Chapter 2 Alicrostrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

CHAPTER 2

MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNAS

AND MODELING TECHNIQUES

Tezpur University-Computer Science and Information Technology 12

Chapter 2 as and Modeling Techniques

. ~ ."
[ . ' r ~ to
.1':.~.,
\ •.t,'?] I
2.1 Introduction
/ - \ ~,.1
\ ,. .

,<~<J I
- -

U o\~.. "
Being conceived in the year 1953 lcrostrip Patch Antenna has '

matured considerably over last 33 years with starting of serious work in 1972 [2,3].

The major progresses in the Microstrip Patch Antennas are included; success in

bandwidth enhancement, combating surface wave effects, development of compact

antennas, active antennas and development in the analysis tools.

Microstrip Patch Antennas use radiating elements of a wide variety of

shapes: square, rectangle, circle, ring, triangle, ellipse, star, L, semi-circle etc. More

complex geometrical figures and combinations of simple shapes are also used for

some particular applications [7,8,87]. The selection of a particular shape depends on

the parameters one wishes to optimize: bandwidth, sidelobes, cross polarization, and

antenna size.

Microstrip antennas are inherently narrowband structure due to their

resonant nature and confinement of fields between the patch metallization and ground

plane[4]. Hence narrow bandwidth is one of the principal disadvantages of microstrip

patch antenna. In recent years, significant research contributions have been devoted to

the band width enhancement technique of the microstrip patch antenna in general. The

various techniques that have been suggested and tried to manipulate the impedance

curve includes: use of thick substrate with low relative dielectric constant (£r )[ 4,8] ,

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

choice of suitable feeding technique[8,9,86], introduction of coupled modes[8,9,86],

impedance matching and resistive loading [4,86]. There exists a large amount of open

literature related to bandwidth enhancement technique and related solution that have

been suggested [5,6,9-125].

In this chapter, a brief overview on the choice Substrate of

microstrip patch antenna is included in the section 2.2. In section 2.3, discussion is

included on feeding technique of microstrip patch antennas while an overview of

wideband probe fed microstrip patch antenna is given in section 2.4. Section 2.5 gives

an insight of modeling techniques that are currently available.

2.2 Choice of Substrate of Microstrip Patch Antenna

The dielectric substrate provides a stable support for the

conductor strip and patches that make up connecting lines, resonator, and antennas. It

ensures that the components that are implemented are properly located and firml y

held in place, just as in printed circuits for electronics at lower frequencies. The

substrate plays an important role in determining the electrical characteristics of the

Microstrip Patch Antenna. There is no one ideal substrate; the choice rather depends

on the application. For instance, conformal microstrips require flexible substrates,

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

while low frequency applications reqUIre high dielectric constant to keep size

small[6]. Microstrip Patch Antennas use low dielectric substrates i.e. generally

substrate of dielectric constant Er < 2. The use of higher value of dielectric constant

(Er ), affects the confinement of field and reduces the radiation efficiency of the

Microstrip Patch Antenna. The bandwidth and efficiency variation with substrate

height at centre frequency for rectangular microstrip patch for two different substrate

are shown in Figure 2.1 [5]. From the figure it is clear that the bandwidth increases

almost linearly with substrate height and the bandwidth decreases with the increase

of dielectric constant of the substrate.

Most commonly used substrate for microstrip patch antennas are:

alumina or high dielectric (Er) substrate, composite material substrates, and honey-

comb substrate. Honey-comb material is light-weight, sturdy and low Er and is

generally preferred for aerospace applications. Composite materials are obtained by

adding fiberglass, quartz or ceramic in suitable proportion to the organic or synthetic

materials to obtain the desired permittivity and the electrical and mechanical

properties. The most commonly used combination is that of PTFE and glass and the

resulting substrate have Er between 2.17 and 2.55. Combination of PTFE and ceramic

is used to produce flexible substrates with Er near 10. These high Er substrate or a

alumina are used for miniaturization of microstrip antennas often at the cost of

bandwidth.

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Chapter 2 Micros /rip Parch An/ennas and Modeling Techniques

0 .80

~, 0.60
J
~
~

E
L:..: 0.41

0.20

o
0.00 0.a2 0.04 0.06 0.08 010
Substrate he igh t b ;)"f)

Figure 2.1 Variation of efficiency and band width with substrate height at
constant resonance frequency for two different substrates[5].

