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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Antennas play a very important role in the field of wireless communications. Some of them
are Parabolic Reflectors, Patch Antennas, Slot Antennas, and Folded Dipole Antennas.
Each type of antenna is good in their own properties and usage. We can say antennas are the
backbone and almost everything in the wireless communication without which the world
could have not reached at this age of technology.

Patch antennas play a very significant role in todays world of wireless communication
systems. A Microstrip patch antenna is very simple in the construction using a conventional
Microstrip fabrication technique. The most commonly used Microstrip patch antennas are
rectangular and circular patch antennas.These patch antennas are used as simple and for the
widest and most demanding applications. Dual characteristics, circular polarizations, dual
frequency operation, frequency agility, broad band width, feed line flexibility, beam
scanning can be easily obtained from these patch antennas.

Figure 1 Microstrip Antenna (Single Patch and Patch Array)

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1.1 AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of the project is to design and simulate microstrip feed Single Patch Rectangular
Microstrip Antenna and compare parameters like the Return Loss, Transmitted Power and
Directivity. Optimization of the parameters of antennas using dimensions Length (L), Width
(W) and substrate parameters relative Dielectric constant (r), substrate thickness (t),
position of the patch and microstrip feed. For the design and simulation HFSS (High
Frequency Structure Simulator) which is 3D software is used for maximum optimization.

1.2 OVERVIEW OF MICROSTRIP ANTENNAS

In high-performance aircraft, spacecraft, satellite, and missile applications, where size,


weight, cost, performance, ease of installation, and aerodynamic profile are constraints and
low-profile antennas may be required. Presently there are many other government and
commercial applications, such as mobile radio and wireless communications that have similar
specifications. To meet these requirements, microstrip antennas can be used. These antennas
has revolutionized the industry of small sized antennas. These antennas are low profile,
conformable to planar and non planar surfaces, simple and inexpensive to manufacture using
modern printed-circuit technology, mechanically robust when mounted on rigid surfaces,
compatible with MMIC designs, and when the particular patch shape and mode are selected,
they are very versatile in terms of resonant frequency, polarization, pattern, and impedance.
In addition, by adding loads between the patch and the ground plane, such as pins and
varactor diodes, adaptive elements with variable resonant frequency, impedance,
polarization, and pattern can be designed.

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Major operational disadvantages of microstrip antennas are their low efficiency, low power,
high Q (sometimes in excess of 100), poor polarization purity, poor scan performance,
spurious feed radiation and very narrow frequency bandwidth, which is typically only a
fraction of a percent or at most a few percent. In some applications, such as in government
security systems, narrow bandwidths are desirable. However, there are methods, such as
increasing the height of the substrate that can be used to extend the efficiency (to as large as
90 percent if surface waves are not included) and bandwidth (up to about 35 percent).
However, as the height increases, surface waves are introduced which usually are not
desirable because they extract power from the total available for direct radiation (space
waves). The surface waves travel within the substrate and they are scattered at bends and
surface discontinuities, such as the truncation of the dielectric and ground plane, and degrade
the antenna pattern and polarization characteristics. Surface waves can be eliminated, while
maintaining large bandwidths, by using cavities. Stacking, as well as other methods, of
microstrip elements can also be used to increase the bandwidth.

Figure 2 Microstrip Antenna

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Microstrip antennas received considerable attention starting in the 1970s, although the idea of
a microstrip antenna can be traced to 1953 and a patent in 1955 .Microstrip antennas, as shown
in the Figure below, consist of a very thin (t _ 0, where 0 is the free-space wavelength)
metallic strip (patch) placed a small fraction of a wavelength (h _ 0, usually 0.0030 h
0.050) above a ground plane.For a rectangular patch, the length L of the element is usually
0/3 < L < 0/2. The strip (patch) and the ground plane are separated by a dielectric sheet
(referred to as the substrate). There are numerous substrates that can be used for the design of
microstrip antennas, and their dielectric constants are usually in the range of 2.2 Ir 12.
The ones that are most desirable for good antenna performance are thick substrates whose
dielectric constant is in the lower end of the range because they provide better efficiency,
larger bandwidth, loosely bound fields for radiation into space, but at the expense of larger
element size .Thin substrates with higher dielectric constants are desirable for microwave
circuitry because they require tightly bound fields to minimize undesired radiation and
coupling, and lead to smaller element sizes; however, because of their greater losses, they are
less efficient and have relatively smaller bandwidth .

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Since microstrip antennas are often integrated with other microwave circuitry, a compromise
has to be reached between good antenna performance and circuit design. Often microstrip
antennas are also referred to as patch antennas. The radiating elements and the feed lines are
usually photo etched on the dielectric substrate. The radiating patch may be square,
rectangular, thin strip (dipole), circular, elliptical, triangular, or any other configuration..
Square, rectangular, dipole (strip), and circular are the most common because of ease of
analysis and fabrication, and their attractive radiation characteristics, especially low cross-
polarization radiation. Microstrip dipoles are attractive because they inherently possess a large
bandwidth and occupy less space, which makes them attractive for arrays.

Figure 3 Representative shapes of microstrip patch elements

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1.3 WAVES ON MICROSTRIP

The mechanisms of transmission and radiation in a microstrip can be understood by


considering a point current source (Hertz dipole) located on top of the grounded dielectric
substrate. This source radiates electromagnetic waves. Depending on the direction toward
which waves are transmitted, they fall within three distinct categories, each of which
exhibits different behaviours.

Figure 4 Hertz Dipole on a Microstrip Substrate

1.3.1 SURFACE WAVES

The waves transmitted slightly downward, having elevation angles between /2and -
arcsin (1/r), meet the ground plane, which reflects them, and then meet the dielectric-to-air
boundary, which also reflects them (total reflection condition). The magnitude of the
field amplitudes builds up for some particular incidence angles that leads to the excitation of
a discrete set of surface wave modes; which are similar to the modes in metallic waveguide.
The fields remain mostly trapped within the dielectric, decaying exponentially above the
interface. The vector , pointing upward, indicates the direction of largest attenuation. The
wave propagates horizontally along , with little absorption in good quality dielectric.

