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Published on: May 1, 2018
A Wideband High-Gain Microstrip Array Antenna Integrated with Frequency-Selective Surface for Sub-6 GHz 5G
Husam Alwareth1, Imran Mohd Ibrahim1, Zahriladha Zakaria1
1Microwave Research Group (MRG), Centre for Telecommunication Research & Innovation (CeTRI), Fakulti Kejuruteraan Elektronik dan Kejuruteraan Komputer (FKEKK), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Hang Tuah Jaya, Durian Tunggal 76100, Malaysia.
A new frequency-selective surface (FSS) reflector enhances a microstrip array antenna for 5G mid-band applications. This design achieves wide bandwidth and high gain, meeting FCC standards for improved 5G performance.
Area of Science:
- Electromagnetics and Antenna Engineering
- Wireless Communication Systems
- Metamaterials and Frequency-Selective Surfaces
Background:
- 5G mid-band (3.5-5 GHz) applications require antennas with wide bandwidth and high gain.
- Traditional antenna designs often face limitations in achieving these performance metrics simultaneously.
- Frequency-selective surfaces (FSS) offer potential for enhancing antenna characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and validate a wideband, high-gain rectangular microstrip array antenna with a novel FSS reflector.
- To ensure the antenna meets US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) standards for 5G mid-band operation.
- To investigate the performance enhancement provided by the FSS reflector for sub-6 GHz 5G applications.
Main Methods:
- A 1x4 rectangular microstrip array antenna was designed and integrated with a newly developed FSS reflector.
- Electromagnetic modeling was used to analyze the FSS stopband characteristics and transmission coefficient.
- An equivalent circuit (EC) model was employed to verify the FSS transmission coefficient for wideband signal propagation.
- The antenna prototype was fabricated using a low-cost FR-4 substrate.
Main Results:
- The FSS reflector demonstrated a wide stopband from 3.3 to 5.6 GHz with a linearly declining phase.
- The proposed antenna achieved a wide bandwidth of 2.3 GHz (51.12% fractional bandwidth) within the 3.5-5.8 GHz range.
- A peak gain of 12.4 dBi was recorded at 4.1 GHz, an improvement of 4.4 dBi over the antenna alone.
- Gain variation remained minimal (1.0 dBi) across the entire mid-band frequency range.
Conclusions:
- The integrated antenna with FSS reflector meets FCC standards for 5G mid-band applications.
- The novel FSS reflector effectively enhances antenna gain and bandwidth, crucial for 5G performance.
- The use of FR-4 substrate and the achieved performance metrics make the design cost-effective and suitable for practical 5G deployment.
