies in one direction.
This polarization can be either vertical or horizontal depending on the orientation of the patch. A
transmit antenna needs a receiving antenna with the same polarization for optimum operation.
The patch mentioned yields horizontal polarization, as shown. When the antenna is rotated 90°,
the current flows in the vertical plane, and is then vertically polarized.

A large number of applications, including satellite communication, have trouble with linear
polarization because the orientation of the antennas is variable or unknown. Luckily, there is
another kind of polarization circular polarization. In a circular polarized antenna, the electric
field varies in two orthogonal planes (x and y direction) with the same magnitude and a 90°
phase difference. The result is the simultaneous excitation of two modes, i.e. the TM10 mode
(mode in the x direction) and the TM01 (mode in the y direction). One of the modes is excited
with a 90° phase delay with respect to the other mode. A circular polarized antenna can either be
Right-hand circular polarized (RHCP) or left-hand circular polarized (LHCP). The antenna is
RHCP when the phases are 0° and 90° for the antenna in the figure below when it radiates
towards the reader, and it is LHCP when the phases are 0° and 90°.

2.9 Bandwidth

Another important parameter of any antenna is the bandwidth it covers. Only impedance
bandwidth is specified most of the time. However, it is important to realize that several
definitions of bandwidth exists impedance bandwidth, directivity bandwidth, polarization
bandwidth, and efficiency bandwidth. Directivity and efficiency are often combined as gain
bandwidth.

2.9.1 Impedance bandwidth/return loss bandwidth

This is the frequency range wherein the structure has a usable bandwidth compared to certain
impedance, usually 50 Ω. The impedance bandwidth depends on a large number of parameters
related to the patch antenna element itself (e.g., quality factor) and the type of feed used. The
plot below shows the return loss of a patch antenna and indicates the return loss bandwidth at the
desired S11/VSWR (S11 wanted/VSWR wanted). The bandwidth is typically limited to a few
percent. This is the major disadvantage of basic patch antennas.

22
 Figure 2.10 VSWR Bandwidth Calculation

Important note: Different definitions of impedance bandwidth are used, such as:

VSWR = 2:1 and other values, S11 values other than –10 dB, the maximum real impedance
divided by the square root of two [Z(Re)/√2, bandwidth], etc. This tends to turn selecting the
right antenna for a specific application into quite a burden.

2.9.2 Directivity/gain bandwidth

This is the frequency range wherein the antenna meets a certain directivity/gain requirement
(e.g., 1 dB gain flatness).

2.9.3 Efficiency bandwidth

This is the frequency range wherein the antenna has reasonable (application dependent)
radiation/total efficiency.

2.9.4 Polarization bandwidth

This is the frequency range wherein the antenna maintains its polarization.

2.9.5 Axial ratio bandwidth

This bandwidth is related to the polarization bandwidth and this number expresses the quality of
the circular polarization of an antenna.

23
 Chapter 3
RECTANGULAR PATCH ANTENNA

3.1 Introduction

Microstrip antennas are among the most widely used types of antennas in the microwave
frequency range, and they are often used in the millimeter-wave frequency range as well [1, 2,
3]. (Below approximately 1 GHz, the size of a microstrip antenna is usually too large to be
practical, and other types of antennas such as wire antennas dominate). Also called patch
antennas, microstrip patch antennas consist of a metallic patch of metal that is on top of a
grounded dielectric substrate of thickness h, with relative permittivity and permeability εr and µr
as shown in Figure 3.1 (usually µr=1). The metallic patch may be of various shapes, with
rectangular and circular being the most common, as shown in Figure 3.1

Figure 3.1 Rectangular & Circular Patch Antenna

Most of the discussion in this section will be limited to the rectangular patch, although the basic
principles are the same for the circular patch. (Many of the CAD formulas presented will apply
approximately for the circular patch if the circular patch is modeled as a square patch of the same
area.) Various methods may be used to feed the patch, as discussed below. One advantage of the
microstrip antenna is that it is usually low profile, in the sense that the substrate is fairly thin. If
the substrate is thin enough, the antenna actually becomes “conformal,” meaning that the

24
substrate can be bent to conform to a curved surface (e.g., a cylindrical structure). A typical
Substrate thickness is about 0.02 λ0. The metallic patch is usually fabricated by a
photolithographic etching process or a mechanical milling process, making the construction
relatively easy and inexpensive (the cost is mainly that of the substrate material). Other
advantages include the fact that the microstrip antenna is usually lightweight (for thin substrates)
and durable.