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With two directions of and orthogonal to each other, the wave is a non-uniform plane
wave. Surface waves spread out in cylindrical fashion around the excitation point, with
field amplitudes decreasing with distance (r), say1/r, more slowly than space waves. The
Surface waves take up some part of the signals energy, which does not reach the
intended user. The signals amplitude is thus reduced, contributing to an apparent
attenuation or a decrease in antenna efficiency. Additionally, surface waves also introduce
spurious coupling between different circuit or antenna elements. This effect severely degrades
the performance of microstrip filters because the parasitic interaction reduces the isolation in
the stop bands. In large periodic phased arrays, the effect of surface wave coupling
becomes particularly obnoxious, and the array can neither transmit nor receive when it is
pointed at some particular directions (blind spots). This is due to a resonance phenomenon,
when the surface waves excite in synchronism the Floquet modes of the periodic structure.
Surface waves reaching the outer boundaries of an open microstrip structure are reflected and
diffracted by the edges. The diffracted waves provide an additional contribution to radiation,
degrading the antenna pattern by raising the side lobe and the cross polarization levels.
Surface wave effects are mostly negative, for circuits and for antennas, so their excitation
should be suppressed if possible.

Figure 5 Surface Waves

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1.3.2 LEAKY WAVES

Waves directed more sharply downward, with angles between arc sin (1/r) and , are
also reflected by the ground plane but only partially by the dielectric-to-air boundary. They
progressively leak from the substrate into the air, hence their name laky waves, and
eventually contribute to radiation. The leaky waves are also non-uniform plane waves for
which the attenuation direction points downward, which may appear to be rather odd; the
amplitude of the waves increases as one moves away from the dielectric surface. Actually,
the field amplitude increases as one move away from the substrate because the wave radiates
from a point where the signal amplitude is larger. Since the structure is finite, this apparent
divergent behaviour can only exist locally, and the wave vanishes abruptly as one crosses
the trajectory of the first ray in the figure. In more complex structures made with several
layers of different dielectrics, leaky waves can be used to increase the apparent antenna size
and thus provide a larger gain. This occurs for favourable stacking arrangements and at a
particular frequency. Conversely, leaky waves are not excited in some other multilayer
structures.

Figure 6 Leaky Waves

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1.3.3 GUIDED WAVES

When realizing printed circuits, one locally adds a metal layer on top of the substrate, which
modifies the geometry, introducing an additional reflecting boundary. Waves directed into
the dielectric located under the upper conductor bounce back and forth on the metal
boundaries, which form a parallel plate waveguide. The waves in the metallic guide can only
exist for some Particular values of the angle of incidence, forming a discrete set of waveguide
modes. The guided waves provide the normal operation of all transmission lines and circuits,
in which the electromagnetic fields are mostly concentrated in the volume below the upper
conductor. On the other hand, this build up of electromagnetic energy is not favourable for
patch antennas, which behave like resonators with a limited frequency bandwidth.

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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
Radiation Efficiency
Quality Factor

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 reduced 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. This surface wave contribution can be counted as an unwanted power
loss since it is ultimately scattered at the dielectric bends and causes degradation of the
antenna characteristics. Other problems such as lower gain and lower power handling
capacity can be overcome by using an array configuration for the elements.

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CHAPTER 2

Microstrip Patch antenna


Patch antennas play a very significant role in todays world of wireless
communication systems. A Microstrip patch antenna is very simple in the construction using
a conventional Microstrip fabrication technique. The most commonly used Microstrip patch
antennas are rectangular and circular patch antennas . These patch antennas are used as simple
and for the widest and most demanding applications. Dual characteristics, circular
polarizations, dual frequency operation, frequency agility, broad band width, feed line
flexibility, beam scanning can be easily obtained from these patch antennas.

2.1 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 are given below:

Light weight and low volume.


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

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

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2.2 FEEDING 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).

2.2.1 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. 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
modelling 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.

Figure 7 Microstrip feed line

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2.2.2 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 8 Coaxial feed

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 >\0.02o). 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.

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2.2.3 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 9 Aperture couple feed

The coupling aperture is usually centred 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. 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.

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2.2.4 PROXIMITY COUPLE 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 10 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 is an increase in
the overall thickness of the antenna.

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Equivalent circuits for different feed

Figure 11. Microstrip line feed Figure 12. coaxial feed

Figure 13. Aperture coupled feed figure 14. Proximity coupled feed

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Table 1 Difference between different feeding methods

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2.3 METHOD OF ANALYSIS

There are many methods of analysis for microstrip antennas. The most popular models are
the transmission-line, cavity and full wave (which include primarily integral
equations/Moment Method).The transmission-line model is the easiest of all, it gives good
physical insight, but is less accurate and it is more difficult to model coupling. Compared to
the transmission-line model, the cavity model is more accurate but at the same time more
complex. However, it also gives good physical insight and is rather difficult to model
coupling, although it has been used successfully. In general when applied properly, the full-
wave models are very accurate, very versatile, and can treat single elements, finite and
infinite arrays, stacked elements, arbitrary shaped elements, and coupling. In this chapter we
will cover the transmission-line and cavity models only. However results and design curves
from full- wave models will also be included. Since they are the most popular and practical,
in this chapter the only two patch configurations that will be considered are the rectangular
and circular.

2.3.1 TRANSMISSION LINE MODEL

It was indicated earlier that the transmission-line model is the easiest of all but it yields the
least accurate results and it lacks the versatility. However, it does shed some physical using
the cavity model, a rectangular microstrip antenna can be represented as an array of two
radiating narrow apertures (slots), each of width W and height h, separated by a distance L.
Basically the transmission-line model represents the microstrip antenna by two slots,
separated by a low-impedance Zc transmission line of length L.