2.3 Feeding Techniques of Microstrip Patch Antenna

The excitation of the radiating element is an essential and important

factor, which requires careful consideration in designing a most appropriate antenna

for a particular application. A wide variety of feed mechanisms are available, not just

for coupling energy to individual elements, but also for the controlled distribution of

energy to linear or planner array elements. The feed element may be either co-planer

with the radiating elements, or situated in a separate transmission-line layer. Now

there is available ample literature on the feeding technique [6,7,8,9,87]. Therefore, a

brief over view of only four most popular Microstrip Antenna Feed techniques are

given. These are namely: Microstrip line, Co-axial Probe, Aperture coupling and

Proximity coupling.

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

2.3.1 Microstrip Line Feed

Microstrip line feed is based on the principle that cutting an inset in the

patch does not significantly affect the resonant frequency but that it modifies the input

impedance. By properly selecting the depth of the inset, one can match the path to the

transmission line without additional matching elements [87]. The feed was the first

used for practical applications [88] and is the simplest way to feed a microstrip patch

is to connect a microstrip line directly to the edge of the patch, with both elements

located on the same substrate. A microstrip line feed is shown in figure.2.2 .

Microstrip Feed Patch

Substrate

Ground Plane

Figure 2.2 Microstrip patch antenna with microstrip line feed .

The microstrip line feed though simple in nature but a microstrip

structure with the line and patch cannot be optimized simultaneously as an antenna

and a transmission line. There must be some compromise between the two so that

feed line does not radiate too much at the discontinuities [89]. The spurious radiation

and the accumulated reactive power below the patch (cavity effect), degrades the

antenna performance and reduces its bandwidth[8).

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Chapfer 2 MicrOSfrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

2.3.2 Co-axial Line Feed

Co-axial line feed was among the first considered and even today one

of the most popular in many application of microstrip patch antenna. In co-axial line

feed, the inner conductor of the coax is extends across the dielectric substrate and is

connected to the patch while the outer conductor is connected to the ground plane as

shown in the figure 2.3 .

./ Patch

o
._L..~_-_-~_-_-~_-_-_-_-~J...Substzate
-Ground Plane
1------'-''--------1 ..

~
.. S1ilstrate
Ground Plane

Coaxial Connector

Figure 2.3 Microstrip Patch antenna with coaxial line feed.

In case of coaxial line feed the intrinsic radiation from the feed is small

and can be neglected for thin substrates but becomes significant with thicker

substrates. Now, most of the theoretical developments consider coaxial feeds and

models were developed to characterize the injection of current in to patch accurately

[84,90]. However, coaxial feeds are difficult to realize in practice because drilling or

punching holes through the substrate in a particular specific point is critical task,

generally this operation would like to avoid. Again introducing the conductor through

the holes and soldered to the patch are delicate operations that require careful

handling, and mechanical control of the connection is difficult, especially for very

high frequencies[86J.

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

2.3.3 Aperture Coupling

In a conventional aperture coupling, the microstrip patch antenna

consists of two substrate layers separated by a common ground plane. The radiating

microstrip layer on the top of the substrate is fed trough an aperture in the ground

plane by a microstrip feed line lying on the bottom of the lower substrate. The

important requirement is that the common ground plane should contain etched

apertures accurately positioned below the microstrip patch and above the feed line [8].

Figure 2.4. shows an Aperture coupled feed microstrip patch antenna.

Figure 2.4 Aperture coupled feed microstrip patch antenna.

The aperture coupled feed technique has many attractive features [9,

91-95], one is it provides stronger coupling than a similar triplet or suspended

stripline system because of higher concentration of fields above the feed line where

the aperture is positioned. Further more, a relatively high-permittivity substrate can be

used if required for the feed system, without compromising the radiating properties of

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

the lower-permittivity substrate carrying the microstrip patches. In this technique, the

slot on the common ground plane is free to radiate bidirectionally. By using

multilayer substrate, it can be made unidirectional radiation, but may result in strongly

coupled surface wave modes which degraded in the antenna efficiency [96] . The

cavity backed aperture coupled technique is used to improve the efficiency of antenna

[97] as well as solves the above mentioned problem.

2.3.4 Proximity Coupling

In this feeding technique, the coupling of the patch and the feed line is

obtained by placing the patch and the feed at different substrate levels. A thin layer of

high dielectric constant substrate is used to reduce the radiation from the feed lines,

where as a thick layer of low dielectric constant substrate is used in the upper layer to

increase the radiation of the patch [8,86]. The length of the feeding stub and the

width-to-line ratio of the path can be used to control the match.

