Microstrip Antennas

Prof. Girish Kumar

Electrical Engineering Department
IIT Bombay

gkumar@ee.iitb.ac.in
prof.gkumar@gmail.com
(022) 2576 7436

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 1

Rectangular Microstrip Antenna (RMSA)
Y

Top
W X
View x

Side
View r h

Ground Co-axial
Plane Feed

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 2

 Advantages

 Light weight, low profile, planar configuration,

which can be made conformal.
 Low fabrication cost and ease of mass production.
 Linear and circular polarizations are possible.
 Feed lines and matching network can be easily
integrated with antenna structure.

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 3

 Disadvantages

 Narrow bandwidth (1 to 5%)

 Low power handling capacity.
 Practical limitation on Gain (around 30 dBi).
 Size is large at lower frequency.

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 4

 Applications
 Pagers and Mobile Phones
 Doppler and Other Radars
 Satellite Communication
 Command Guidance and Telemetry in Missiles
 Feed Elements in Complex Antennas
 Biomedical Radiator

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 5

Various Microstrip Antenna Shapes

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 6

 RMSA: Resonance Frequency

x
We W
L
Le

For the Fundamental TM10 Mode: Le = λ / 2 = λ0 / (2 𝜀𝑒 )

𝑐
𝑓0 =
2𝐿𝑒 𝜀𝑒
ℎ
where 𝐿𝑒 = 𝐿 + 2∆𝐿 and ∆𝐿 ≅
𝜀𝑒
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 7
RMSA – Characterization for TM10 Mode

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 8

 RMSA: Design Equations
For a given frequency f0 and desired bandwidth,
choose appropriate substrate parameters
𝑐 Smaller or larger W can be taken than
𝑊=
𝜀𝑟 + 1 the W obtained from this expression.
2𝑓0
2 BW α W and Gain α W
𝜀𝑟 +1 𝜀𝑟 −1 10ℎ −1/2
𝜀𝑒 = + 1+
2 2 𝑊
0 𝑐
𝐿𝑒 = 𝐿 + 2∆𝐿 = =
2 𝜀𝑒 2𝑓0 𝜀𝑒
Choose feed-point x between L/6 to L/4.
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 9
 RMSA: Design Example
Design a RMSA for Wi-Fi application (2.400 to 2.483 GHz)
Choose Substrate: εr = 2.32, h = 0.16 cm and tan δ = 0.001
𝑐
𝑊= = 3 x 1010 / ( 2 x 2.4415 x 109 x √1.66) = 4.77 cm
𝜀𝑟 + 1 W = 4.7 cm is taken
2𝑓0
2
𝜀𝑟 +1 𝜀𝑟 −1 10ℎ −1/2
𝜀𝑒 = + 1+ = 2.23
2 2 𝑊
𝑐
𝐿𝑒 = = 3 x 1010 / ( 2 x 2.4415 x 109 x √2.23) cm = 4.11 cm
2𝑓0 𝜀𝑒

L = Le – 2 ∆L = 4.11 – 2 x 0.16 / √2.23 = 3.9 cm

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 10
 RMSA: Design Example – Simulation using IE3D
L = 3.9 cm, W = 4.7 cm, x = 0.7 cm for εr = 2.32, h = 0.16 cm and tan δ = 0.001

BW for |S11| < -10 dB is from

Zin = 54Ω at f = 2.414 GHz
2.395 to 2.435 GHz = 40 MHz
Designed f0 = 2.4415 and Simulated f0 = 2.414 GHz % error = 1.1%.
Use f1L1 = f2 L2 for redesigning the antenna
Also, BW is small SOLUTION: Increase h and reduce L
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 11
MSA – Efficiency and BW Variation with h and f

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 12

 Effect of Dielectric Constant (εr)

With decrease in εr, both L and W increase, which increases fringing

fields and aperture area, hence both BW and Gain increase.

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 13

RMSA – Pattern for Different εr (TM10 mode)

9.8
2.32 With decrease in εr , size of
εr the antenna increases for
same resonance frequency.
Hence, gain increases and
HPBW decreases.

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 14

Broadband Gap Coupled RMSA Configurations
(a) Radiating Edges
Gap-Coupled

(b) Non-radiating Edges

(c) Four Edges Gap-Coupled
Gap-Coupled
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 15
Broadband Four Edges Gap Coupled RMSA

εr = 2.55, h = 3.18 mm, L = W = 30 mm, x = 14 mm

L1 = 27.5 mm, s1 = 2.5 mm – along radiating edges
L2 = 25.5 mm, s2 = 0.5 mm - along non-radiating edges
Two loops in the Smith Chart within VSWR = 2 circle
BW for VSWR < 2 is 569 MHz (18%)
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 16
Electromagnetically Coupled SMSA for GSM 900

L 1= 15.2cm, L2 = 12.8cm, ∆1 = 1.1cm,

∆ 2 = 1.3cm, x = 6.5cm, and Lg = 24cm

Measured BW for VSWR < 2

Gain ~ 9dBi is from 872 to 1000 MHz
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 17
Compact Shorted Rectangular MSA

λ/4

(a) Field distribution of the TM10 mode of RMSA

of length ≈ λ/2 and (b) shorted λ/4 RMSA.

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 18

 Compact H-Shaped MSA

H-shaped MSA Shorted H-shaped MSA

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 19

Circularly Polarized (CP) Square MSA with Dual Feed

L = 3 cm, r = 2.55, h = 0.159 Left and right hand circularly polarized
cm and tanδ = 0.001 field components (EL and ER) in the
Two Feeds at x = 0.5 cm with 1/00 φ = 0° and 90° planes at 3.0 GHz
and y = 0.5 cm with 1/900 for LHCP
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 20
8x8 Corporate feed MSA Array at X-Band

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 21

8x8 Corporate feed MSA Array Results

Radiation Pattern at 8.75 GHz

BW for VSWR < 1.5 is E-Plane HPBW = 9.9°
8.55 - 9.0 GHz (~5%) H-Plane HPBW = 9.4°
Max. SLL = –12.5dB
Max. Gain = 21.3 dBi
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 22