Figure 15 Microstrip line

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(a) FRINGINGEFFECTS

Because the dimensions of the patch are finite along the length and width, the fields at the
edges of the patch undergo fringing. The same applies along the width. The amount of
fringing is a function of the dimensions of the patch and the height of the substrate. For the
principal E-plane (xy-plane) fringing is a function of the ratio of the length of the patch L to
the height h of the substrate (L/h) and the dielectric constant Ir of the substrate. Since for

microstrip antennas L/h _ 1, fringing is reduced; however, it must be taken into account
because it influences the resonant frequency of the antenna. The same applies for the width.
This is a non homogeneous line of two dielectrics; typically the substrate and air. As can be
seen, most of the electric field lines reside in the substrate and parts of some lines exist in air.
As W/h- 1 an dIr -1, the electric field lines concentrate mostly in the substrate. Fringing in
this case makes the microstrip line look wider electrically compared to its physical
dimensions. Since some of the waves travel in the substrate and some in air, an effective
dielectric constant Ireff is introduced to account for fringing and the wave propagation in the
line. To introduce the effective dielectric constant, let us assume that the centre conductor of
the microstrip line with its original dimensions and height above the ground plane,

Figure 16 Effective Dielectric Constant

Figure 17 Electric field line

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is embedded into one dielectric. The effective dielectric constant is defined as the dielectric
constant of the uniform dielectric material so that the line of Figure 2.11 has identical
electrical characteristics, particularly propagation constant, as the actual dielectric. For a line
with air above the substrate, the effective dielectric constant has values in the range of 1 < I
reff < Ir . For most applications where the dielectric constant of the substrate is much greater
than unity (Ir -1), the value of Ireff will be closer to the value of the actual dielectric constant
Ir of the substrate. The effective dielectric constant is also a function of frequency. As the
frequency of operation increases, most of the electric field lines concentrate in the substrate.

Therefore the microstrip line behaves more like a homogeneous line of one dielectric (only
the substrate), and the effective dielectric constant approaches the value of the dielectric
constant of the substrate.

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(b) EFFECTIVE DIELECTRICCONSTANT

Effective dielectric constant (reff) must be obtained in order to account for the fringing and
the wave propagation in the line. The value of reff is slightly less than r because the
fringing fields around the periphery of the patch are not confined in the dielectric substrate
but are also spread in the air as shown in Figure 3.8 above. The expression for reff is given
as:

- (2.1)
Where reff = Effective dielectric constant
r = Dielectric constant of substrate
h = Height of dielectric substrate
W = Width of the patch

(c) EFFECTIVELENGTH
Because of the fringing effects, electrically the patch of the microstrip antenna looks greater
than its physical dimensions. For the principal E-plane (xy-plane), this is demonstrated in
Figure 2.13 where the dimensions of the patch along its length have been extended on each

Figure 18.Top view Figure 19.Side view

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end by a distance 3L, which is a function of the effective dielectric constant Ireff and the
width-to-height ratio (W/h). A very popular and practical approximate relation for the
normalized extension of the length is:

- (2.2)

Since the length of the patch has been extended by 3L on each side, the effective length of the
patch is now (L = /2 for dominant TM010 mode with no fringing)

- (2.3)

2.3.2 CAVITY MODEL

Although the transmission line model discussed in the previous section is easy to use, it
has some inherent disadvantages. Specifically, it is useful for patches of rectangular design
and it ignores field variations along the radiating edges. These disadvantages can be
overcome by using the cavity model. A brief overview of this model is given below. In this
model, the interior region of the dielectric substrate is modelled as a cavity bounded by
electric walls on the top and bottom. The basis for this assumption is the following
observations for thin substrates (h << ).

Since the substrate is thin, the fields in the interior region do not vary much in the z
direction, i.e. normal to the patch.

The electric field is z directed only, and the magnetic field has only the transverse
components Hx and Hy in the region bounded by the patch metallization and the ground
plane. This observation provides for the electric walls at the top and the bottom

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Figure 20. Charge distribution and current density creation on microstrip patch

Consider Figure 2.12 shown above. When the microstrip patch is provided power, a charge
distribution is seen on the upper and lower surfaces of the patch and at the bottom of the
ground plane. This charge distribution is controlled by two mechanisms-an attractive
mechanism and a repulsive mechanism as discussed by Richards [16]. The attractive
mechanism is between the opposite charges on the bottom side of the patch and the ground
plane, which helps in keeping the charge concentration intact at the bottom of the patch. The
repulsive mechanism is between the like charges on the bottom surface of the patch, which
causes pushing of some charges from the bottom, to the top of the patch. As a result of this
charge movement, currents flow at the top and bottom surface of the patch. The cavity model
assumes that the height to width ratio (i.e. height of substrate and width of the patch) is very
small and as a result of this the attractive mechanism dominates and causes most of the
charge concentration and the current to be below the patch surface. Much less current would
flow on the top surface of the patch and as the height to width ratio further decreases, the
current on the top surface of the patch would be almost equal to zero, which would not allow
the creation of any tangential magnetic field components to the patch edges. Hence, the four
sidewalls could be modelled as perfectly magnetic conducting surfaces. This implies that the
magnetic fields and the electric field distribution beneath the patch would not be disturbed.
However, in practice, a finite width to height ratio would be there and this would not make
the tangential magnetic fields to be completely zero, but they being very small, the side walls
could be approximated to be perfectly magnetic conducting.

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Since the walls of the cavity, as well as the material within it are lossless, the cavity would
not radiate and its input impedance would be purely reactive. Hence, in order to account for
radiation and a loss mechanism, one must introduce a radiation resistance RR and

a loss resistance RL. A lossy cavity would now represent an antenna and the loss is taken into
account by the effective loss tangent eff which is given as:

- (2.4)

Qt is the total antenna quality factor of the dielectric given by :

-(2.5)

Qd represents the total quality factor of the dielectric given as:

-(2.6)

WT is the total energy stored in the patch at resonance

Pd is the dielectric loss

Tan s is the loss tangent of dielectric

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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 millimetre-wave frequency range as well.
(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 r and
r as shown in Figure 3.1 (usually r=1). The metallic patch may be of various shapes, with
rectangular and circular being the most common, as shown in Figure 3.1.

