Microstrip antennas have been one of the most innovative topics in antenna theory and design in recent years, and are increasingly finding application in a wide range of modern microwave systems. This paper begins with a brief overview of the basic characteristics of microstrip antennas, and then concentrates on the most significant developments in microstrip antenna technology that have been made in the last several years. Emphasis is on new antenna configurations for improved electrical performance and manufacturability and on advances in the analytical modeling of microstrip antennas and arrays. >

Microstrip antennas

A survey of microstrip antenna elements is presented, with emphasis on theoretical and practical design techniques. Available substrate materials are reviewed along with the relation between dielectric constant tolerance and resonant frequency of microstrip patches. Several theoretical analysis techniques are summarized, including transmission-line and modal-expansion (cavity) techniques as well as numerical methods such as the method of moments and finite-element techniques. Practical procedures are given for both standard rectangular and circular patches, as well as variations on those designs including circularly polarized microstrip patches. The quality, bandwidth, and efficiency factors of typical patch designs are discussed. Microstrip dipole and conformal antennas are summarized. Finally, critical needs for further research and development for this antenna are identified.

Microstrip antenna technology

This paper presents an overview of principles and requirements for powering wireless sensors by radio-frequency (RF) energy harvesting or transport. The feasibility of harvesting is discussed, leading to the conclusion that RF energy transport is preferred for powering small sized sensors. These sensors are foreseen in future Smart Buildings. Transmitting in the ISM frequency bands, respecting the transmit power limits ensures that the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) exposure limits are not exceeded. With the transmit side limitations being explored, the propagation channel is next discussed, leading to the observation that a better than free-space attenuation may be achieved in indoors line-of-sight environments. Then, the components of the rectifying antenna (rectenna) are being discussed: rectifier, dc-dc boost converter, and antenna. The power efficiencies of all these rectenna subcomponents are being analyzed and finally some examples are shown. To make RF energy transport a feasible powering technology for low-power sensors, a number of precautions need to be taken. The propagation channel characteristics need to be taken into account by creating an appropriate transmit antenna radiation pattern. All subcomponents of the rectenna need to be impedance matched, and the power transfer efficiencies of the rectifier and the boost converter need to be optimized.

RF Energy Harvesting and Transport for Wireless Sensor Network Applications: Principles and Requirements

A method is presented for generating circularly polarized radiation from an array composed of linearly polarized elements having unique angular and phase arrangements. With this technique the complexity, weight, and RF loss of the array feed can be significantly reduced, especially in a large array. This uniquely formed array has the capability of generating excellent circular polarization (CP) over a relatively wide frequency bandwidth. In addition, the array is capable of scanning its main beam in the principal planes to relatively wide angles from its broadside direction without serious degradation to its CP quality. Another feature of this uniquely arranged array is a reduction in the occurrence of mutual coupling. The discussion in this paper places special emphasis on the microstrip type of radiator, although the technique presented can be adapted to most types of linearly polarized antenna elements.

A technique for an array to generate circular polarization with linearly polarized elements

The radiation and losses in microstrip antennas with a corporate feed network are studied. A surface current approach is applied in which the electrical currents in the feed lines are modeled as in ideal transmission lines. The free-space radiation and the surface-wave excitation of typical segments in printed feed networks are studied. A four-element array antenna with its printed feed network is analyzed and predicted radiation patterns, directivity, and gain are presented and compared with experimental results. The gain and directivity of large arrays of 16, 64, 256 and 1024 elements are calculated and measurements in the frequency range of 10 to 35 GHz are reported. >

A study of microstrip array antennas with the feed network

An improvement to a recently reported theory for the analysis of the pattern and impedance loci of microstrip antennas is developed. It yields a theory which is simple and inexpensive to apply. The fields in the interior of the antennas are characterized in terms of a discrete set of modes. The poles corresponding to these modes are complex and depend on the losses in the antenna. The representation of the fields in terms of these modes is rigorous only for a bona fide cavity with no copper loss. The proper shift in the complex poles due to the addition of copper and radiative losses is approximated by lumping the latter two together with the dielectric loss to form an effective loss tangent. By so doing, it is found that the resulting expressions for impedance of the microstrip antenna are in good agreement with measured results for all modes and feed locations. The theory is applied to the evaluation of impedance variation with feed location, to multiport analysis, and to the design of circularly polarized microstrip antennas.

D. Harrison

Papers

An improved theory for microstrip antennas and applications