2.

5GHz Slot Antenna Array Prototype Applicator

for Heating Applications
Emanoil Surducan

Vasile Surducan

Molecular and Biomolecular Physics

National Institute for R&D of Isotopic and Molecular
Technologies
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
emanoil.surducan@itim-cj.ro

Molecular and Biomolecular Physics

National Institute for R&D of Isotopic and Molecular
Technologies
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
vasile.surducan@itim-cj.ro

AbstractThis paper describes a pragmatic approach for

design, characterization and test of a low cost microstrip slot
applicator with 140x140cm aperture, running at 2.5GHz, in the
near field approximation. The applicator structure, designed on
glass-reinforced epoxy copper clad (FR406), can handle 100200W microwave power. The applicator is designed to heat lossy
high dielectric liquids. A thermal map produced by the
applicator on an absorbing material (Natrosol-water solution
0.4%w/v) is revealed using a low cost thermochromic crystal
liquid sheet. The applicator is prepared to be equipped in the
very near future with infrared (IR) thermopile array.
Keywordsslot antenna, microwave antenna
microwave circuits, temperature, hyperthermia.

I.

According to [1] the term applicator is used for a device

that applies RF or microwave energy in the volume of a
material at a level enough to create either a permanent or
temporary change of at least one materials parameter or
property. The material is actually enclosed within the
applicator structure. This microstrip-slot applicator is actually
an antenna which works in specific near field propagation
conditions. The distance from the applicator to the near field
boundary (Lnf), according to Rayleigh criterion, is given by:
(1)

where: D = maximum size of the applicator [cm]

0 = open space frequency wavelength [cm]
Opposite to the microwave antenna designed for a specific
bandwidth and gain, the applicators most important parameter
is the homogeneity of the radiated microwave field. In the
approximation that the entire microwave field is absorbed into
the sample, the homogeneity of the samples temperature
copper

c
c

glass-epoxy
slot in copper

Fig. 1. One slot perimeter as seen on the FR4 material

II.

APPLICATOR DESIGN AND TEST CONSIDERATIONS

A. Computing the applicator dimensions

The dominant factor in the microstrip-slot antenna design is
the perimeter of the slot (Lper) understood in terms of the
dielectric waveguide wavelengths [5]:

arrays,

INTRODUCTION

Lnf < 2 D 2 / 0

depends drastically on the microwave field homogeneity.

Although slot applicators have been described in the literature
[2-4], most designs use complex procedures involving
computer simulations.

where:

d = 0 / reff

(2)

reff = ( r + 1) / 2

(3)

and r = relative permittivity of the material which interferes

with the microwaves in the near field area. The smallest
frequency (fL) which can pass through the slot (Fig.1) is:
f L [GHz ] = (30 / L per ) 1 / reff

(4)

where: Lper=a+b[cm], a=slot length[cm], b=slot width[cm]

The slot impedance in quasi TEM (transversal
electromagnetic mode), with the slot immersed in the sample to
be heated, is given by:
Z = 591.7 2 /( reff + 1) / ln(8c / b)

(5)

for c/b>3 and c/d0; where a, b, c are presented in fig.1

and d from (2).
B. Materials
For the slot applicator, a 1.6mm thickness, 1oz, FR406
material [6] for printed circuit board (PCB) has been used. This
material is proven to have low dielectric loss at requested
frequency. The number of slots has been chosen in respect to
the dimension of the sample it must be heated (140x140mm)