Figure 21 Microstrip patch antenna

Figure 22 Rectangular patch antenna Figure 23 Circular patch array

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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 modelled 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 substrate can be bent to conform to a curved surface (e.g., a
cylindrical structure). A typical substrate thickness is about 0.02 0. 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 PRINCIPLE 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 behaviour.
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

- (3.1)

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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:

- (3.2)
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 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:

- (3.3)

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 + 2L. - (3.4)

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The Hammerstad formula for the fringing extension is

- (3.5)
Where,

- (3.6)

3.4 RADIATION PATTERNS

The radiation field of the microstrip antenna may be determined using either an electric
current model or a magnetic current model. In the electric current model, the current in (2)
is used directly to find the far-field radiation pattern. Figure 3.3a shows the electric current
for the (1, 0) patch mode. If the substrate is neglected (replaced by air) for the calculation of
the radiation pattern, the pattern may be found directly from image theory. If the substrate is
accounted for, and is assumed infinite, the reciprocity method may be used to determine the
far-field pattern

Figure 24 Electric current for (1,0) patch figure 25 Magnetic current for (1,0)patch

In the magnetic current model, the equivalence principle is used to replace the patch by a
magnetic surface current that flows on the perimeter of the patch. The magnetic surface
current is given by

- (3.7)

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Where E is the electric field of the cavity mode at the edge of the patch and n is the outward
pointing unit-normal vector at the patch boundary. Figure 3b shows the magnetic current for
the (1, 0) patch mode. The far-field pattern may once again be determined by image theory or
reciprocity, depending on whether the substrate is neglected or not [4]. The dominant part of
the radiation field comes from the radiating edges at x = 0 and x = L. The two non-radiating
edges do not affect the pattern in the principle planes (the E plane at = 0 and the H plane at
= /2), and have a small effect for other planes.

It can be shown that the electric and magnetic current models yield exactly the same result for
the far-field pattern, provided the pattern of each current is calculated in the presence of the
substrate at the resonant frequency of the patch cavity mode [5]. If the substrate is neglected,
the agreement is only approximate, with the largest difference being near the horizon.
According to the electric current model, accounting for the infinite substrate, the far-field
pattern is given by

- (3.8)

The radiation patterns (E- and H-plane) for a rectangular patch antenna on an infinite
substrate of permittivity r = 2.2 and thickness h /0= 0.02 are shown in Figure 3.4. The patch
is resonant with W/L = 1.5. Note that the E-plane pattern is broader than the H-plane pattern.
The directivity is approximately 6 dB.

Figure 26 Radiation pattern (E & H plane)

29
3.5 RADIATION EFFICIENCY

The radiation efficiency of the patch antenna is affected not only by conductor and dielectric
losses, but also by surface-wave excitation - since the dominant TM0 mode of the grounded
substrate will be excited by the patch. As the substrate thickness decreases, the effect of the
conductor and dielectric losses becomes more severe, limiting the efficiency. On the other
hand, as the substrate thickness increases, the surface-wave power increases, thus limiting the
efficiency. Surface-wave excitation is undesirable for other reasons as well, since surface
waves contribute to mutual coupling between elements in an array, and also cause
undesirable edge diffraction at the edges of the ground plane or substrate, which often
contributes to distortions in the pattern and to back radiation. For an air (or foam) substrate
there is no surface-wave excitation. In this case, higher efficiency is obtained by making the
substrate thicker, to minimize conductor and dielectric losses (making the substrate too thick
may lead to difficulty in matching, however, as discussed above). For a substrate with a
moderate relative permittivity such as r = 2.2, the efficiency will be maximum when the
substrate thickness is approximately 0 = 0.02. The radiation efficiency is defined as

- (3.9)
Where P sp is the power radiated into space, and the total input power P total is given as the
sum of Pc - the power dissipated by conductor loss, Pd- the power dissipated by dielectric
loss, and Psw - the surface-wave power. The efficiency may also be expressed in terms of the
corresponding Q factors as

- (3.10)
Where

- (3.11)

30
Figure 27 Radiation Efficiency for a rectangular patch antenna

However, a specified frequency is necessary to determine conductor loss.) For h / 0 < 0.02,
the conductor and dielectric losses dominate, while for h /0 < 0.02, the surface-wave losses
dominate. (If there were no conductor or dielectric losses, the efficiency would approach
100% as the substrate thickness approaches zero.)

3.6 BANDWIDTH

The bandwidth increases as the substrate thickness increases (the bandwidth is directly
proportional to h if conductor, dielectric, and surface-wave losses are ignored). However,
increasing the substrate thickness lowers the Q of the cavity, which increases spurious
radiation from the feed, as well as from higher-order modes in the patch cavity. Also, the
patch typically becomes difficult to match as the substrate thickness increases beyond a
certain point (typically about 0.05 0). This is especially true when feeding with a coaxial
probe, since a thicker substrate results in a larger probe inductance appearing in series with
the patch impedance. However, in recent years considerable effort has been spent to improve
the bandwidth of the microstrip antenna, in part by using alternative feeding schemes.
Lowering the substrate permittivity also increases the bandwidth of the patch antenna.
However, this has the disadvantage of making the patch larger. Also, because the Qof the
patch cavity is lowered, there will usually be increased radiation from higher-order modes,
degrading the polarization purity of the radiation. By using a combination of aperture-
coupled feeding and a low-permittivity foam substrate, bandwidths exceeding 25% have been

31
obtained. The use of stacked patches (a parasitic patch located above the primary driven
patch) can also be used to increase bandwidth even further, by increasing the effective height
of the structure and by creating a double-tuned resonance effect.

