See-through microstrip antennas constructed on a transparent substrate

The main parameters affecting the optical transparency of the see-through microstrip antenna are the dimensions of the metallic mesh and the optical transmittance of a dielectric substrate. A thinner mesh will result in better transparency of the antenna, however, the performance of the antenna will clearly be degraded. It is significant to find the optimal dimensions of the mesh for practical use. The paper describes experimental and calculated results of a see-through microstrip antenna. Firstly, an antenna structure is shown. Then, some typical experimental results of five antennas with different mesh spacings including a patch antenna are demonstrated. Next, a simplified calculation model for the method of moments is shown. The model is reduced to a parallel wire structure. Finally, some calculated results are demonstrated