Enhanced bandwidth microstrip patch antennas through 3-D printing

摘要

A novel approach for realizing improved-bandwidth microstrip patch antennas (MPAs) with use of 3-D printed Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) substrates is presented. By 3-D printing these substrates using the MakerBot Replicator 2X, complex cavity-backed MPA designs typically implemented with subtractive manufacturing techniques such as micromachining are easily adapted without loss of efficacy. In order to improve the structural robustness of the MPA and substrate, several different cavity structures are implemented and tested. Introduction of the air cavity into the synthetic substrate improved the bandwidth by up to 90%. Antenna gain was also improved by 1.2dB for some designs. This simple and cost-effective approach can be used for multiple applications to enhance and incorporate multiple cavities and varying geometries into a synthetic substrate resulting in varying dielectric properties.