The fractional bandwidth of the antenna is inversely proportional to the Qt of the antenna,
and it is defined by

- (3.12)
However, may not be as useful because it does not take into account impedance matching at
the input terminals of the antenna. A more meaningful definition of the fractional bandwidth
is over a band of frequencies where the VSWR at the input terminals is equal to or less than a
desired maximum value, assuming that the VSWR is unity at the design frequency. A
modified form of (14-88) that takes into account
the impedance matching is

- (3.13)

- (3.14)

Therefore the bandwidth is inversely proportional to the square root of the dielectric constant
of the substrate. A typical variation of the bandwidth for a microstrip antenna as a function of
the normalized height of the substrate, for two different substrates, is shown in Figure 3.8. It
is evident that the bandwidth increases as the substrate height increases.

32
Figure 28 Efficiency and Bandwidth versus Substrate height for different Substrate

3.7 INPUT IMPEDANCE

In general, the input impedance is complex and it includes both a resonant and a non resonant
part which is usually reactive. Both the real and imaginary parts of the impedance vary as a
function of frequency. Ideally both the resistance and reactance exhibit symmetry about the
resonant frequency and the reactance at resonance is equal to the average of sum of its
maximum value (which is positive) and its minimum value (which is negative). Typically the
feed reactance is very small, compared to the resonant resistance, for very thin substrates.
However, for thick elements the reactance may be significant and needs to be taken into
account in impedance matching and in determining the resonant frequency of a loaded
element. The variations of the feed reactance as a function of position can be intuitively
explained by considering the cavity model for a rectangular patch with its four side perfect
magnetic conducting walls. As far as the impedance is concerned, the magnetic walls can be
taken into account by introducing multiple images with current flow in the same direction as
the actual feed. When the feed point is far away from one of the edges, the magnetic field
associated with the images and that of the actual feed do not overlap strongly. Therefore the
inductance associated with the magnetic energy density stored within a small testing volume
near the feed will be primarily due to the current of the actual feed. However, when the feed
is at one of the edges, the feed and one of the images, which accounts for the magnetic wall at
that edge, coincide.

33
Figure 29 Typical variation of resistance and reactance versus frequency

Thus, the associated magnetic field stored energy of the equivalent circuit doubles while the
respective stored magnetic energy density quadruples. However, because the volume in the
testing region of the patch is only half from that when the feed was far removed from the
edge, the net stored magnetic density is only double of that of the feed alone. Thus, the
associated inductance and reactance, when the feed is at the edge, is twice that when the feed
is far removed from the edge. When the feed is at a corner, there will be three images in the
testing volume of the patch, in addition to the actual feed, to take into account the edges that
form the corner. Using the same argument as above, the associated inductance and reactance
for a feed at a corner is four times that when the feed is removed from an edge or a corner.
Thus, the largest reactance (about a factor of four larger) is when the feed is at or near a
corner while the smallest is when the feed is far removed from an edge or a corner.

3.8 RETURN LOSS IN ANTENNA

34
3.8 IMPROVING PERFORMANCE

Much research has been devoted to improving the performance characteristics of the
microstrip antenna. To improve bandwidth, the use of thick low-permittivity (e.g., foam)
substrates can give significant improvement. To overcome the probe inductance associated
with thicker substrates, the use of capacitive-coupled feeds such as the top-loaded probe or
the L-shaped probe may be used. Alternatively, the aperture coupled feed may be used, which
also has the advantage of eliminating spurious probe radiation. To increase the bandwidth
even further, a stacked patch arrangement may be used, in which a parasitic patch is stacked

35
The bandwidth enhancement is largely due to the existence of a double resonance, and to
some extent, to the fact that one of the radiators is further from the ground plane. Bandwidths
as large as one octave (2:1 frequency band) have been obtained with such an arrangement. By
using a diplexer feed to split the feeding signal into two separate branches, and feeding two
aperture-coupled stacked patches with different centre frequencies, bandwidths of 4:1 have
been obtained. Parasitic patches may also be placed on the same substrate as the driven patch,
surrounding the driven patch. A pair of parasitic patches may be coupled to the radiating
edges, the non-radiating edges, or all four edges. This planar arrangement saves vertical
height and allows for easier fabrication, allows the substrate area occupied by the antenna is
larger, and there may be more variation of the radiation pattern across the frequency band
since the current distribution on the different patches changes with frequency. Broad banding
may also be achieved through the use of slots cut into the patch, as in the U-slot patch
design. This has the advantage of not requiring multiple layers or increasing the size of the
patch as with parasitic elements.

3.9 LINEAR POLARIZATION

Antenna Polarization is a very important parameter when choosing and installing an antenna.
It helps to have a good grasp of all the aspects of this subject. Most communications systems
use vertical, horizontal or circular polarization. Knowing the difference between polarizations
and how to maximize their benefit is very important to the antenna user. A linear polarized
antenna radiates wholly in one plane containing the direction of propagation. In a circular
polarized antenna, the plane of polarization rotates in a circle making one complete
revolution during one period of the wave. An antenna is said to be vertically polarized
(linear) when its electric field is perpendicular to the Earth's surface. A circular polarized
wave radiates energy in both the horizontal and vertical planes and all planes in between. The
difference, if any, between the maximum and the minimum peaks as the antenna is rotated
through all angles, is called the axial ratio or ellipticity and is usually specified in decibels
(dB). If the axial ratio is near 0 dB, the antenna is said to be circular polarized. If the axial
ratio is greater than 1-2 dB, the polarization is often referred to as elliptical.

36
3.10 ARRAYS AND FEED NETWORK

Microstrip antennas are used not only as single elements but are very popular in arrays.
Arrays are very versatile and are used, among other things, to synthesize a required pattern
that cannot be achieved with a single element. In addition, they are used to scan the beam of
an antenna system, increase the directivity, and perform various other functions which would
be difficult with any one single element. The elements can be fed by a single line, or by
multiple lines in a feed network arrangement. The first is referred to as a series-feed network
while the second is referred to as a corporate-feed network. The corporate-feed network is
used to provide power splits of 2n (i.e., n = 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, etc.). This is accomplished by
using either tapered lines, to match 100-ohm patch elements to a 50-ohm input or using
quarter wavelength impedance transformers. Series-fed arrays can be conveniently fabricated
using photolithography for both the radiating elements and the feed network. However, this
technique is limited to arrays with a fixed beam or those which are scanned by varying the
frequency, but it can be applied to linear and planar arrays with single or dual polarization.