," / "
/ /
t-~'+------r.~---'StDstmte 2

Figure.2.S Proximity couple feed microstrip patch antenna

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniqlles

Using the proximity coupling, the frequency band width of a patch

resonator could be significantly widened [98,99] .The special feature is that , the feed

line is no longer located to an open surface and there is no need to solder different

conductors, unlike co-axial feed. But a structure with two dielectric layers, however,

is more complex to analyze, because the simple models developed for single layers

cannot be used. The resulting structure becomes more complex to build, with two

dielectric layers instead of one. Again one cannot easily connect components within

the feeding circuit as it is buried inside substrate.

2.4 Wideband Probe-Fed Microstrip Patch Antenna

The microstrip antennas are having narrow impedance band with,

typically a few percent. The impedance bandwidth of microstrip antennas is usually

much smaller than the pattern band width[100]. Hence focus is given on input

impedance rather than radiation pattern in the discussion of bandwidth enhancement

technique. Some generic types of band width extension technique are: increasing

antenna volume by incorporating parasitic elements, stacked substrates, use of foam

dielectrics; creation of multiple resonances in input response by addition of external

passive networks or internal structure; and incorporation of dissipative loading by

adding lossy materials or resistors [8J. Pozar[] 01 J divided these various bandwidth

enhancement technique in to three broad approaches: impedance matching; the

use of multiple resonance; and the use of lossy materials. In this overview; the band

width enhancement techniques are categorised into different approaches in terms of

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

nonnally used antenna structures. These are impedance matching network; edge

coupled probes; stacked coupled probes; shaped probes; capacitive coupled and slot

coupled. The lossy antennas are not included here because generally lossy materials

are not frequently used as it limits the radiation frequencies of the antenna.

2.4.1 Impedance Matching Networks

An impedance matching network is used to improve the

impedance band width of a probe feed microstrip patch antenna. In this process,

without altering the antenna element, a reactive matching network is used, to

compensate for the rapid frequency variations of input impedances. With this method,

compared to thin substrate, a thick substrate will add some extra bandwidth. An

impedance matching network is typically implemented in microstrip antenna from

below the ground plane of the antenna element. The figure 2.6 shows the geometry of

a microstrip patch antenna with a impedance matching network.

Marhing network
be10w ground plane
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .~~_______ Groundpa~

Figure 2.6 Geometry of a microstrip patch antenna

with a impedance matching network.

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Chapter :! Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

The impedance matching network method was implemented by Pues

and Capelle [14] by modeling the antenna as simple resonant circuit. Their method is

unique in that it doesn't alter the radiating element itself, while a reactive matching

network is used to compensate for the rapid frequency variations of the input

impedance. The validity of the technique is based on the relative frequency

insensitivity of the radiation pattern and gain characteristics as compared to the

resonant behaviour of the input impedance. In their approach for the design of the

matching network, the input impedance of a microstrip antenna should be by either a

simple series resonant or a simple parallel resonant RLC circuit in the vicinity of

fundamental resonant frequency. Once the RLC equivalent circuit of the antenna is

obtained, a procedure similar to the design of a band pass filter[ 15] is used to

synthesis the matching network of the microstrip patch antenna. With this approach

they have achieved a increased in band width by a factor of 3.2 or 9.1 percent.

Hongming An etal [16] introduced the simplified real frequency technique(SRFT) to

design the loss less matching networks of microstrip antennas in order to increase

bandwidth. The most significant feature of this is the numerical technique is that it

does not require any analytical description of the antenna and generator, the measured

or simulated impedance data are processed directly. Further more neither on a priori

choice of a matching network topology nor an analytic fonn of the system transfer

function needed. With this approach, they have managed to increase the band width

for one antenna from 5.7% to 11.06% at the level of VSWR = 1.5, and for another

antenna element, the band width increased from 9.4% to 16.82% for the VSWR<2.

Recently, Haaj et al[30] reported an impedance bandwidth of 6.9% for a VSWR of

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

1.5: 1 with a parallel resonant circuit.

The advantage of using the matching network is that the radiation

characteristics of the antenna element remain unchanged because the antenna element

do not get altered as the matching network can be placed behind the antenna' s ground

plane[8,86]. The radiation form the matching network is also minimum. The main

drawback of this methods are, the matching networks are used to excite the individual

elements in an antenna array and more than one substrate layer is required to support

the antenna element and the matching network for single element antennas[8 ,9,86] .

2.4.2 Edge-Coupled Patches (Multi Mode Operation)

The basic idea that has been used to widen the frequency band width is

that to increase the band width of resonant circuits, in particular when designing band

pass filters, is to couple several resonators with very closely spaced resonances. In

this approach - several radiating structures are closely coupled to each other but

resonating slightly different frequencies. Only one of the elements is driven directly.

