Proximity-Coupled Microstrip Patch Antenna Miniaturization
Using New Fractal Geometry
S. Sadat*, M. Fardis, Gh. Dadashzadeh, R. K. Baee
Iran Telecommunication Research Centre
ssadat@itrc.ac.ir
Abstract In this paper, for more antenna miniaturization, we present a novel fractal geometry that
allows decrease in the resonance frequency without occupying more space, while remaining
radiation pattern similar to that of normal square patch. Also for improving the inherently narrow
bandwidth of patch fractal antenna a proximity-coupled feed is implemented. The performance is
demonstrated by simulation based on a numerical analysis with the Finite Element Method (FEM)
and a practical application to Personal Communication Services (PCS).
Keywords: Fractal, Microstrip Antenna, Bandwidth, 3/2 Curve.
Introduction
When the size of an antenna is made much smaller than the operating wavelength, it becomes
highly inefficient. Its radiation resistance decreases, while proportionally, the reactive energy
stored in antenna neighborhood rapidly increases. Both phenomena make small antennas difficult
to match to the feeding circuit, and they display a high Q with very narrow bandwidth when it’s
matched [1]. There are various solutions to overcome this problem. The best way making small
antenna is application of fractal geometry [2], [3]. In recent years, the fractal shape antenna
elements have drawn interests of many antenna designers. Fractal geometries are featuring two
common properties: fractals are space-filling contours, meaning electrical lengths play such as a
viable miniaturization technique and self similarity property. Fractal shaped antenna have various
advantages, such as wideband, multiband and reduced size in wire antennas [2], [3], but in
microstip patch antennas the gain and impedance bandwidth decreases seriously, so we should
solve this problem using the methods of broadbanding of a patch antenna. For improving the
inherently narrow bandwidth of a microstrip antenna, it is very effective to use an electrically thick
substrate [4]. Several studies for feeding the microstrip antenna with a thick substrate have been
reported, such as the L-shaped probe [5] and the capacitively probe-fed structure [6]. Recently the
proximity-coupled microstrip antenna with a linear slot in ground plane has also been proposed
[6], [7]. It should be noted that the proximity-coupled microstrip antenna without a slot in the
ground plane is hard to achieve impedance matching. In this paper, we miniaturize a microstrip
patch antenna with suitable gain and impedance bandwidth. For increasing the frequency
bandwidth, a proximity-coupled feed is used and an H-shaped slot is placed in along the diameter
of the square patch. In order to validate, we compare the proposed model with Minkowski and
koch geometries.
Proposed Geometry Description
The proposed model is an iterative model to a normal square patch with a generator of shape is
called 3/2 curve, shown in fig. 1; substituting both length and width of the patch antenna structure
with generator shape.
Fig. 1 Generator for 3/2 curve fractal
0-7803-8883-6/05/$20.00 ©2005 IEEE