37
Also any change in one of the elements or feed lines affects the performance of the others.
Therefore in a design it is important to be able to take into account these and other effects,
such as mutual coupling, and internal reflections. Corporate-fed arrays are general and
versatile. With this method the designer has more control of the feed of each element
(amplitude and phase) and it is ideal for scanning phased arrays, multi beam arrays, or
shaped-beam arrays. The phase of each element can be controlled using phase shifters while
the amplitude can be adjusted using either amplifiers or attenuators.

Those who have been designing and testing microstrip arrays indicate that radiation from the
feed line, using either a series or corporate-feed network, is a serious problem that limits the
cross polarization an d side lobe level of the arrays. Both cross polarization and side lobe
levels can be improved by isolating the feed network from the radiating face of the array. This
can be accomplished using either probe feeds or aperture coupling. However, such an
approach does not take into account mutual coupling effects, which for microstrip patches
can be significant. Therefore for more accurate results, full- wave solutions must be
performed. In microstrip arrays, as in any other array, mutual coupling between elements
can introduce scan blindness which limits, for a certain maximum reflection coefficient, the
angular volume over which the arrays can be scanned. For microstrip antennas, this scan
limitation is strongly influenced by surface waves within the substrate. This scan angular
volume can be extended by eliminating surface waves. One way to do this is to use cavities in
conjunction with microstrip elements.

38
CHAPTER 4

ANSOFT HFSS

4.1 Introduction

ANSYS HFSS software is the industry standard for simulating 3-D full-wave electromagnetic
fields. Its gold-standard accuracy, advanced solver and compute technology have made it an
essential tool for engineers designing high-frequency and high-speed electronic
components.HFSS offers multiple state-of the-art solver technologies based on finite element,
integral equation or advanced hybrid methods to solve a wide range of applications. Each
HFSS solver incorporates a powerful, automated solution process, so you need only to specify
geometry, material properties and the desired output. From there, HFSS automatically
generates an appropriate, efficient and accurate mesh for solving the problem using the
selected solution technology. With HFSS, the physics defines the mesh; the mesh does not
define the physics.

Fig 35

39
4.2 Two Modes of Operation
To enhance user productivity, ANSYS HFSS includes two modes of operation:
3-D interface
HFSS for ECAD

The 3-D interface enables users to model complex 3-D geometry or import CAD geometry.
Typically, the 3-D mode is used to model and simulate high-frequency components, such as
antennas, RF/microwave components and biomedical devices. Engineers can extract
scattering matrix parameters (S,Y, Z parameters), visualize 3-D electromagnetic fields (near-
and far-field), and generate ANSYS Full-Wave SPICE models that link to circuit
simulations.
The other mode of operation is an electrical CAD interface, HFSS for ECAD, which is ideal
for designers who work in layered geometry or layout of high-speed components, including
on-chip embedded passives, IC packages and PCB interconnects. These types of designs can
be easily modeled in HFSS electrical layout environment while, at the same time, simulating
for all 3-D features, such as trace thickness and etching as well as bond wires, solder bumps
and solder balls. Geometry such as trace width can be easily parameterized and optimized
using the integrated ANSYS Optimetrics tool in the HFSS for ECAD interface. Beyond the
convenient electrical layout environment, HFSS includes a fast 2.5-D planar electromagnetic
solver based on the method of moments. This provides the flexibility to use a fast solver
optimized for planar structures in the initial design phase, and then turn to the reliable 3-D
accuracy of HFSS finite elements for optimization and design verification. Signal integrity
engineers use HFSS for ECAD to integrate within established EDA design flows to evaluate
signal and power quality, including transmission path losses, reflection loss from impedance
mismatches, parasitic coupling, ground bounce and radiation.

40
4.3 ANSYS HFSS Features
ANSYS HFSS software contains the technology, solvers and capabilities needed to model RF
and microwave as well as signal- and power-integrity issues.
Solver Technologies
HFSS offers multiple state-of the-art solver technologies for high-frequency electromagnetic
field simulation. Powerful solvers based on the proven finite element method, the well-
established integral equation method, or combined hybrid techniques deliver the most
advanced computational methods available in an easy to use design environment.

4.3.1 ANSYS HFSS Frequency Domain Solver


ANSYS HFSS utilizes a 3-D full-wave frequency domain electromagnetic field solver based
on the finite element method (FEM) to compute the electrical behavior of components. With
HFSS, engineers can extract parasitic parameters (S, Y, Z), visualize 3-D electromagnetic
fields (near- and far-field), and generate Full-Wave SPICE models to effectively evaluate
signal quality, including transmission path losses, reflection loss due to impedance
mismatches, parasitic coupling and radiation.

Fig 36 Antenna on aircraft simulated using domain decomposition method

41
4.3.2 ANSYS HFSS Transient Solver
The HFSS transient solver is a 3-D full-wave transient electromagnetic field solver based on
the discontinuous Galerkin method (DGTD). This tetrahedral finite element technique
exploits the same automatic adapted-for-accuracy meshing technology that made HFSS the
gold standard for accuracy in electromagnetics. Engineers can investigate applications with
short-duration pulsed excitations, such as ground-penetrating radar, electrostatic discharge,
electromagnetic interference and lightning. Other applications include time domain
reflectometry (TDR) as well as field visualization from any general time-based input pulse.
This technology complements the frequency domain solution technology in HFSS by
enabling engineers to understand the electromagnetic characteristics of their design in detail.

Fig37. Fields through PCB via as solved with HFSS transient.

Fig 38.Differential signal propagating in time through a flexed cable solved with
HFSS transient using conformal finite elements.