The other patches are coupled through proximity effects. In an Edge coupled

microstrip antenna the parasitic patches can be coupled to either to the radiating

edges, the non-radiating edges or to both pair of edges. This approach has been

investigated by wood [102] and then Kumar and Gupta [103-105]. Using this

approach R.Garg and V.S .Reddy[106] achieved an impedance band width of 23% at

VSWR=2. Figure 2.7 shows an example of such an edge coupled microstrip antenna.

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Chapter 2 M{(rolrnp ['arch 4ntcnnac\ and Modelmg Tcchl1lqucI

DGD
D
..---------------"·-..-Groum / ... Substrate
Plane

Figure 2.7 Edge coupled microstrip antenna.

The edge coupled patches can be fabricated on a single layer substrate.

This coplanar nature of the structure is the advantage of the Edge coupled patch

antenna. The use of additional parasitic patches increases the size of the antenna

element which is one of the major drawback. Another drawback is that as the different

patches radiate with different amplitudes, the radiation patterns change significantly

over the operating frequencies[8].

2.4.3 Stacked Patches

In another approach, two or more electromagnetically coupled patches

are placed on top of one another or stacked [86]. This is also a multimode operation

technique. In stacked patch structure, the surroundings of the two patches are slightly

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Chapter 2 f1ficrostr ip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

different; the resonant frequencies of the two patches are slightly offset, which

increases the frequency bandwidth. The figure 2.8 shows a Stacked patch microstrip

antenna.

TOpPMC~~~~======Z
Botk>m Patch ~-r-"

Figure.2.8 Stacked patch microstrip patch antenna.

Different size are also be stacked for the two patches, either to increase

the bandwidth further or to realize an antenna operating at two di fferent

frequencies[ 107 -110]. The frequency band width of a microstrip patch antenna is also

enhanced by the increase thickness of the double layer structure, with concomitant

risk of surface wave excitation. It is possible to stack more patches, but the

performance may not be much better than with only two patches [9,101]. Using this

technique, Waterhouse [107] achieved a 25% impedance band width for rectangular

patches, Kokotoff et al [Ill] reported a 22% impedance bandwidth for annular ring

patches and Mitchell et al [112] achieved a 33% impedance bandwidth for circular

patches.

The advantages of stack patch technique are, it does not increase the

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Chapter 2 MicrostnjJ Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

surface area of the element[8,86], it can be used in array configurations without

creating grating lobes, its radiation patterns and phase centre also remains relatively

constant over the operating frequency band and has the large number of parameters

that can be used to optimization. At the same time it has the draw back that it req uire

more than one substrate Jayer to support the patch and because of larger design

parameter the optimization becomes more complex.

2.4.4 Capacitive Coupled Patches

The probe fed microstrip antenna on thick substrate show inductive

nature in the input impedances. To avoid this inductive nature, capacitive coupling

technique is used. In this technique, a small probe fed patch is situated below the

resonant patch [113 ,114]. The gap between them acts as a series capacitor. Figure 2.9

shows a capacitive coupling patch.

Resonant Patch -----,~..,..

ea pacitor Patch -7"--"~""-A

l:~m~~i::~ ....
--GlOund Plane

Figure 2.9 Capacitive coupled microstrip patch antenna.

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techn iques

By combining stacked patch and capacitive-coupled probe feed technique, Z.F.Liu et

al [115J achieved a 25% impedance band width for a VSWR of 2:1 and

M.A.Gonzalez etal [116] reported a impedance band width of 35.3% for a VSWR of

2: l. Recently G.Mayhew-Ridgers et al [117] reported of achieving of impedance band

width of25% at VSWR of2:1.

For a patch where the capacitor patch is located below the resonant

patch has advantages that, this approach do not increase the surface area of the

element and the cross polarization levels in the H-plane are lower than the approach

where the capacitor patch is located within the surface of the resonant patch. The

approach of capacitor patch below the resonant patch has the disadvantages that, it

require additional subtract layer to support the configuration and prone to alignment

errors which create complexity in fabrication.

2.4.5 Slot Coupled Patches

The slot loaded microstrip patch antenna (figure 2.10) leads to increase

in antenna impedance band width and a smaller size of the antenna elements. These

slots force the surface currents to meander, thus, artificially increasing the antenna

antenna's electrical length without modifying its global dimensions. This effect of

increase in the length of current path can be modeled as an additional series

inductance. The annular slots within the surface of the patch element may also acts as

a series capacitor. It is well known fact that the inductance or capacitance is key factor

to widen the impedance band width of micros trip patch antenna elements[8] .