Disadvantages of the microstrip antenna include the fact that it is usually narrowband, with
bandwidths of a few percent being typical. Some methods for enhancing bandwidth are discussed
later, however. Also, the radiation efficiency of the patch antenna tends to be lower than some
other types of antennas, with efficiencies between 70% and 90% being typical.

3.2 Basic Principles of Operation

The metallic patch essentially creates a resonant cavity, where the patch is the top of the cavity,
the ground plane is the bottom of the cavity, and the edges of the patch form the sides of the
cavity. The edges of the patch act approximately as an open-circuit boundary condition. Hence,
the patch acts approximately as a cavity with perfect electric conductor on the top and bottom
surfaces, and a perfect “magnetic conductor” on the sides. This point of view is very useful in
analyzing the patch antenna, as well as in understanding its behavior. Inside the patch cavity the
electric field is essentially z directed and independent of the z coordinate. Hence, the patch cavity
modes are described by a double index (m, n). For the (m, n) cavity mode of the rectangular
patch the electric field has the form

Where L is the patch length and W is the patch width. The patch is usually operated in the (1, 0)
mode, so that L is the resonant dimension, and the field is essentially constant in the y direction.
The surface current on the bottom of the metal patch is then x directed, and is given by

For this mode the patch may be regarded as a wide microstrip line of width W, having a resonant
length L that is approximately one-half wavelength in the dielectric. The current is maximum at
the centre of the patch, x = L/2, while the electric field is maximum at the two “radiating” edges,
x = 0 and x = L. The width W is usually chosen to be larger than the length (W =1.5 L is typical)
to maximize the bandwidth, since the bandwidth is proportional to the width. (The width should
be kept less than twice the length, however, to avoid excitation of the (0, 2) mode.)

At first glance, it might appear that the microstrip antenna will not be an effective radiator when
the substrate is electrically thin, since the patch current in (2) will be effectively shorted by the
close proximity to the ground plane. If the modal amplitude A10 were constant, the strength of the

25
radiated field would in fact be proportional to h. However, the Q of the cavity increases as h
decreases (the radiation Q is inversely proportional to h). Hence, the amplitude A10 of the modal
field at resonance is inversely proportional to h. Hence, the strength of the radiated field from a
resonant patch is essentially independent of h, if losses are ignored. The resonant input resistance
will likewise be nearly independent of h. This explains why a patch antenna can be an effective
radiator even for very thin substrates, although the bandwidth will be small.

3.3 Resonant Frequency

The resonance frequency for the (1, 0) mode is given by

Where c is the speed of light in vacuum. To account for the fringing of the cavity fields at the
edges of the patch, the length, the effective length Le is chosen as Le= L + 2∆L

The Hammers tad formula for the fringing extension is

Where,

26
 Chapter 4
MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNA AND RESULTS

4.1 Design Specifications

The three essential parameters for the design of a rectangular Microstrip Patch Antenna:

• Frequency of operation (fo): The resonant frequency of the antenna must be selected
appropriately. The Mobile Communication Systems uses the frequency range from 2100-5600
MHz. Hence the antenna designed must be able to operate in this frequency range. The resonant
frequency selected for my design is 2.4 GHz.

• Dielectric constant of the substrate (εr): The dielectric material selected for our design is RT
Duroid which has a dielectric constant of 2.45. A substrate with a high dielectric constant has
been selected since it reduces the dimensions of the antenna.

• Height of dielectric substrate (h): For the microstrip patch antenna to be used in cellular
phones, it is essential that the antenna is not bulky. Hence, the height of the dielectric substrate is
selected as 1.58 mm.

Hence, the essential parameters for the design are:

• fo = 2.4 GHz
• εr = 2.45
• h = 1.58 mm

Step 1: Calculation of the Width (W):

The width of the Microstrip patch antenna is given as:

Substituting c = 3.00e+008 m/s, εr = 2.45 and fo = 2.4 GHz, we get:

W = 0.0475 m = 47.5 mm

27
Step 2: Calculation of Effective dielectric constant (εreff):

The effective dielectric constant is:

Substituting εr = 2.45, W = 47.5 mm and h = 1.58 mm we get:

εreff = 2.3368

Step 3: Calculation of the Effective length ( Leff):

The effective length is:

Substituting εreff = 2.3368, c = 3.00e+008 m/s and f = 2.4 GHz we get:

o

L = 0.0406 m = 40.625 mm
eff

Step 4: Calculation of the length extension (∆L):