32
B A O

Fig. 2. Adjusting the feeding line process

and must fit with the microstrip feed line arrangement. The
heating sample is either a Natrosol 0.4%w/v hydrogel for
which the measured dielectric constant is r = 77.87 - j10.36, or
distilled water (r = 78.13 - j10.07). The dielectric permittivity
was measured with maximum 3% relative uncertainty, at room
temperature T=20oC, using a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA)
with specific accessories, (Agilent PNA-L, N5230A, 85070E
Dielectric Probe Kit, 85071E Material measurement software).
The Natrosol mixture aspect is identical to jelly or aspic.
C. Methods
The slots dimensions have been computed (a = 3.2cm, b =
0.5cm) according to (4) allowing a theoretical fL=1.29GHz
(ref= 39.5). The slot impedance is around 60 ohm. One slot
antenna has been manufactured in laboratory (Fig.2). The
feeding line made by aluminium adhesive tape is gradually
applied between positions C to O. A SMA connector is
mounted at the end of the line after every adhesion of the tape
on the PCB. The feeding line dimension (microstrip line) was
computed using the TxLine free software [7] for the FR406
parameters (70m copper, r = 3.93). The S11 parameter is
measured for each feeding line position using a VNA (Fig.3).
The position of the feeding line which create resonance (S11
-10dB) at the requested frequency (position A) is used in the
final array arrangement.

Fig. 4. The applicator array simulation showing the feeding line

The array arrangement (Fig.4) has been configured using

Sonet-Lite (the free version has a limitation which allows only
a single symmetrical slot modeling) [8], then the applicator
array has been manufactured in laboratory using a CNC
(computer numerically controlled) Protomat S62 plotter.
The array is fed at the center with microwaves (via an N
connector) using a semi-rigid coaxial cable, from a proprietary
microwave generator using a CW (continuous wave)
magnetron as described in [9] and depicted in Fig.6-bottom.
The applicator is housed in a stainless steel case (a conductive
ground plane). To visualize the heating pattern produced by
the applicator, a thermochromic liquid crystal sheet (TLC) [10]
is placed above the applicator surface. However, an absorbing
material about 5mm thick and moisturized in distilled water
must be placed between the applicator and the TLC sheet. The
microwave field at the applicator aperture heats the water and
the absorbing material. The temperature rise changes the
wavelength reflected by the TLC sheet, (no. #72-373 Edmund
Optics) which was used in the experimental setup

A
B
C
O

0
-5

S11 (dB)

-10
-15
-20
-25
-30
-35
0

Frequency (GHz)
Fig.5 The sealed Plexiglas box mounted on the top of the slot
applicator
Fig. 3. S11 parameters for various positions of the feeding line

0
-2

S11 (dB)

-4
-6
-8

air
natrosol 0.4%

-10
-12
-14
2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

Frequency (GHz)

Fig.7 S11 parameters for various loads of the applicator

Fig.6 The experimental setup for testing the aplicator vertical (up) and
horizontal (down) heating pattern

(Fig.6-bottom). To heat various types of liquids or aqueous

solutions, a sealed box has been manufactured using 10mm
Plexiglas
(Poly-methyl
methacrylate)
walls
(140x140x500mm3). The box has been glued on the applicator,
reinforced with two steel strips (Fig.5) and filled with an
aqueous Natrosol solution. The electromagnetic leakages
outside the box, at 100W input power were measured using an
Agilent N1911A series power meter. It was found that the
leakage is below the standardized recommendation (<10W/m2)
[11], because there is a higher microwaves absorption in the
liquid (more than 30dB attenuation at 60mm deep).

revealed with a TLC sheet as shown in Fig.6-top in the

diagonal section of the Plexiglas box. The vertical temperature
map of the TLC sheet is only an approximation of the
microwaves power distribution because of the thermal
convection in liquid starting after 20-30s of irradiation. The
temperature versus reflected wavelength (color) on the TLC
sheet is presented in Table1, based on its datasheet [10]. The
horizontal heating patterns in the vicinity of the eight slots are
clearly visible in Fig.6-down. The most distant slots to the
microwave feeding points create the largest temperature
inhomogeneity. Even if further work is necessary to increase
the heating homogeneity, the slot aperture array has proven to
be a fully functional applicator, to be used in scientific or even
in medical applications for heating purposes. The method used
in this experiment to see the microwave power radiation by
its thermal effect seems to be the most effective and simple
one, although we are aware that there are other more precise
(but also more complex) methods involving fiber optics
thermometer array.
TABLE I.