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Chapter 2 MIcros/rip Patch Antennas and Modelmg Techntques

' ....- - - L - -..... •

...-.- Ls - - - +

1 IWs

1
Figure 2.10 Slot coupled microstrip patch antenna.

In a circular resonant patch, usmg a annular slot around a small

circular probe fed capacitor patch in the surface of the resonant patch, P.S.Hall[118]

reported a 13.2% impedance band width at 10db return loss. S.K.Palit and A.Hamadi

[119J achieved up to a 39% impedance band width with H-Shaped microstrip pactch

antenna. T.Huynh and K.F.Lee [120J reported a U-slot antenna with which can

achieved an impedance band width exceed 30%. In slot loaded E-shaped microstrip

patch antenna, F. Yang, x.-x. Zhang, X. Ye and Y. Rahmat-Samii[121] an impedance

band width of 30.3%, Kin-Lu Wong and Wen-Hsiu Hsu [122] reported an impedance

band width of 24%, while Wen-Hsiu Hsu and Kin-Lu Wong[123] reported of

achieving of impedance band width exceed 25%. In a slot loaded circular micrstrip

antenna, J.H.Lu[124] reported an increase in impedance band width more than 2.3

times that of conventional circular microstrip patch antenna. Recently, Ricky Chair

etal[l25], reported of achieving an impedance band width of 28.6% with U-slot and

half E-shaped microstrip patch antenna.

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

The slot loaded microstrip patch antennas reduces the size of the

antenna element. Microstrip patch antennas with this technique produce greater

current concentration on the antennas and therefore, increase the ohmic losses and

decrease the gain of the antenna. Again proper insertion of slot in accurate position on

the patch and slot size optimization is a difficult task and is very much frequency

sensitive.

2.5 Modeling Techniques of Microstrip Patch Antennas

2.5.1 Introduction

The most popular methods that can be used to model and analys the

probe fed mirostrip patch antennas fall in to one of two broad categories: (i)

approximate methods and (ii) full wave methods. The approximate method include

the transmission line model[6,7,8, lO], Cavity model[6,8,33 ,38] and segmentation

model [8). The approximate models are easy to implement for single element

antenna, it gives good physical insight with very small solution time, but has the

limitation of less accurate. It becomes more complex for modeling coupling between

elements, with these methods. The most popular full wave methods that can be used

to model probe-fed microstrip patch antennas are the method of moment(MoM), the

finite element method(FEM), and the finite-difference time-domain(FDTD)

method. These are the three major paradigms of full wave electromagnetic modeling

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Alodeling Techniques

techniques[30,126-129]. All these methods discretize the problem region and

transform the field equations into a system of linear equations. Again these methods

can be characterized into two groups, e.g. differential and integral. Differential

method such as Finite Element Method(FEM) and Finite-Difference Time-

Domain(FDTD) requires discretization of the entire problem region. Integral method

such as Method of Moments (MoM) only require discretization over the conductor

surface. The unknown electromagnetic property used in Moments Method{MoM) is

the current density, and the electric field for the FEM and FDTD (also the magnetic

field for FDTD method). The discretization process results in the electromagnetic

property of interest being approximated by a set of smaller elements, but of which the

complex amplitudes are initially unknown. The amplitudes are determined by

applying the full-wave method of choice to the agglomeration of elements. Usually,

the approximation becomes more accurate as the number of elements is increased.

The features of full wave solutions may be include as follow[ 5]:

i. Accuracy: Full wave analysis techniques generally provide the most

accurate results for input impedance, mutual coupling, radar cross-

section, etc.

ii. Completeness: Full-wave solutions include the effects of surface

waves, space wave radiation, and external coupling.

111. Versatility: Full-wave solution can be implemented for arbitrary

microstrip elements and arrays, various types of feeding techniques,

multilayer geometries, and for anisotropic substrates.

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

lV. Computational complexity : Full-wave solutions are numerically

intensive, and reqUlre careful programming in order to be

computationally efficient.

There is an abundant literature on the theoretical analysis of probe-fed

microstrip patch antennas. Hence, only brief reviews of the most popular methods

which are used in the present study i.e. the transmission line method, the cavity

method and the Method of Moments is included in this section.

2.5.2 Transmission Line Model

The transmission line model is the easiest of all but it yields the

least accurate results and it lacks the versatility. This model represents the microstrip

antenna by two slots of width W and height h, separated by a low impedance

transmission line of length L. The microstrip is a non-homogeneous line of two

dielectrics; typically the substrate and air. Due to the finite length and width of the

microstrip patch antenna, the fields along the edges of the patch under goes fringing

as shown in the figure 2.11 . The amount of fringing is a function of the dimensions of

the patch and the height of the substrate. The fringing influences the resonant

frequency of the microstrip patch antenna, so it must be taken in to account in to the

microstrip patch antennas calculation.