42
4.3.3 ANSYS HFSS Physical Optics Solver
HFSS offers a physical optics (PO) solver as part of the IE solver. In PO, a radiation source is
used to illuminate the geometry, thus inducing PO currents that then reradiate. This
asymptotic method is extremely useful when solving very large electromagnetic radiation and
scattering problems. Applications include large reflector antenna simulations as well as radar
cross section (RCS) of large objects such as aircraft and ships. This capability allows you to
illuminate any large structure by an incident plane wave excitation or use a linked HFSS
simulation as a source.

Fig 39. Antenna pattern of antenna mounted on International Space Station using physical
optics method

5.4.4High-Performance Computing
High-performance computing (HPC) adds tremendous value to HFSS. With ANSYS
Electronics HPC, you can solve ever-larger, more complex electromagnetic field simulations
and leverage the networked computer resources to achieve faster solutions.
Learn more about ANSYS Electronics HPC.

43
CHAPTER 5
Antenna Design and Simulation

In this chapter, the procedure for designing a rectangular microstrip patch antenna is
explained. Next, a compact single patch and rectangular microstrip antenna and a patch array
rectangular microstrip antenna is designed and simulated using Microwave Office and HFSS
(High Frequency Structure Simulator) at an operating frequency of 10GHz. Finally, the
results obtained from the simulations are demonstrated.

5.1 DESIGN SPECIFICATION FOR SUBSTRATE


THIN WIRE STRUCTURE

A unit cell is constructed in the PEC/PMC waveguide format as shown in figure (a) . Several
cylinders composed of copper are used to create the wire rod array. The cylinders are
seperated by the distance a, with radius, r. The rods must contact the top and bottom faces of
the unit cell. As the top and bottom faces of the cell are Perfect E planes approximating metal
sheets, the structure may be considered a parallel plate waveguide. In practice, to ensure there
is a sufficient dielectric response to the electric field, the rods must connect to the metal
sheets of the parallel plate waveguide. In the case of simulations they must touch the top and
bottom face of the PEC/PMC waveguide but must not completely intersect it otherwise HFSS
will produce errors.

Fig 40. HFSS structure example for an array of thin wire rods

44
Fig 41 A 3*3 Wire Rod Array

Fig 42 HFSS Design for Substrate

45
5.2 SIMULATION AND SETUP RESULT FOR SUBSTRATE

5.2.1 TO ADD FREQUENCY SWEEP

Fig 43

46
5.2.2 TO ADD THE FREQUENCY RANGE

Fig 44

47
5.2.3 SWEEP IN PROGRESS

Fig 45

5.2.4VALIDATION CHECK

Fig 46

48
5.2.5 SIMULATION RESULT

Transmission results from a 3x3 wire rod array simulated in HFSS


The location of the plasma frequency is thus at wp =20GHz

Fig 47 wp =20GHz

49
5.2 DESIGN SPECIFICATION

The three essential parameters for the design of a rectangular Microstrip Patch Antenna
obtained by the analysis of the substrate are:

Frequencyof operation(fo):
The resonant frequency of the antenna must be selected appropriately. The range of
frequency for our project lies in the band (19-21) GHz. So the operating frequency of the
project is 20 GHz. Hence the antenna designed must be able to operate in this frequency
range.

Dielectric constantofthesubstrate(r):
The dielectric material selected for microstrip antenna should lie in a range from 2.2 to
12. But lower the dielectric constant better is the efficiency of the microstrip antenna. So
for our design the dielectric material for the substrate has a dielectric constant of 2.33.
.
Heightofdielectricsubstrate(h):
For the microstrip patch antenna it is essential that the antenna is not bulky. Hence, the
height of the dielectric substrate is selected as 2 mm. At this height the rectangular patch
antenna works efficiently.

Hence, the essential parameters for the design are:


fo = 20 GHz
r = 2.2
h=2mm

50
5.3 DESIGN PROCEDURE

5.3.1 The transmission line model described will be used to design the
antenna.
Step 1: Calculation of the Width (W ):
The width of the Microstrip patch antenna is given by equation :

Step 2: Calculation of Effective dielectric constant ( reff ):

Equation gives the effective dielectric constant as:

51
Step 3: Calculation of the Effective length ( Leff ):

Equation gives the effective length as:

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


Equation gives the length extension as:

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


The actual length is obtained by re-writing equation as:

Step 5: Calculation of ground plane dimensions ( Lg and Wg ):

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 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:

52
5.3.2The calculated values are given below:

L = 3.488 mm
W = 5.813 mm
L=0936 mm
reff =1.958
Leff = 5.36 mm
Lg=15.488 mm
Wg= 17.813 mm

53
5.3.3 SIMULATION AND RESULT

1. DESIGN MODEL FOR RECTANGULAR PATCH ANTENNA IN


HFSS

Fig 49(a) Side View

Fig 49(b) Top View

54
2. FREQUECY SWEEP

Fig 50

3. RECTANGULAR PLOT FOR S11 PARAMETER

Fig 51

55
4. RECTANGULAR PLOT FOR VSWR PARAMETER

Fig 52

5. RADIATION PATTERN FOR PATCH ANTENNA

Fig 53

56
6. DESIGN MODEL FOR ANTENNA IN HFSS WITH COPPER WIRE
AS SUBSTRATE

Fig 54

57
7. RECTANGULAR PLOT FOR S11 PARAMETER WITH COPPER
WIRE AS SUBSTRATE

Fig 55

8. RECTANGULAR PLOT FOR VSWR PARAMETER WITH


COPPER WIRE AS SUBSTRATE

Fig 56

58
9. RADIATION PATTERN FOR PATCH ANTENNA

Fig 57

59
CHAPTER 6
OBSERVATIONS
60

CHAPTER 7
CONCLUSION

A microstrip patch antenna was designed, and simulated in HFSS.

The radiation efficiency of the antenna is more comparing to a single rectangular patch
antenna.This is because of minimum return loss at the solution frequency. From the above
results, it is concluded that PATCH ARRAY ANTENNA is much better than SINGLE
PATCH ANTENNA.

