The 2015 International Workshop on Antenna Technology
LTE band Capacitive Coupling Element Antenna for
Smart Phone Devices
Yi-Ane Chen, Wen-Jiao Liao, Xin-Xiong Chen, and Bang-Yun Dai
Department of Electrical Engineering
National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
Taipei, Taiwan
chenyeeane@yahoo.com.tw
Abstract—In this work, a capacitive coupling elements
antenna is proposed for handset devices. A dual-band matching
network is employed to provide matching in the two LTE bands,
Primary advantages of this antenna configuration include small
sizes, simple structure, low cost, good radiation efficiencies and
easy antenna tuning. The mechanisms for achieving low and high
band matching at the same time are explained. The fabricated
prototype validates its broad band and good radiation features.
The proposed antenna configuration can be transport to other
mobile platforms with little efforts.
Keywords—capacitive coupling element antenna; equivalent
circuits; microstrip antennas; handset antennas; miniaturized
antenna
I. INTRODUCTION
In recent years, the development of smart mobile devices
and wireless networks advances rapidlyˁʳ Our lives have been
changed by those smart devices. Consumers can surf the Web,
collect information and entertain themselves anytime with their!
smart phones. Newly released smart phones are come with the
so-called 4G connectivity. The long term evolution LTE-
advanced standard has a relatively broad band assignment,
which covers the 698 to 960 MHz band and the 1710 to 2690
MHz band [1], [2]. This is very tough challenge for
miniaturized antenna used on handset devices. Generally
speaking, to be installed on current sleek smart phones, the
antenna sizes must be smaller than 40 mm × 10 mm [3-5].
Among various miniaturized antenna types, the capacitive
coupling elements (CCE) antenna is an attractive choice. It can
overcome the bandwidth limitation for small antenna [6-7].
The CCE antenna characteristics can be tuned easily with
changes in lump element values. The same antenna
configuration can be reused when transporting the design from
one platform to another.
II. ANTENNA DESIGN
A. Antenna structures
The proposed CCE antenna architecture is relatively
simple. Two slabs of FR4 boards are elevated on the ground
plane as to the right plot of Fig. 1. The ground plane sizes
emulate a 5 inch smart phone. The ground plane sizes are 123
This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology,
Taiwan, R.O.C., under Grants MOST103-2221-E-011-014.
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mm ×ʳ 65 mm × 0.6mm. The dielectric constant of the FR4
board is 4.4, while the loss tangent is 0.02. The two small
board sizes are 35 mm ×ʳˇ mm × 0.6 mm and 35 mm ×ʳ6 mm ×
0.6mm, respectively. The antenna clearance area required is
only 8 mm ×ʳ 35 mm. A capacitive coupling is employed to
create wave modes. The matching network configuration is
shown in Fig. 2.
B. Matching circuits
A proper feeding point has to be selected prior to the design
of the matching network. Because CCE antenna structure itself
contains a resonant mode between 1.7 GHz to 2.2 GHz of CCE
antenna without the matching network, the feed point should
yield a resistance greater than 10 Ohms in the 700 MHz to 960
MHz band so that the matching process can be carried with
ease. With some preliminary tuning, a feed point about 10 mm
away from the left edge of the ground plane is selected as
indicated in Fig. 2.
In order to carry out the matching network design for the
high and low frequency bands separately, a symmetric
matching network configuration is adopted. As shown in Fig. 3,
there are a total of 8 elements used to for the dual-band
matching network. The low frequency band (700 MHz to 900
MHz) matching is located to the left. It is comprised of an L-
type matching made of two inductors. Note, if the low band
matching structure is combined with the high frequency one to
the right directly, the low band matching performance will be
destroyed. In order to mitigate this problem, we add a series
resonance, which is made of a series inductor and a series
capacitor to the right of the L-type matching. The high
impedance of the series resonator at the high band is equivalent
to an open circuit so that the low band matching becomes
invisible in the high band. The resistance/reactance plots
shown in Fig. 4 indicate the high impedance region appears in
the neighborhood of 1.75 GHz. The same technique is used to
design the high frequency band matching. A series resonator is
added between the feed and the L-type matching to the right. A
large impedance value is created in the low frequency band as
shown in Fig. 5. The two parallel matching are combined to
form the dual-band matching network. The lump element
values of the final design are tabulated in Table I.
Restrictions apply.
 The 2015 International Workshop on Antenna Technology

TABLE I
MATCHING ELEMENT VALUES OF THE PROPOSED DESIGN
Frequency Element in muRata 0402

Low band a =9 nH b = 4.7 nH c = 15 nH d = 1.3 pF

High band e =1.6 pF f = 0.1 pF g = 7.5 nH h =1.6 pF

III. PARAMETRIC STUDIES

Parametric studies are conducted to assess the effect of
parameter changes toward antenna characteristics. Results of
several lump elements are illustrated in Fig. 6. Because the
antenna may be implemented on different platform and near
structures on the platform may change, some antenna tuning
measures are needed. The results shown in Fig. 6 suggest the
resonance frequencies can be altered easily by adjusting the
! lump element values. They can be used to draw an antenna
! tuning guideline.
Fig. 1. Top and side views of the proposed CCE antenna on the 5 inch
platform. The proposed CCE antenna is fabricated and measured to
validate the design. Fig. 7 shows the prototype antenna. Results
simulated by HFSS are in good agreement with measured ones
as seen in Fig 8. However, there is a rather large big different
in radiated efficiency around 960 MHz. This may be due to the
resistances of lump elements which account for additional
losses and are not included in simulations. Large inductors are
subject to this type of lose.

400 300

300
Fig. 2. CCE antenna structure and the matching network. 200
Imput Impedance (ohms)

200

Imput Impedance (ohms)

100
100
0
0
Im a = 6.3nH -100 Im b = 3nH
-100 Im a = 8.3nH Im b = 5nH
Im a = 10.3nH Im b = 7nH
-200 Re a = 6.3nH -200 Re b = 3nH
Re a = 8.3nH Re b = 5nH
Re a = 10.3nH Re b = 7nH
-300 -300
0.6 0.8 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 0.6 0.8 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Frequency(GHz) Frequency(GHz)

(a) Inductor a, (b) Inductor b,

300 300
Fig. 3. Matching network configuration and lumped element composition.
200 200
Imput Impedance (ohms)

Imput Impedance (ohms)

300 0 100 100

Im
S11
200 Re
-2 0 0
Reflection coefficients(dB)
Imput Impedance (ohms)

100 -100 -100 Im f = 0.1pF

-4 Im e = 0.7pF
Im e = 1.2pF Im f = 0.3pF
0 Im e = 1.7pF Im f = 0.5pF
-6
-200 Re e = 0.7pF -200 Re f = 0.1pF
-100 Re e = 1.2pF Re f = 0.3pF
Re e = 1.7pF Re f = 0.5pF
-300 -300
-8 0.6 0.8 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 0.6 0.8 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
-200
Frequency(GHz) Frequency(GHz)
-300 -10
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
Frequency(GHz)
2.5 3.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
Frequency(GHz)
2.5 3.0
(c) Capacitor e, (d) Capacitor f,
Fig. 6. Parametric study results of matching elements
Fig. 4. Input resistance/reactance and reflection coefficient spectra in the low
frequency band.

300 0
Im S11
200 Re
-2
Reflection coefficients(dB)
Imput Impedance (ohms)

100
-4
0
-6
-100

-8
-200

-300 -10
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Frequency(GHz) Frequency(GHz)

Fig. 5. Input resistance/reactance and reflection coefficient spectra in the high

frequency band. Fig. 7. Photo of the fabricated antenna.

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0 100
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