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Chapter 2 Micros/rip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

Figure 2.11 Microstrip line and its electric field lines.

As seen from figure2.11, most of the electric field lines reside in the

substrate and parts of some lines exist in air. Hence the fringing makes the microstrip

line look wider electrically compared to its physical dimensions. As a result, this

transmission line cannot support pure transverse electric-magnetic (TEM) mode of

transmission, since, the phase velocities would be different in the air and the substrate.

Instead, the dominant mode of propagation would be the quasi-TEM mode. Hence, an

effective dielectric constant EretT must be obtained in order to account for the fringing

and the wave propagation in the line. For air dielectric substrate the effective

dielectric constant EretT has the range of 1« EretT« Er and the value of EretT will be

closer to the value of the actual dielectric constant Er of the substrate. The effective

dielectric constant EretT is a function of frequency. At high frequency of operation,

most of the electric field lines concentrate in the substrate hence the effective

dielectric constant approaches the value of the dielectric constant of the substrate. The

expression for EretT is given by Balanis [130J as:

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling TechnicJues

(2.1)

Where, EretT = Effective dielectric constant.

Sr = Dielectric constant of substrate.

h = Height of dielectric substrate.

W = Width of the patch.

Figure 2.12 shows a rectangular microstrip patch antenna of length L,

width W, resting on a substrate of height h considering that the length is along the X

direction, width is along Y direction and the height is along Z direction.

:Mi crostrip Feed Patch

...
..
h Substrate
.C=======~======~
GroundPlane

Figure 2.12 Microstrip patch antenna

For a microstrip patch antenna to be operated in the fundamental TMIO mode, the

length of the patch must be slightly less than IJ2 where A is the wavelength in the

dielectric medium and is equal to 'Ao/.vcreff where, 'Ao is the free space wavelength. The

TM 10 mode implies that the field varies one IJ2 cycle along the length, and there is no

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Chapter :} Aficrostrip Patch Antennas and Afodeling Tcchniqllc,\

variation along the width of the patch. In the figure 2.13, shown below, the microstrip

patch antenna is represented by the two slots, separated by a transmission line of

length L and open circuited at both the ends. Along the width of the patch, the voltage

is maximum and current is minimum due to open ends. The fields at the edges can be

resolved into normal and tangential components with respect to the ground plane.

~L-.I .. L ~ ,.llL-.I
r-- -,I
l
I
I
I I
I J
I I
I
I
W
I f
I
I
I

1
I
I
I I
I I
I I
I I
L_ _...J

Figure 2.13 Physical and effective lengths of rectangular

microstrip antenna.

From figure 2.14, it is seen that the normal component of the electric

field at the two edges along the width are in opposite directions and thus, out of phase,

since the path is IJ2 long and hence, they cancel each other in the broadside direction.

f'aleh

Figure 2.14 Side View of microstrip patch with electric field component.

The tangential components in phase are means that the resulting fields combine to

give maximum radiated field normal to the surface of the structure. Hence the edges

along the width can be represented as two radiating slots, which are IJ2 apart and

excited in phase and radiating in the half space above the ground plane. The fringing

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

fields along the width can be modeled as radiating slots and electrically patch of the

microstrip antenna looks greater than its physical dimension. The dimensions of the

patch along its length have now been extended on each end by a distance ~L, which is

a function of the effective dielectric constant Ereff and the width-to-height ratio (W/h).

To calculate the normalized extension of the length, the most popular and practical

relation is given empirically by Hammerstad [131] as:

w
(c reff + 0.3)(- + 0.264)
M=0.412h h (2.2)
w
(c ref! - 0.258)(-+ 0.8)
. h

The effective length of the patch Leffnow becomes:

Lejf= L + 2~L (2.3)

For a given resonance frequency fr, the length is given by [6] as:

L = c -2M (2.4)
2fr~creff

c
Hence L 11 = --~-:== (2.5)
e 2fr c reff

The resonance frequency of a rectangular microstrip patch antenna for any TMmn

mode is given by James and Hall [8] as:

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Chapter 1 MlCroltrtp Patch Antennas and Modeling Techmquel

r+(:)']'
1

f, 3 2;':;[(~ (2.6)

Where m and n are mode along L and W respectively.

