Triple Band Circular Patch Microstrip Antenna with Superstrate

A novel compact triple band slit cut circular patch antenna with superstrate is proposed; slits on the patch provide additional resonances. The superstrate (cover) of dielectric layer provides protection to printed circuit antenna from environmental hazards due to abnormal weather conditions. The slits add two resonances in the resonance of a circular patch to achieve triple band antenna for multi services. The dielectric superstrate or cover above the microstrip patch causes the change in fringing fields between the patch and ground plane. The change in fringing field is accounted to calculate the effective relative permittivity. The effective permittivity is considered to evaluate the changes in resonance frequency due to superstrate. The various parameters of the antenna have been investigated and the antenna is simulated on Ansoft's HFSS software simulator. A prototype of antenna is fabricated to confirm the return loss by measurement using the Agilent Technologies' N5230A PNA-L Network Analyzer. The proposed structure with superstrate possess triple band characteristics and provides protection from environmental hazards. The resonating frequencies of the bands are 7.3, 8.7 and 10.3 GHz. The analytical results are found in good agreement with the simulated results obtained by Ansoft's HFSS and further confirmed by measurement. Antenna is worth for X band operations such as remote sensing, WPAN and military satellite communication and vehicular applications.