Title :
A frequency-tunable mechanically actuated microstrip patch antenna
Author :
Al-Dahleh, R. ; Shafai, L. ; Shafai, C.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Manitoba Univ., Winnipeg, Man., Canada
Abstract :
A frequency-tunable microstrip patch antenna with a stacked air-glass substrate is presented in this paper. Adjusting the air-gap height between the patch and ground plane varies the antenna´s effective dielectric constant, resulting in a shift in resonant frequency. Ensemble simulations and experimental results are presented for the bulk-machined model. Microstrip patch antennas of frequencies ranging between 5 GHz to 20 GHz exhibited frequency shifts of up to 12%. The 8.8 GHz antenna tested experienced a frequency shift of nearly 400 MHz (8.47 GHz to 8.79 GHz).
Keywords :
antenna earths; antenna feeds; microactuators; micromachining; microstrip antennas; multifrequency antennas; tuning; 5 to 20 GHz; air-gap height; effective dielectric constant; frequency shifts; frequency-tunable antenna; ground plane; mechanically actuated antenna; micromachined patch antenna; microstrip patch antenna; resonant frequency; stacked air-glass substrate; Air gaps; Antenna radiation patterns; Dielectric constant; Dielectric substrates; Glass; MMICs; Microstrip antennas; Microwave antennas; Patch antennas; Resonant frequency;
Conference_Titel :
Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium, 2003. IEEE
Conference_Location :
Columbus, OH, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-7846-6
DOI :
10.1109/APS.2003.1220331