For an efficient radiator, the practical width W is given by Bahl and Bhartia [6] as:

cf2 (2.7)
w=2fr V~

The transmission line model is successfully implemented by Pues and

Van de CapeUe[132]. With this method it is difficult to model the coupling between

antenna elements, although it has been done successfully by A.G.Demeryd and

E.H.Van Lil and A.R.Van de Capelle[133,134].

2.5.3 Cavity Model

The simplest analytical method to use in microstrip patch antenna is

transmission line model. But transmission line model have numerous disadvantages

like, it is useful only for patch antenna of rectangular shape, it ignores field variations

along the radiating edge and is not adaptable to inclusion of the field. The cavity

model for microstrip patch antennas[37,38] offers considerable improvement over the

transmission line model.

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Chapler 2 MicrOSlrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

The cavity model for the microstrip antennas is based on the following

observations for thin substrates (h «1.)[38].

i) The closed proximity between the microstrip antenna and the

ground plane suggest that E has only the Z-component and H

has only the xy-components in the region bound by the

microstrip and the ground plane.

ii) The field in the aforementioned region is independent of the z-

coordinate for all frequencies of interest.

iii) The electric current in the microstrip must have no component

normal to the edge at any point on the edge, implying a

negligible tangential component of H along the edge.

With this, in the cavity model, the interior region of the dielectric

substrate is modeled as a cavity bounded by a magnetic wall along the edge and by

electric walls on the top and bottom.

As the microstrip patch is energized, a charge distribution is seen on

the upper and lower surfaces of the patch and at the bottom of the ground plane as

shown in the figure 2.15.

,'I W .. (

+~Jt
f ++y
h Jb
! ++++++ -- - -- -

Figure 2.15 Charge distribution and current density

creation on the microstrip patch.

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

This charge distribution is controlled by two mechanism: an attractive

mechanism and a repulsive mechanism as discussed by Richards[135]. The attractive

mechanism is between the opposite charge on the bottom side of the patch, and the

ground plane. This attraction tends to keep the patch charge concentration intact at the

bottom of the patch. The repulsive mechanism is between the like charges on the

bottom surface of the patch. This tends to push some of the charge around the edge of

the patch on to its top surface. As a result of this charge movement, currents flow at

the top and the bottom surface of the patch. The cavity model assumes that the height

to width ratio ( i.e. height of substrate and the width of the patch) is vary 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 component to the patch

edges. Hence, the four sidewalls could be modeled as perfectly magnetic conducing

surfaces. This implies that the magnetic fields and the dielectric 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 the perfectly magnetic conducting [7].

The impedance function for the microstrip antenna has complex poles. The

imaginary parts of these poles account for the power lost by radiation and by

dielectric and conduction losses. The microstrip antenna is model to make it more

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

resemble with cavity by addition of loss to the cavity dielectric by appropriately

adjusting the loss tangent of the cavity dielectric. Though impedance function for the

ideal cavity has only real poles, now in microstrip antenna modeling the imaginary

parts of the poles of the cavity filled with the lossy dielectric will no longer be zero. A

lossy cavity would now represent an antenna and for the cavity with perfectly

conducting electric and magnetic walls the loss is taken into account by the effective

loss tangent beer . At any frequency f near a resonance, the quality factor is given

by[135]

__ 2Jif(average total stored energy) ___1_

Q (2.8)
(average power dissipated) 5 ejJ

1
Hence, 5 ejJ =- (2.9)
Qr

Qr is the total antenna quality factor and has been expressed by [136]

1 1 1 1
-=-+-+- (2.10)
QT Qd Qc Qr

Qd represent the quality factor of the dielectric and is given as:

(2.11)

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

Where, (Or is the angular resonant frequency.

WT is the total energy stored in the patch at resonance.

Pd is the dielectric loss.

tan" is the loss tangent of the dielectric.

Qc represents the quality factor of he conductor and is given as:

(2.12)

Where, Pc is the conductor loss.

~ is the skin depth of the conductor.

h is the height of the substrate.

Qr represents the quality factor for radiation and is given as :

Q == OJrwT (2.13)
r p
r

Where Pr is the power radiated from the patch.

Substituting equations (2.11), (2.12) and (2.13) in equation (2.10), we get

s: s: ~ Pr
vejJ ==tanv+-+-- (2.14)
h OJrWT

Thus, equation (2.14) describes the total effective loss tangent for the microstrip patch

antenna.

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Chapter 2 Micros/rip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniqlles

Once "Q" is known, the antenna can be analyzed as if it is a lossy

cavity. This is significant since the most commonly used patch antenna shapes

corresponds to cavities having a separable geometry amenable to simple analytical

treatment. This is the basic idea used in the cavity model approximation.

