Multi element microstrip antenna array using electromagnetic band gap structure and silver coating

Abstract

The paper emphasizes the importance of electromagnetic band gap structures and silver coating on the performance of four element microstrip antenna array. The conventional microstrip antenna array produces gain and bandwidth of 6.81 and 4.89 % respectively. The thickness of silver coating is 30 nm. The bandwidth and gain of the proposed microstrip antenna array are equal to 228.53 % and 10.2 dB. Apart from good reduction in mutual coupling and back lobe radiation, the proposed microstrip antenna array also produces a virtual size reduction of 26.76 %. Additionally, the proposed microstrip antenna array produces increased Front to Back ratio. The antenna arrays are designed at 6 GHz. The four antenna elements are spaced apart by a distance of ?/4. The substrate employed in the design and fabrication of antenna arrays is FR-4 glass epoxy. The first improvement in this paper is that electromagnetic band gap structures are employed both in the ground plane as well as on the surface. The second improvement is the deposition of silver coating on the entire copper area of microstrip antenna array. © 2019 IAMOT.