Microstrip Antenna Designs for Sensor and

Communications Applications
David Pozar
Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Amherst MA 01003

email: pozar@ecs.umass.edu
slides: http://www.ecs.umass.edu/ece/pozar/AntResRev2005.ppt

Outline
One of the main goals of the Center for Advanced Sensor and
Communications Antennas at the University of Massachusetts is to
identify and develop antenna technologies with improved performance
and/or reduced cost for future applications.

Near field focused microstrip array

Ku band fan beam microstrip array
Improved bandwidth microstrip reflectarray

Near Field Focused Microstrip Array

Application to low-cost radiometric temperature sensor

Food industry, chemical processing, materials manufacturing
Radiometric technique works through smoke, dust, or steam
Developed by ProSensing Inc (Amherst), and K. Stephan (Texas State U)
12.5 GHz, focus to a spot size of 2.6 at 12 from aperture
Two array versions were designed, fabricated, and tested
Near field testing done at Hanscom AFB
Resulting antenna is substantially smaller and cheaper than original horn

Radiometric Temperature Sensor Antennas Before and After

Original dielectric loaded horn antenna

Near field focused microstrip arrays

Calculated Near Field Contours of Microstrip Array

-24

-36 -30
3

-30
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Y axis (inches)

-30

-30

-30
-30
-30

-24
-12
-6

-36
-30

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-24

-24

-30
-18

-36

-36

1
0

-30
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-30
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-24

-30 -18-12
-24
-24

-30
-24

-12
-30

-36

-36
-36

-3

-6

-18

-24-18
-30
-30
-24

-36
-30

-4
-36
-30

-5
-4

-3

-2

-30
-24

-30
-36
-36

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-30
-36

-24

-24
-1

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-30

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-6

-12

-5

-24 -36

-12

-30
-2

-30
-30

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-18

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-1

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-18

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-30
1

X axis (inches)

Near Field Measurement of Microstrip Array at Hanscom AFB

Measured Near Field 3D Pattern of Microstrip Array

Measured Near Field E-plane Patterns of Microstrip Arrays

f = 12.45 GHz. Red curve for array using non-symmetric feed network, green
curve for array with reversed patches in E-plane. Note: main beam peaks are
off center due to mechanical misalignment of test fixture.

Ku Band Fan Beam Microstrip Array

Application to short range ocean surface topography mapping

Two arrays used for differential phase shift measurement of backscatter
45 long aperture at 16.15 GHz, 2 degree beamwidth
20 dB sidelobe level
Short pulse duration requires time delay feeding across aperture
Loss and space considerations require subarraying (2x4 and 2x6)
Design completed, subarrays tested, final array being fabricated

Ku Band Array

176 patch elements, 2x4 and 2x6 subarrays

Improved Bandwidth Microstrip Reflectarray

Microstrip reflectarray uses a flat aperture of microstrip patches with

individual phase shifts to form a coherent beam
Reflectarrays typically use variable-length patches, patches with tuning
stubs, or CP patches with rotations to achieve required reflection phases
Bandwidth (gain) is generally limited to 2-4% with these methods
A new technique using aperture coupled patches with stub tuners provides
much better bandwidth properties,

see Microstrip Reflectarrays: Myths and Realities, JINA 2004, at

http://www.ecs.umass.edu/ece/pozar/jina.ppt for more discussion of
microstrip reflectarrays

Microstrip Reflectarray
This reflectarray uses
variable length
microstrip patches to
provide a shaped beam
pattern.

Aperture Coupled Stub Tuned Microstrip Reflectarray

microstrip patches

ground plane
with apertures

variable length
tuning stubs

cross section

unit cell

Patches and apertures are identical for all elements;

stubs vary in length to control reflection phase.

400

360

350

270
f = 5.0 GHz
f = 5.2 GHz
f = 5.4 GHz

300

Reflection Phase (degrees)

Reflection Phase (degrees)

Reflection Phase vs. Patch / Stub Length

250
200
150
100
50

f = 5.0 GHz
f = 5.2 GHz
f = 5.4 GHz

180
90
0
-90
-180
-270

-360
1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

Patch Length (cm)

variable-length
microstrip patches

2.2

2.4

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

Stub Length (cm)

stub-tuned aperture
coupled patches

2.5

3.0

Comparison of Gain Bandwidth

30

1 dB gain
bandwidth is
improved
from 3.5% to
9%

Gain (dB)

28

26

24

22
Variable Size Patches
Aperture Coupled Patches w/ Stubs
20
1.8

1.9

2.0

Frequency (GHz)

2.1

2.2