2.5.4 Full Wave Method - Moment Method

The most popular method, that provides the full wave analysis for the

microstrip patch antenna, is the moment method. In mathematical literature, Moment

Method is known as Weighted residuals and can be applied to the solution of both

differential and integral equations. The method owes its name to the process of taking

moments by multiplying the function with an appropriate weighting function and

integrating. On microstrip antenna analysis with this method, the surface currents are

used to model the microstrip patch and the volume polarization currents are used to

model the fields in the dielectric slab. It has been shown by Newman and Tulyathan

(30) how an integral equation is obtained for these unknown currents and using the

method of moments, these electric field integral equations are converted into matrix

equations which can then be solved by various techniques of algebra to provide the

result. In electromagnetic theory, the method became popular after the pioneering

work done by R.F .Harrington in 1967. Since than it has been one of the most popular

methods for solving the electromagnetic boundary value problem. A brief overview of

the moment method described by Harrington (137) is given below:

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

The basic form of the equation to be solved by the method of moment

is:

F(g) = h (2.15)

Where, F is a known linear operator, g is an unknown function, and h

is the source or excitation function. The aim here is to find g, when F and h are

known. The unknown function g can be expanded as a linear combination of N terms

to give:

N
g = Iang n = ajgj +a 2 g 2 + ............ +ang n (2.16)
n;j

Where, Un are unknown constants and gn are known functions usually

called a basis functions or expansion functions.

If the number of terms in equation (2.16) is infinite, we shall obtain an

exact solution. But for computational purposes, the number of terms is finite and we

obtain an approximate solution.

Substituting equation (2.16) in (2.15) and using the linear property of

the operator F, we can rewrite (2.15) as:

IGnF(gn) =h (2.17)
n;j

The basis function go must be selected in such a way that each F(gn) in

the above equation can be calculated. The unknown constant Un cannot be determined

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

directly because there are N unknowns, but only one equation. One method of finding

these constant is the method of weighted residuals. In this method, a set of trial

solution is established with one or more variable parameters. The residuals are a

measure of the difference between the trial solution and the true solution. The variable

parameters are selected in a way which guarantees a best fit of the trial functions

based on the minimization of the residuals. This is done by defining a set of weighting

(or testing) functions {Wm} = WI, W2, ..... WN in the domain of the operator F.

Taking the inner product of equation (2.17) with each weighting functions Wm, m

= 1,2,3 .....N, this lead to:

N
Lan(wm,F(gn)) = (wm,h) (2.18)
n=)

Where m = 1,2, ................N.

Writing in matrix form the set of equations (2.18) may be written as :

(2.19)

Where,

(w),F(g))) ((W),F(g2)) ).........(W),F(gN))

(w2F(g))) (w 2,F(g2 )).............(w 2, F(gN))
(2.20)

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

(2.21 )

(wl'h )
(w ,h)
2

[hJ= (w ,h)
3 (2.22)

The unknown constants can now be found using algebraic techniques

such as LV decomposition or Gaussian elimination. It must be remembered that the

weighting functions must be selected appropriately so that elements of {WD} are not

only linearly independent but they also minimize the computations required to

evaluate the inner product. One such choice of the weighting functions may be to let

the weighting and the basic function be the same, that is , Wn = gn .This is called as

the Galerkin's method as described by Kantorovich and Akilov [138].

From the antenna theory point of view, we can write the electric field integral

equation as:

(2.23)

Where, E is the known incident electric field.

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

J is the unknown induced current.

Ie is the linear operator.

The first step in the moment method solution process would be to expand J as a finite

sum of basis function given as:

J= 'LJ,b, (2.24)
,=1

Where b i is the ith basic function and Ji is an unknown coefficient.

The second step involves the defining of a set of M linearly

independent weighting functions, Wj. Taking the inner product on both sides and

substituting equation (2.24) in equation (2.23) we get:

(wj,E)= 'L(wj,fe(J"b,) (2.25)

1=1

Where j = 1,2, ............. M.

Writing in matrix form as:

(2.26)

J is the current vector containing the unknown quantities.

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Chapter 2 Microstrip Patch Antennas and Modeling Techniques

The vector E contains the known incident field quantities and the tenns of the Z

matrix are functions of geometry. The unknown coefficients of the induced current

are the tenns of the J vector. Using any of the algebraic schemes mentioned earlier,

these equations can be solved to give the current and then the other parameters such

as the scattered electric and magnetic fields can be calculated directly from the

induced currents. Thus, the moment method has been briefly explained fore use in

antenna problems. The software used in this thesis, Zeland Inc's IE3D[139] is a

moment method simulator.

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