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Procedia Computer Science 93 (2016) 53 – 59

6th International Conference On Advances In Computing & Communications, ICACC 2016, 6-8
September 2016, Cochin, India

Broadband Slot cut Rectangular Microstrip Antenna

Amit A. Deshmukha*, Divya Singha, Priyal Zaveria, Mohil Galaa and K. P. Rayb
a
EXTC, DJSCE, University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India
b
Program Director, SAMEER, I.I.T. Campus, Mumbai, India

Abstract

Variation of E-shaped Microstrip antenna, a broadband rectangular Microstrip antenna cut with three unequal length
rectangular slots is proposed. A detail analysis to study the effects of rectangular slots that realizes broader
bandwidth is presented. The slot reduces resonance frequencies of orthogonal higher order TM02, TM11 modes and
along with fundamental TM10 mode, yields more than 450 MHz (>45%) of bandwidth. The realized bandwidth in
the proposed configuration is more than the bandwidth obtained in equivalent rectangular patch antenna with U-slot
or pair of rectangular slot i.e. E-shaped patch antenna. The proposed configuration gives broadside radiation pattern
over the bandwidth with a peak broadside gain of more than 8 dBi.
© 2016
© 2016 The
TheAuthors.
Authors.Published
Publishedbyby
Elsevier B.V.
Elsevier This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
B.V.
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the Organizing Committee of ICACC 2016.
Peer-review under responsibility of the Organizing Committee of ICACC 2016
Keywords: Broadband microstrip antenna; E-shaped microstrip antenna; Rectangular slot; Higher order mode; Proximity feeding

1. Introduction

The broadband response in Microstrip antenna (MSA) is realized when more than one resonant mode is present
whose frequencies are closely spaced with respect to each other1 – 3. In 1980s broadband response was realized using
multi-resonator gap-coupled configurations1. However this technique increases antenna size. Since 1995 when U-
slot cut MSA was first introduced4, slot cut configurations that realizes broader bandwidth (BW) without increasing
patch size, are widely preferred5 – 10. Different shapes of slot like U-slot, V-slot, rectangular slot and their modified
variations have been used in slot cut MSAs4 – 10. As per most of the reported literature on broadband slot cut MSAs,
slot is said to introduce an additional resonant mode near the fundamental patch mode when its length equals either

* Amit Deshmukh, Divya Singh, Mohil Gala. Tel.: +91-22 2433 5025.
E-mail address: amitdeshmukh76@gmail.com

1877-0509 © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the Organizing Committee of ICACC 2016
doi:10.1016/j.procs.2016.07.181
54 Amit A. Deshmukh et al. / Procedia Computer Science 93 (2016) 53 – 59

half wave or quarter wave in length. Further increase in the BW of single slot cut MSA is obtained by cutting
additional slot thereby making it a multi-resonant structure11 – 12. However in single as well as dual slot cut MSAs, a
detail explanation about the mode introduced by slot that gives wider BW is not given. Also design guidelines to
realize similar slot cut antenna at any other frequency is not available. In the recent study on single slot cut MSAs it
is shown that slot does not introduce any additional resonant mode but tunes orthogonal higher order mode
resonance frequency with respect to fundamental patch mode, to realize wide band response13. The slot also modifies
surface current distribution at orthogonal patch mode to give broadside radiation pattern over the complete BW
without any variations in the direction of principle planes. Thus to realize wide band response slot position is an
important parameter as it not only controls the higher order mode frequency but also re-orients the surface current
distributions.

