Microstrip U-slot Patch Antenna

Abstract

This work presents two microstrip patch antennas in the L-band with a U-shaped slot cut into the radiating patch. This type of antenna has attracted much attention the last 10 years, due to its wideband characteristics. The first U-slot patch antenna is simulated on a microwave substrate, whereas the second is simulated, implemented and measured on a foam substrate. The design parameters of both antennas are obtained by applying the results from a parameter sensitivity analysis performed on an initial unoptimized U-slot patch antenna design. In addition, an empirical approach for the design of probe fed single-layer U-slot patch antennas is exploited. The achieved impedance bandwidth for the simulated U-slot patch antenna on a microwave substrate with a thickness of 0.05λ0 is 13.9%. This is considerably larger than for a corresponding rectangular, single-layer patch antenna without the U-slot. The implemented U-slot patch antenna realized on foam substrate obtained an impedance bandwidth of 16.4%, and there was reasonable agreement between the simulated and measured results.