In any Microstrip antenna it is very important to take the feed technique, the impedance and
the substrate i.e. the main parameters into consideration. The proper position to terminate the
feed line also affects the performance of the antenna. Different types of feeding techniques
like coaxial feed or transmission feed also affect the performance of the antenna. We
have used microstrip feed line. From the results it can be concluded that the return loss is
dependent on the location of patches on the substrate and also the location of the co-axial feed
on the patch. When the feed is more towards the periphery result is better i.e. greator the
radiation efficiency and minimum return loss.

We have used X-band frequency of 10GHz for operating our single patch as well as patch
array antenna. The application of this patch antenna is in X-band Microwave life-detection
system which can be used to detect the heartbeat and breathing of human subjects lying on
the ground at a distance of 30 m or farther or sitting behind a cinder block wall at a distance
of about 3 m, in case of any natural calamity. The system can also be used for non-invasive,
remote monitoring of the breathing and heartbeat of a patient in a clinic.
61
CHAPTER 8
APPLICATIONS

Mobile and satellite communication application:


Mobile communication requires small, low-cost, low profile antennas. Microstrip patch
antenna meets all requirements and various types of microstrip antennas have been designed
for use in mobile communication systems. In case of satellite communication circularly
polarized radiation patterns are required and can be realized using either square or circular
patch with one or two feed points.

Global Positioning System applications:


Nowadays microstrip patch antennas with substrate having high permittivity sintered material
are used for global positioning system. These antennas are circularly polarized, very compact
and quite expensive due to its positioning. It is expected that millions of GPS receivers will be
used by the general population for land vehicles, aircraft and maritime vessels to find there
position accurately

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID):


RFID uses in different areas like mobile communication, logistics, manufacturing,
transportation and health care. RFID system generally uses frequencies between 30 Hz and
5.8 GHz depending on its applications. Basically RFID system is a tag or transponder and a
transceiver or reader.

Radar Application:
Radar can be used for detecting moving targets such as people and vehicles. It demands a low
profile, light weight antenna subsystem, the microstrip antennas are an ideal choice. The
fabrication technology based on photolithography enables the bulk production of microstrip
antenna with repeatable performance at a lower cost in a lesser time frame as compared to the
conventional antennas.

62
Rectenna Application:

Rectenna is a rectifying antenna, a special type of antenna that is used to directly convert
microwave energy into DC power. Rectenna is a combination of four subsystems i.e.
Antenna, ore rectification filter, rectifier, post rectification filter. in rectenna application, it is
necessary to design antennas with very high directive characteristics to meet the demands of
long-distance links. Since the aim is to use the rectenna to transfer DC power through wireless
links for a long distance, this can only be accomplished by increasing the electrical size of the
antenna.

Telemedicine Application:
In telemedicine application antenna is operating at 2.45 GHz. Wearable microstrip antenna is
suitable for Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN). The proposed antenna achieved a higher
gain and front to back ratio compared to the other antennas, in addition to the semi directional
radiation pattern which is preferred over the omni-directional pattern to overcome
unnecessary radiation to the user's body and satisfies the requirement for on-body and off-
body applications. A antenna having gain of 6.7 dB and a F/B ratio of 11.7 dB and resonates
at 2.45GHz is suitable for telemedicine applications.

Medicinal applications of patch:


It is found that in the treatment of malignant tumors the microwave energy is said to be the
most effective way of inducing hyperthermia. The design of the particular radiator which is to
be used for this purpose should posses light weight, easy in handling and to be rugged. Only
the patch radiator fulfils these requirements. The initial designs for the Microstrip radiator for
inducing hyperthermia was based on the printed dipoles and annular rings which were
designed on S-band. And later on the design was based on the circular microstrip disk at L-
band. There is a simple operation that goes on with the instrument; two coupled Microstrip
lines are separated with a flexible separation which is used to measure the temperature inside
the human body.

63
CHAPTER 9
FUTURE PROSPECTS

The simulation gave results good enough to satisfy our requirements to fabricate it on
hardware which can be used wherever needed. The investigation has been limited mostly to
theoretical studies and simulations due to lack of fabrication facilities. Detailed experimental
studies can be taken up at a later stage to fabricate the antenna. Before going for fabrication
we can optimize the parameters of the patch antenna by using Genetic Algorithm.

The size of the patch and hence patch array and also the integrability of the patch array with
RF front end can be improved by using other substrate and employing micromachining.

In future other different type of feed techniques can be used to calculate the overall
performance of the antenna without missing the optimized parameters in the action.
Extensively and exclusively focusing on the area of different design methods especially in the
minimising return loss, and enhancing the efficiency.

While simulation we have considered two parameters that are Radiation Efficiency and
Return Loss only. In future further studies can be done for optimising various other
parameters of the microstrip patch antenna such as Directivity and Gain.

Detailed experimental studies can be taken up at a later stage by optimising the microstrip
antenna further using various other parameters because HFSS can also be used to calculate
Bandwidth Ratio and plot the VSWR, current distributions as well as the radiation
patterns.

64
CHAPTER 10

REFERENCES

[1] Bahl, I. J and Bhartia, P; Microstrip Antennas, Artech House, 1980.

[2] R. Garg, P. Bhartia, I. Bahl, A. Ittipiboon, Microstrip Antenna Design Handbook,


ARTECH HOUSE, Boston 2001.

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

[4] Comparison of Single Patch and Patch antenna Array for a Microwave Life
Detection System by S. Shabu and Manju James IEEE Press, 2010

[5] C. A. Balanis, Antenna Theory, Analysis and Design, JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC,
New York 1997.

[6] S. Silver, Microwave Antenna Theory and Design, McGRAW-HILL BOOK


COMPANY, INC, New York 1949..

[7] The Basics of Patch Antennas Dr. Orban and G.J.K. Moernaut. [8] Design and
Calculations
http://www.emtalk.com/mpacalc.php?er=2.2&h=2&h_units_list=hmm&fr=1&Operation
=Synthesize&La=99.9973025115&L_units_list=Lmm&Wa=118.288232684&W_units_l
ist=Wmm&Rin=144.

65

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