The E-shaped MSA is obtained by cutting pair of rectangular slots on one of the radiating edge of the rectangular
MSA (RMSA)10. In this paper, first broadband E-shaped MSA in 1000 MHz frequency range is discussed. The detail
study to understand the broadband response in E-shaped patch is presented. Pair of slots in E-shaped patch tunes the
resonance frequency of higher order TM02 mode of equivalent RMSA with respect to its fundamental TM10 mode, to
yield BW of more than 350 MHz (~37%). Further a variation of E-shaped MSA, three rectangular slots cut RMSA is
proposed. By studying resonance curve plots and simulated surface current distributions for increasing slot length, a
details analysis that highlights upon the broadband response in three rectangular slot cut RMSA is presented. The
rectangular slots tunes the resonance frequencies of higher order TM02 and TM11 modes with respect to fundamental
TM10 mode, to give BW of more than 450 MHz (>45%). For the same patch size, BW realized in proposed
configuration is more than the BW obtained in equivalent E-shaped MSA as well as U-slot cut RMSA. The slots also
modifies the surface current distribution at TM11 and TM02 modes to give broadside radiation pattern over entire BW
showing E-plane aligned along Φ = 00. The proposed antenna yields gain of more than 6 dBi over the BW with a
peak gain above 8 dBi. The proposed MSA was first studied using IE3D software followed by experimental
verifications. The antenna was fabricated using copper plate and was suspended in air using foam spacers supports
which were placed towards the antenna corners. The N-type feed of 0.32 cm inner wire diameter was used to feed
the MSA. The impedance response was measured using ZVH – 8 vector network analyzer. The antenna pattern and
gain measurement were carried out in an antenna lab using RF source (SMB 100A) and spectrum analyzer (FSC –
6). The proposed configuration is designed in 700 to 1200 MHz frequency band. This band is chosen as % antenna
BW is smaller and patch size is larger in this range. To realize wider BW, MSA is optimized on thicker air substrate.
Due to simplicity of implementation in thicker substrate, proximity feeding is used in the proposed work. In the
available literature, a clear explanation about the working of multiple slots cut broadband MSAs in terms of their
operating modes is not given. The novelty of proposed work lies in providing clear explanation for the functioning of
multiple slot cut multi-resonant antenna in terms of patch operating modes. In the future scope, formulations at
modified patch resonant modes to design broadband E-shaped and unequal length rectangular slots cut RMSA at any
other frequency on thicker substrate will be developed.

2. Broadband E-shaped MSA

The proximity fed E-shaped MSA on h = 3.0 and h1 = 2.8 cm, is shown in Fig. 1(a, b). The equivalent RMSA
dimensions in E-shaped patch are selected such that its TM10 mode frequency is around 900 MHz. To calculate the
patch dimensions resonance frequency equation for RMSA is used1 – 3. However frequency equation reported in1 – 3
do not accurately calculate the patch dimension on thicker substrate, as the closed form expressions for extension in
length due to fringing fields are not available. Therefore artificial neural network model as reported in14 is used to
calculate the RMSA dimensions for fTM10 = 900 MHz. Using this model patch length was calculated to be ‘L’ = 13
cm. To realize lower orthogonal fTM01 mode resonance frequency and higher gain, patch width (W) of 15 cm is
selected. For xf = 3.0 cm, proximity fed RMSA is simulated and its resonance curve plot is shown in Fig. 1(c). The
first peak at 882 MHz corresponds to TM10 mode, which is closer to the desired frequency. The next resonant peaks
are due to TM02 (1574 MHz) and TM12 (1834 MHz) modes. The surface currents at TM10 mode are directed along
the patch length that gives broadside radiation pattern with E-plane aligned along Φ = 00. At TM02 mode currents are
directed along the patch width which shows E-plane aligned along Φ = 900 with conical radiation pattern. Inside this
 Amit A. Deshmukh et al. / Procedia Computer Science 93 (2016) 53 – 59 55

patch rectangular slots of dimension ‘l’ and ‘w’ are cut as shown in Fig. 1(a). For xf = 3.0 cm, resonance curve plots
increasing slot length and surface current distribution at first two observed resonant modes is shown in Figs. 1(d)
and 2(a – c), respectively.

Fig. 1. (a) Top; and (b) side views of proximity E-shaped MSA; (c) resonance curve plots for equivalent RMSA; and (d) resonance curve plots
for varying slot length in proximity fed E-shaped MSA.

As increase in slot length is orthogonal to surface currents at TM02 mode, its frequency reduces and comes closer to
TM10 mode frequency. Also surface current contribution at TM02 mode increases along the patch length which re-
orients E-plane direction from Φ = 900 to 00. The resonance curve plots for variation in feed point location (xf) are
shown in Fig. 3(a). The surface currents at modified TM02 mode are circulating around the slot. With an increase in
‘xf’, feed point is getting placed below the minimum impedance region at TM02 mode hence its impedance reduces.
The impedance at TM10 mode increases as the feed is placed below its maximum impedance point. With increase in
‘xf’, impedance at TM02 mode is not reduced below 100 Ω that does not yield broadband response. To lower the
impedance (coupling), coupling strip thickness is reduced. This reduces the impedance as well as coupling to
modified TM02 mode as seen from Fig. 3(b). The effects of variation in slot position (y) on the modified modes in E-
shaped patch is shown in Fig. 3(c). With decrease in ‘y’, slots are placed near the minimum current location at TM02
mode, which increases their frequency. Thus it can be concluded that in E-shaped MSA slots tunes the frequency
56 Amit A. Deshmukh et al. / Procedia Computer Science 93 (2016) 53 – 59

and optimizes the impedance at TM10 and TM02 modes to realize broadband response. The E-shaped MSA yields
simulated and measured BW of 368 MHz (37.7%) and 365 MHz (37.9%), respectively as shown in Fig. 3(d). Due to
uni-directional currents, pattern in E-shaped MSA is in the broadside direction with E and H-planes aligned along Φ
= 00 and 900, respectively.

