International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 9, September 2014)
Study The Various Feeding Techniques of Microstrip Antenna
Using Design and Simulation Using CST Microwave Studio.
Sourabh Bisht1, Shweta Saini2, Dr Ved Prakash3, Bhaskar Nautiyal4
1,2,4
Dept. of Electronics and Communication Engg, Graphic Era University, Dehradun, India
3
Dept. of Electronics and Communication Engg, Graphic Era Hill University, Dehradun, India
Abstract- 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. Here we study 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).
Keywords- Microstrip antenna, Coupling, Radiation
pattern, Simulation
I. INTRODUCTION
Microstrip patch antennas have more advantages and
better prospects compared to conventional antennas, such
as lighter in weight, low volume, low cost, low profile,
smaller in dimension and ease of fabrication and
conformity. Moreover, the microstrip patch antennas can
provide frequency agility, broad band-width, feedline
flexibility and beam scanning omnidirectional patterning.
In its basic form, a microstrip Patch antenna consists of a
radiating patch on one side of a dielectric substrate which
has a ground plane on the other side as shown in Figure.1.1
Figure 1.1: Microstrip patch antenna
The patch is normally made of conducting material such
as copper or gold and can take any possible shape. The
radiating patch and the feed lines are usually photo etched
on the dielectric substrate.
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In order to simplify analysis and performance
estimation, generally square, rectangular, circular,
triangular, and elliptical or some other common shape
patches are used for designing a microstrip antenna. For a
rectangular patch, the length L of the patch is usually
0.3333λo < L < 0.5 λo, where λo is the free-space
wavelength. The patch is selected to be very thin such that t
<< λo (where t is the patch thickness). The height h of the
dielectric substrate is usually 0.003λo ≤ h ≤ 0.05λo. The
dielectric constant of the substrate (εr) is typically in the
range 2.2 ≤ εr ≤ 12. microstrip patch antennas radiate
primarily because of the fringing fields between the patch
edge and the ground plane. For good performance of
antenna, a thick dielectric substrate having a low dielectric
constant is necessary since it provides larger bandwidth,
better radiation and better efficiency. However, such a
typical configuration leads to a larger antenna size. In order
to reduce the size of the microstrip patch antenna,
substrates with higher dielectric constants must be used
which are less efficient and result in narrow bandwidth.
Hence a trade-off must be realized between the antenna
performance and antenna dimensions.
II. FEEDING T ECHNIQUES T O M ICROSTRIP ANTENNAS
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).
A. Microstrip (Offset 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 1.2. The conducting strip is smaller in
width as compared to the patch. This kind of feed
arrangement has the advantage that the feed can be etched
on the same substrate to provide a planar structure. An inset
cut can be incorporated into the patch in order to obtain
good impedance matching without the need for any
additional matching element. This is achieved by properly
controlling the inset position.
 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 9, September 2014)
Hence this is an easy feeding technique, since it provides
ease of fabrication and simplicity in modeling as well as
impedance matching. However as the thickness of the
dielectric substrate increases, surface waves and spurious
feed radiation also increases, which hampers the bandwidth
of the antenna. This type of feeding technique results in
undesirable cross polarization effects.
Figure 1.2 Microstrip Line Feed
B. Coaxial Feed
The Coaxial feed or probe feed is one of the most
common techniques used for feeding microstrip patch
antennas. As seen from figure 1.3, 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 1.3 Coaxial feed
The main advantage of this type of feeding scheme is
that the feed can be placed at any desired position inside
the patch in order to obtain impedance matching. This feed
method is easy to fabricate and has low spurious radiation
effects. However, its major disadvantage is that it provides
narrow bandwidth and is difficult to model since a hole has
to be drilled into the substrate. Also, for thicker substrates,
the increased probe length makes the input impedance
more inductive, leading to matching problems. By using a
thick dielectric substrate to improve the bandwidth, the
microstrip line feed and the coaxial feed suffer from
numerous disadvantages such as spurious feed radiation
and matching problem. The non-contacting feed techniques
which have been discussed below, solve these problems.
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C. Aperture Coupled Feed
In aperture coupling as shown in figure 1.4 the radiating
microstrip patch element is etched on the top of the antenna
substrate, and the microstrip feed line is etched on the
bottom of the feed substrate in order to obtain aperture
coupling. The thickness and dielectric constants of these
two substrates may thus be chosen independently to
optimize the distinct electrical functions of radiation and
circuitry. The coupling aperture is usually centered 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
Figure 1.4 Aperture coupled feed
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. This type of feeding technique can give very high
bandwidth of about 21%. Also the effect of spurious
radiation is very less as compared to other feed techniques.
The major disadvantage of this feed technique is that it is
difficult to fabricate due to multiple layers, which also
increases the antenna thickness.
D. Proximity Coupled Feed