LIQUID CRYSTAL SHEET #72-373, TEMPERATURE TO

WAWELENGTH DISTRIBUTION
Color

III.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The S11 parameter of the slot applicator has been verified

using the Agilent VNA for two different loads: air and
Natrosol 0.4%w/v (Fig.7). At 2.5GHz there is about 250MHz
shift between the maximum absorption of these two loads. The
Natrosol load brings the applicator S11 value at -7.5dB for
2.5GHz. Thus, the applicator becomes a reasonable emitting
antenna (-10dB is considered the limit for a nearly perfect
antenna). There is no difference in absorption between the
Natrosol 0.4%w/v and distilled water due to their almost
identical complex permittivity. The heating performance has
been verified using the same experimental setup from Fig.6
bottom. The same figure (Fig.6-top) displays also the vertical
heating pattern. The slot antenna array power distribution was

T[C]
40
36
35
34
33

IV.

Color

T[C]
32
31
30.5
30.3
30

CONCLUSIONS

In the paper it has been proven that the use of a pragmatic

approach for designing an antenna represents a low cost option
even a computer simulation looks to be the very first required
step. Briefly, the design started considering the processed
liquid sample impedance and permittivity which gave the slot
dimension, then the microstrip symmetrical feeder was

designed based on the FR4 material properties and the

requirement to adapt the applicator impedance (50 ohms) to the
sample impedance. Compared with the solution described in
[2] (non-symmetrical microwave excitation line), our design
make use of a symmetrical feeding line of the slots which
allows a better microwave field distribution. The 2n slots (n = 3
for this application) where distributed in the applicator area
according to the microstrip feeder pattern. The practical
approach (which uses empirical mathematical relations) saves
time and energy, predicting the design will work in the real
world from the first revision, under the required parameters.
However, the first design step of an antenna array (testing a
single slot of the array) is crucial. To comply with the near
field propagation conditions, the effective relative permittivity
of the medium (through which the wave propagates) should be
considered, rather than the dielectric substrate permittivity of
the PCB alone.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors acknowledge the financial support of the
Romanian Ministry of Education Research and Youth, through
the National Research Projects PN-II-RU-PD-2012-3-0050 and
1RO-FR_22-2011.
REFERENCES
[1]

Mehrdad Mehdizadeh, Microwave/RF Applicators and Probes for

Material Heating, Sensing, and Plasma Generation, ISBN 978-0-81551592-0, October 2009, pp.36

Ken Takey, Hiroshi Kondoh, TEM slot array antenna US 5977924,

1999.
[3] Nader Behdad, and Kamal Sarabandi, A Wide-Band Slot Antenna
Design Employing A Fictitious Short Circuit Concept, IEEE
Transactions on antennas and propagation, Vol. 53, No. 1, January 2005,
pp 475-482.
[4] Electronic Warfare and Radar Systems, Engineering Handbook, Antenna Near Field , pp (3-5.1;3-5.4), Rev 2 of 1, US Naval Air Warfare
Center, April 1999, ISBN: N/A, Pages: 299.
[5] Wen Shan Chen, A Novel Broadband Design of a Printed Rectangular
Slot Antenna for Wireless Applications, Microwave Journal, January
2006.
[6] http://www.isola-group.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/FR406-HighPerformance-Epoxy-Laminate-and-Prepreg-Data-Sheet-Isola.pdf
[7] http://www.awrcorp.com/sites/default/files/content/attachments/Freewar
e/TXLine.zip
[8] http://www.sonnetsoftware.com/products/lite/download.html
[9] Surducan V., Surducan E., Ciupa R., Neamu Camelia, Microwave
Generator for Scientific and Medical Applications, Proceeding of the
Processes in Isotopes and Molecules, 29 sept.-01 oct. 2011, AIP Conf.
Proc. 1425, pp. 89-92; http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3681974
[10] The
thermochromic
liquid
crystal
sheet,
http://www.edmundoptics.com/testing-targets/calibrationstandards/temperature-sensitive-liquid-crystal-sheets/1642
[11] ICNIRP Guidelines for limiting exposure to time- varying electric,
magnetic and electromagnetic fields (up to 300 GHz), Health Physics
74(4), 494-522 (1998)

[2]