Patch Antenna Design
Submitted by:
Menna Hassan Hamed Younes
Section: 8
Third Year Electronics and Communication Engineering Department
Contents
1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 4
2. Antenna Design (2.4 GHz) ........................................................................................................................ 4
3. Simulation Results and Analysis (2.4 GHz) .............................................................................................. 5
3.1 Return Loss (S1,1) and Bandwidth ..................................................................................................... 5
3.2 Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) ............................................................................................... 6
3.3 Efficiency ............................................................................................................................................. 6
3.4 Farfield Radiation Pattern and Gain................................................................................................... 7
3.5 Electromagnetic Field Distributions ................................................................................................... 7
3.6 E-Plane and H-Plane Radiation Patterns ............................................................................................ 8
4. Parametric Sweep Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 9
5. Modification for 7.5 GHz Operation ........................................................................................................ 9
6. Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 11
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Figure 1:Patch Antenna ................................................................................................................................. 5
Figure 2: S-parameters(2.4GHz) .................................................................................................................... 5
Figure 3:Bandwidth ....................................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 4:VSWR............................................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 5:Efficiency ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 6:Far field ........................................................................................................................................... 7
Figure 7:E-Field.............................................................................................................................................. 7
Figure 8: H-field ............................................................................................................................................. 8
Figure 9:E-plane(phi=0) ................................................................................................................................. 8
Figure 10:H-plane (Phi=90) ........................................................................................................................... 8
Figure 11:Parametric Sweep ......................................................................................................................... 9
Figure 12:Patch Antenna (7.5GHz) .............................................................................................................. 10
Figure 13: S-parameters(7.5GHz) ................................................................................................................ 10
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1. Introduction
This report details the design, simulation, and analysis of a rectangular microstrip
patch antenna. The primary objective was to design an antenna resonating at 2.4
GHz, analyze its performance, and perform a parametric study on the effect of
patch width. Subsequently, the necessary modifications to shift the resonance
frequency to 7.5 GHz were determined. The design and simulations were
conducted using CST Studio Suite.
2. Antenna Design (2.4 GHz)
The antenna is a rectangular patch designed on a substrate with a height (hs) of 1.6
mm. It is fed using an inset microstrip line to achieve impedance matching with a
standard 50Ωport. The initial design parameters optimized for resonance at 2.4
GHz are provided in Table 1 and illustrated in Figure 1.
Table 1: Optimized Design Parameters for 2.4 GHz Operation
Parameter Value (mm) Description
W 38 Patch Width
L 29 Patch Length
Fi 8.85 Inset Feed Depth
Wf 3.137 Feed Line Width
Gpf 1 Gap between patch and feed line
Lg 2*L (58) Ground Plane Length
Wg 2* W (76) Ground Plane Width
ht 0.035 Copper Thickness
hs 1.6 Substrate Height
4
Figure 1:Patch Antenna
3. Simulation Results and Analysis (2.4 GHz)
The performance of the designed antenna was evaluated through various
simulation results.
3.1 Return Loss (S1,1) and Bandwidth
The return loss (S1,1) plot is the primary indicator of the antenna's resonance and
impedance matching. Figure 2 shows the S1,1 plot for the optimized design.
Figure 2: S-parameters(2.4GHz)
• Resonance Frequency: The antenna shows a deep resonance centered
exactly at 2.4 GHz, where the return loss is approximately -33 dB, indicating
excellent impedance matching.
• Bandwidth: The -10 dB impedance bandwidth is defined by the frequency
range where S1,1≤-10 dB. As indicated by the markers in Figure 3, this range
is from 2.372 GHz to 2.444 GHz, resulting in a bandwidth of approximately
72 MHz.
5
Figure 3:Bandwidth
3.2 Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR)
The VSWR plot in Figure 4 confirms the matching performance. At the resonance
frequency of 2.4 GHz, the VSWR is close to the ideal value of 1, and it remains
below 2 across the entire -10 dB bandwidth.
Figure 4:VSWR
3.3 Efficiency
Figure 5 presents the radiation and total efficiency of the antenna. Both
efficiencies peak around the resonance frequency of 2.4 GHz. The radiation
efficiency is approximately -3.5 dB (around 45%), and the total efficiency is
approximately -4 dB (around 40%) at 2.4 GHz.
Figure 5:Efficiency
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3.4 Farfield Radiation Pattern and Gain
The 3D farfield radiation pattern at 2.4 GHz is shown in Figure 6. The
antenna exhibits a broadside radiation pattern, typical for a patch
antenna, with the main lobe directed perpendicular to the patch surface
(along the z-axis). The maximum realized gain (directivity shown) is
6.925 dBi.
Figure 6:Far field
3.5 Electromagnetic Field Distributions
The electric (E-field) and magnetic (H-field) distributions on the antenna at 2.4
GHz are shown in Figure7 and Figure 8, respectively. These plots illustrate the
resonant mode of the antenna, with maximum field intensities occurring at the
radiating edges of the patch.
Figure 7:E-Field
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Figure 8: H-field
3.6 E-Plane and H-Plane Radiation Patterns
The 2D polar plots show the Farfield directivity in the principal planes at f=2.4GHz.
E-Plane (Phi = 0)
Figure 9 shows the E-Plane pattern, which contains the electric field vector.
Figure 9:E-plane(phi=0)
H-Plane (Phi = 90)
Figure 7 shows the H-Plane pattern, which contains the magnetic field vector.
Figure 10:H-plane (Phi=90)
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4. Parametric Sweep Analysis
A parametric sweep was performed by varying the patch width ($W$) from 30
mm to 45 mm in steps of 1 mm. The resulting S1,1 plots are shown in Figure 9.
Figure 11:Parametric Sweep
Analysis:
• Resonance Frequency: The resonance frequency shifts slightly lower as the
width W increases.
• Impedance Matching & Bandwidth: The most significant effect of varying
W is on the impedance matching, indicated by the change in the depth of
the S1,1 dip. The design optimized for W=38 mm (red curve) shows the best
matching at 2.4 GHz. For other widths, the inset feed depth (Fi) would need
to be re-optimized to achieve a similar match. The bandwidth also varies
slightly with matching.
5. Modification for 7.5 GHz Operation
The resonance frequency of a rectangular patch antenna is primarily determined
by its length (L), following an approximate inverse relationship freq with length To
shift the operating frequency from 2.4 GHz to 7.5 GHz, the patch dimensions must
be scaled down.
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Parameter Value (mm) Description
W 12.172 Patch Width
L 8.885 Patch Length
Fi 2.832 Inset Feed Depth
Wf 1.004 Feed Line Width
Gpf 1 Gap between patch and feed line
Lg 2 * L (17.77) Ground Plane Length
Wg 2 *W (24.344) Ground Plane Width
ht 0.035 Copper Thickness
hs 1.6 Substrate Height
Figure 12:Patch Antenna (7.5GHz)
Figure 13: S-parameters(7.5GHz)
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6. Conclusion
A rectangular microstrip patch antenna was successfully designed and simulated
to operate at 2.4 GHz. The simulation results confirm excellent performance with a
return loss of -33 dB, a bandwidth of 72 MHz, and a realized gain of 6.925 dBi at the
target frequency. A parametric study showed that the patch width primarily affects
impedance matching. Finally, the theoretical modifications required to scale the
design for operation at 7.5 GHz were outlined, involving a significant reduction in the
patch's length and width.
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