The length extension is:

Substituting εreff = 2.3668, W = 47.5 mm and h = 1.58 mm we get:

∆L = 0.81 mm

Step 5: Calculation of actual length of patch (L):

The actual length is obtained by:

28
Substituting L = 40.625 mm and ∆L = 0.81 mm we get:
eff

L = 39 m = 39 mm

Step 6: Calculation of the ground plane dimensions (L and W ):

g g

The transmission line model is applicable to infinite ground planes only. However, for practical
considerations, it is essential to have a finite ground plane. It has been shown by [9] that similar
results for finite and infinite ground plane can be obtained if the size of the ground plane is
greater than the patch dimensions by approximately six times the substrate thickness all around
the periphery. Hence, for this design, the ground plane dimensions would be given as:

L = 6h + L = 6(1.5) + 39 = 48 mm
g

W = 6h + W = 6(1.5) + 47.5 = 56.5 mm

g

Step 7: Determination of Inset feed depth (y0):

An inset-fed type feed is to be used in this design. As shown in Figure 4.1, the feed depth is
given by y0. The feed point must be located at that point on the patch, where the input impedance
is 50 ohms for the resonant frequency. Hence, a trial and error method is used to locate the feed
point.
In this case we use PSO to obtain the optimum feed depth, where the return loss (R.L) is most
negative (i.e. the least value). According to [5] there exists a point along the length of the patch
which gives the minimum return loss.

Rin (y = y 0) = Rin (y = 0) cos4 (π*y0/L)

Where, Rin (y=0) = 0.5 * (G1 ± G12)

Where,

29
And

Using the first equation (assuming that ZC in the second equation is 50 Ω) where Rin (y=y0) =50Ω

We get: y0 = 13 mm

4.2 Design Procedure (PSO/IE3D)

(a) Design I Using λ/4 Line (70Ω) [Outset Feed]

Figure 4.1 Microstrip patch antenna (with 70Ω T-Line) designed using IE3D

Design Specification:

εreff = 2.3368

f0 = 2.4

λ0 = {(3*10^8m/s)*1000}/(2.4*10^9) = 125

λg = 125/(εreff)^(1/2) = 81.79 [εreff = 2.3368]

λg/4 = 20.45

T-Line (70Ω) = 20mm

T-Line (50Ω) = 50mm

30
(b) Design II Using 50Ω T-Line [Inset Feed]

Figure 4.2 Microstrip patch antenna designed using IE3D

Design Specification:

fo = 2.4 GHz

εr = 2.45

h = 1.58 mm

L = 39.4 mm

W = 46.9 mm

y0 = 13.2 mm

31
(c) Design III Using EBGS [Inset Feed]

Figure 4.3 Microstrip patch antenna designed with EBGS using IE3D

Design Specification:

fo = 2.4 GHz

εr = 2.45

h = 1.58 mm

L = 39.4 mm

W = 46.9 mm

y0 = 13.2 mm

EBGS Radius = 4.5 mm

Distance between EBGSs = 10mm

32
4.3 Simulation Setup and Results

The software used to model and simulate the Microstrip patch antenna is Zeland Inc’s IE3D.
IE3D is a full-wave electromagnetic simulator based on the method of moments. It analyzes 3D
and multilayer structures of general shapes. It has been widely used in the design of MICs,
RFICs, patch antennas, wire antennas, and other RF/wireless antennas. It can be used to calculate
and plot the S parameters, VSWR, current distributions as well as the radiation patterns.
11

4.4 Return Loss

Figure 4.4 S-parameter plot for Return loss v/s frequency of (a) [Bandwidth: 0.02985]

The inset feed used is designed to have an inset depth of 13.2mm, feed-line width of 5.6mm and
feed path length of 37mm. A frequency range of 2.2-3.5 GHz is selected and 151frequency
points are selected over this range to obtain accurate results.

The center frequency is selected as the one at which the return loss is minimum. As described in
chapter 2, the bandwidth can be calculated from the return loss (RL) plot. The bandwidth of the
antenna can be said to be those range of frequencies over which the RL is greater than -9.5 dB
(9.5 dB corresponds to a VSWR of 2 which is an acceptable figure). Using PSO, the optimum
feed depth is found to be at Yo = 13.2mm where a RL of -27 dB is obtained. The bandwidth of
the antenna for this feed point location is calculated (as shown below in Figure 4.4) to be 23.28
MHz and a center frequency of 1.9120 GHz are obtained which is very close to the desired
design frequency of 1.9 GHz.