Fig. 2. (a – c) Surface current distribution at resonant modes for proximity fed E-shaped MSA.

Fig. 3. Resonance curve plots for variation in (a) feed point location; (b) coupling strip thickness; and (c) slot position for proximity fed E-shaped
MSA; and its (d) optimized input impedance plots.
 Amit A. Deshmukh et al. / Procedia Computer Science 93 (2016) 53 – 59 57

3. Broadband RMSA with three rectangular slots

To increase the BW in E-shaped patch, its variation, RMSA cut with three unequal length rectangular slots is
proposed as shown in Fig. 4(a, b). To optimize for BW and to study the effects of unequal length slots on the patch
resonant modes, a parametric study for varying slot length is carried out. The resonance curve plots for them are
shown in Fig. 4(c). The Fig. 4(c) shows the plots for xf = 3.0 cm, y = 5.0 cm, h = 3.0 cm, h1 = 2.8 cm and for equal
increasing slot lengths, i.e. l1 = l2 = l3. As the slots are orthogonal to surface currents at TM02 mode its frequency
reduces. The resonance curve plots for l1 = 4 cm and for increasing ‘l2’ and ‘l3’ is shown in Fig. 4(d). With
increasing l2 and l3, TM02 mode frequency further reduces. Due to constant ‘l1’ and increasing ‘l2’ and ‘l3’ slot cut
RMSA becomes an un-symmetrical configuration with respect to the feed point. Due to this additional peak at
frequency of around 1200 MHz is observed in the resonance curve plot. The surface current and corresponding field
distribution at three resonant peaks for l1 = 4 cm and l2 = l3 = 6 cm is shown in Fig. 5(a – c).

Fig. 4. (a) Top; and (b) side views of proximity fed unequal lengths slot cut RMSA; and their (c, d) resonance curve plots for increasing ‘l1’, ‘l2’
58 Amit A. Deshmukh et al. / Procedia Computer Science 93 (2016) 53 – 59

and ‘l3’.

The first two peaks in resonance curve plots corresponds to TM10 and TM02 modes respectively. At third peak
currents show one half wavelength variation along slot cut patch length as well as width. Due to this distribution,
this peak is due to modified TM11 mode. This mode is present as slot cut RMSA has become un-symmetrical
configuration. The surface currents at modified TM02 and TM11 modes are varying along both the patch dimensions.
To maximize the current variation along patch length, slot length ‘l3’ is increased and resonance curve plots for the
same are shown in Fig. 5(d).

Fig. 5. (a – c) Surface current distribution at observed resonant peaks; and (d) resonance curve plots for increasing ‘l3’ for proximity fed slot cut
RMSA with unequal lengths.

An increase in ‘l3’ further reduces TM02 and TM11 mode frequencies. Also increased slot length (l3) optimizes
current components at TM02 and TM11 modes along the horizontal direction. The optimum response is obtained
when loops due to TM10 and modified TM02 and TM11 modes lie inside VSWR = 2 circle. This is obtained for y =
5.0 cm, h1 = 2.8 cm, xf = 4.0 cm as shown in Fig. 6(a). The simulated BW is 460 MHz (45%) whereas the measured
BW is 485 MHz (47.7%). The fabricated prototype of the configuration is shown in Fig. 6(b). The radiation pattern
and gain is measured over the BW. The pattern is in the broadside direction with peak antenna gain of more than 8
dBi. Due to vertical surface currents at TM11 mode, cross polar levels increases towards higher frequencies of the
BW which reduces the antenna gain to nearly 5 dBi.
 Amit A. Deshmukh et al. / Procedia Computer Science 93 (2016) 53 – 59 59

Fig. 6. (a) Input impedance plots; (b) fabricated prototype of proximity fed unequal lengths slot cut RMSA.

4. Conclusions

An analysis to study the broadband response in proximity fed E-shaped MSA is presented. The slot in E-shaped
patch does not introduce any resonant mode but reduces the resonance frequency of orthogonal TM02 mode and
along with TM10 mode yields broadband response. Further broadband unequal length three rectangular slot cut
RMSA is proposed. The detail study to understand the effect of slots that yields broader bandwidth is presented. The
slot tunes the spacing between patch TM11 and TM02 modes with respect to TM10 mode to yield more than 450 MHz
(>45%) of BW. The proposed MSA gives broadside radiation pattern with peak gain of more than 8 dBi over the
BW. The BW realized in proposed MSA is more than that obtained in E-shaped MSA as well as U-slot cut RMSA
of equivalent dimensions with identical pattern and gain characteristics.

5. References

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