This type of feed technique is also called as the
electromagnetic coupling scheme. As shown in figure 1.5,
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 of about 13%, due to
increase in the electrical 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.
 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 9, September 2014)
Figure 1.5 Proximity coupled feed
The major disadvantage of this feed scheme is that it is
difficult to fabricate because of the two dielectric layers
that need proper alignment. Also, there is an increase in the
overall thickness of the antenna. The rapid progress in
wireless communications promises to make interactive
voice, data, and video services available anytime and
anyplace. Wireless communication systems come in a
variety of different sizes ranging from small hand-held
devices to wireless local area networks. The desirable
features of microstrip antennas, such as performance,
flexibility, simplicity, high gain and low fabrication cost,
make them very popular for many applications. The slot in
the radiating element gives a more compact design for the
antenna and, thus, space–volume is saved. Since then these
methods, aperture coupling and proximity coupling have
helped overcome several of the performance hindrances
associated with direct contact excitation procedures (probe
and edge feeding). These include the inherent narrow
bandwidth of direct contact fed patches and also the
spurious radiation associated with the current discontinuity
where the feed and the patch join. Despite overcoming
these detrimental attributes, proximity coupled patches
have received little attention in the literature. This may be
because the original form required an external impedance
matching circuit to achieve a reasonable impedance
bandwidth (approximately 13%). In a stacked proximity
coupled patch was developed that displayed a broad
impedance bandwidth of approximately 25%, however this
was achieved with the assistance of slots within the patch
radiators. In wireless communication, much efforts has
been devoted to reducing the size of microstrip antenna,
with a lot of methods proposed recently, such as cutting
slots on the patch, meandering the lateral edge of patch,
using stacked patch, and adopting the substrate with high
permittivity, etc. DGS is then used in the design of a
proximity coupled antenna for its miniaturization.
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The size of the developed antenna is about 68% smaller
than that of the conventional one. Defected ground
structure (DGS) is a convenient way to realize the slow
wave effect. It has been widely used in the development of
miniaturized antennas. Many DGS patterns are studied so
as to improve their performance. More recently, many
modified patterns, such as H, U and T-shaped DGSs are
presented for achieving high Q-factor.
Comparison of different feeding techniques
Table- Comparison of different feeding techniques
III. DESIGN O F M ICROSTRIP P ATCH ANTENNAS
Selection Of Patch Parameters
In general, microstrip antennas are half wavelength
structures and are operated at the fundamental resonant
mode 𝑇𝑀01 𝑜𝑟 𝑇𝑀10, with a resonant frequency given by:
𝑓 ≅ 𝐶/2𝐿 (Є𝑟)½ where 𝐶 is the speed of light, 𝐿 is the
patch length of the rectangular microstrip antenna, and εr is
the relative permittivity of the grounded microwave
substrate. The radiating patch has a resonant length 𝐿 ∝
1/(Є𝑟)½ and the use of microstrip substrate with a large
permittivity can result in a small physical antenna length at
a fixed operating frequency. With a size reduction at fixed
operating frequency the impedance bandwidth of
microstrip antenna is usually decreased. One can simply
increase the substrate thickness to compensate for the
decreased electrical thickness due to the lowered operating
frequency. But as the height of the antenna increases losses
due to surface wave effect and extraneous radiation result
in poor performance characteristics. Usually substrates with
εr ≤ 10 are preferred. With a substrate of low dielectric
constant the fringing fields that account for radiation will
be enhanced. But in order to obtain smaller patch size
substrates with high εr are required.
 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 9, September 2014)
Thicker substrate besides being mechanically strong will
increase the radiated power, reduce conductor loss and
improve impedance bandwidth. But it increases the antenna
weight, dielectric loss and surface wave loss.
A. Edge Fed Antenna Design For 5 Ghz And Simulation
Results

Figure 1.9

B. Coaxial Fed Antenna Design For 5 Ghz Simulation

Results

Figure 1.6

Figure 1.7
Figure 1.10

Figure 1.8
Figure 1.11
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 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 9, September 2014)
C. Aperture Coupled Antenna Design For 5 Ghz And
Simulation Results

Fig 1.12

Figure 1.14

Figure 1.15

Figure 1.13

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 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 9, September 2014)

Fig 1.19

Fig 1.16

Fig 1.20

Fig 1.17

D. Proximity Coupled Antenna Design For 5 Ghz And

Simulation Results

Figure 1.18 Fig 1.21

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 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 9, September 2014)
IV. RESULTS AND D ISCUSSIONS
Here in the given paper we found the results (bandwidth
and radiation pattern) for individual antenna design, and
then we go for the comparison of the results. For better
understanding of the results we have also given the
radiation pattern of each design along with the necessary
graphical demonstration.
V. CONCLUSION
After analysing various radiation patterns and graphical
results we can select the required antenna designs as per
our requirements.
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