33
 Figure 4.5 S-parameter plot for Return loss v/s frequency of (b) [Bandwidth: 0.02767GHz]

4.5 Development Model

We use to pre-emptive parameters to check the veracity of the PSO matlab code, before we begin
to optimize the parameters of the Microstrip patch antenna.

4.5.1 Case I: Resonant frequency

We calculate the resonant frequency a Microstrip antenna, using its parameters like width (W),
length (L), permittivity of the substrate (εr) and height (h) of the substrate. We apply Particle
Swarm Optimization technique for optimization of ∆L. The optimized ∆L is used for calculating
the resonant frequency of rectangular Microstrip patch antenna.

34
4.5.2 Case II: Feed point calculation

The input impedance of rectangular Microstrip patch antenna is a vital parameter in deciding the
amount of input power delivered to the antenna, thus, reducing the coupling effect of the RF
signal to the nearly circuits. The calculation of an exact 50 ohms input impedance of a
rectangular Microstrip patch antenna becomes extremely difficult when the antenna size is
drastically small. In this paper, an attempt has been made to exploit the capability of PSO
technique to calculate the input impedance by searching the feed point position. The feed point is
calculated by using below equation which is optimized by PSO technique to get accurate results.
Rin (y = y 0) = Rin (y = 0) cos4 (π*y0/L).

Figure 4.6 S-parameter plot for Return loss v/s frequency of (c) [Bandwidth: 0.04548GHz]

35
 Serial Design I Design II Design III

Bandwidth Bandwidth Bandwidth

0.02985 GHz 0.02767GHz 0.04548GHz
3
Depth Depth Depth
-18dB -16dB -44dB

Table 4.1 Comparison between three designs of Microstrip patch antenna

We have found that if we use EBGS on transmission line that we have shown in this figure then
get the best output for this design and we proved that if we use EBGS then we will get an
exclusive output of antenna. By integrating or differentiating our model it can be used in
industrial purposes. The output will serve better than ever before.

36
 Chapter 5
CONCLUSION AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

We have designed three wideband microstrip patch antennas. The characteristics of proposed
antennas have been investigated through different parametric studies using IE3D simulation
software. The proposed antennas have achieved good impedence matching, stable radiation
patterns, and high gain. The phi-shaped antenna can be used for Wireless LAN application in the
frequency range 5.2 to 5.8 GHz. Fabrication and Verification of simulated results can be carried
out in future.

37
REFERENCES

[1] R. Garg, P. Bhartia, I. Bahl, and A. Ittipiboon, Microstrip Antenna Design Handbook, Artech
House, 2000.

[2] K. F. Lee, Ed., Advances in Microstrip and Printed Antennas, John Wiley, 1997.

[3] D. M. Pozar and D. H. Schaubert, Microstrip Antennas: The Analysis and Design of
Microstrip Antennas and Arrays, IEEE Press, 1995.

[4] F. E. Gardiol, “Broadband Patch Antennas,” Artech House.

[5] S K Behera, “Novel Tuned Rectangular Patch Antenna As a Load for Phase Power
Combining” Ph.D Thesis, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

[6] D. R. Jackson and J. T. Williams, “A comparison of CAD models for radiation from
rectangular microstrip patches,” Intl. Journal of Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Computer
Aided Design, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 236-248, April 1991.

[7] D. R. Jackson, S. A. Long, J. T. Williams, and V. B. Davis, “Computer- aided design of

rectangular microstrip antennas”, ch. 5 of Advances in Microstrip and Printed Antennas, K. F.
Lee, Editor, John Wiley, 1997.

[8] D. M. Pozar, “A reciprocity method of analysis for printed slot and slot- coupled microstrip
antennas,” IEEE Trans. Antennas and Propagation, vol. AP-34, pp. 1439-1446, Dec. 1986.

[9] C. A. Balanis, “Antenna Theory, Analysis and Design,” John Wiley & Sons, New York,
1997.

[10] H. Pues and A Van de Capelle, “Accurate transmission-line model for the rectangular
microstrip antenna,” Proc. IEE, vol. 131, pt. H, no. 6, pp. 334-340, Dec. 1984.

[11] W. F. Richards, Y. T. Lo, and D. D. Harrison, “An improved theory of microstrip antennas
with applications,” IEEE Trans. Antennas and
Propagation, vol. AP-29, pp, 38-46, Jan. 1981.

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