DUAL-BAND MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNA ELEMENT

WITH DOUBLE U SLOTS FOR GSM

Jose Rosa, Rui Nunes, Alexandre Moleiro and Cust6dio Peixeiro*

Instituto de TelecomunicaqBes
Instituto Superior TBcnico
AV.Rovisco Pais, 1
1049-001 Lisboa
Portugal
E-mails: joprosal @madrid.ecid.cig.mot.com,custodio.peixeiro@lx.it.pt

Abstract
A new dual-band microstrip patch antenna element is presented. The
element configuration consists on a rectangular patch with double U slots
and coaxial feeding. A prototype was designed, fabricated and tested to be
used in a GSM 900/1800 base station antenna. Good agreement has been
obtained between theoretical and experimental results. To provide the
required bandwidth for both the GSM bands a double-layer structure is
under analysis.

1. Introduction
The main purpose of this work is to develop a dual-band microstrip patch
antenna element to be used in GSM 900/1800 base stations.
Some of the well known characteristics/advantages of microstrip patch
antenna elements such as low profile, lightweight and low cost are very
important in mobile and personal communication system applications. Due
to the enormous increase in the number of GSM users and traffic many base
stations are introduced each year mainly in highly populated areas. The use
of dual-band antennas allows a significant reduction in the number of
antennas providing an important improvement in terms of cost and
preservation of the environment.
2. Element Configuration
The configuration presented in this work is based on the rectangular
microstrip patch element with an U slot proposed in [I]. The ideia is to
design a single-layer small rectangular element resonating at 1800 MHz
inside a larger element resonating at 900 MHz. At first the two elements
were coupledheparated by a 1 mm wide rectangular slot. The design proved
to be inadequate as the outer element could not get enough coupling from
the coaxial feed probe located inside the inner element. Therefore two small
openings were made to allow current flow to the outer element. The
geometry of the element with double U slots is shown in figure 1. The
structure is fed through a 50 s1 coaxial probe located near the center of the
inner element.
0-7803-6369-8/00/$10.00 02000 EEE

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A 62 mils (1.57 mm) thick RTDuroid 5880 substrate has been used. The
analysis of the structure was carried out using Ensemble software [2]. The
optimization folowed an intuitive procedure based on the results of the
analysis.
56.75
1
A
+
36.55

,,

I
34.35

II'-',
38.57

88.5

Figure 1 - Element geometry (dimensionsin mm)

3. Experimental Resuls
The prototype shown in Figure 2 was fabricated using a conventional
photolithography printing technique. The input return loss was measured
using a HP 8720 vector network analyzer. The radiation pattem was
measured using an anechoic chamber and standard antennas for reference. A
good agreement was obtained between theoretical and experimental results.
The experimental input return loss results are shown in figure 3. The
required resonance frequencies are obtained at 932 MHz and 1776 MHz.
However the bandwidth is not enough to cover the two GSM bands,
therefore one should look for a more complex structure.
The experimental results as far as radiation pattem is concemed are shown
in figures 4 and 5. Very similar broad radiation patterns with low cross
polarization level are obtained in E and H planes. A gain of 4.5 dBi was
measured at 1776 MHz.
A summary of the predicted and measured results is shown in table 1.
Resonance frequencies, bandwidth (VSWR<2) and half-power E plane and
H plane beamwidths are included.

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0
2
-4

3 -a

- -10
9
E

-12
-14

-16
-18
-20

900

700

1100

1300

1500

1700

1900

Frequency [MHzl

Figure 3 - Experimental input return loss.

Figure 2 - Antenna prototype.

0
5
-10

Crosspolar (E plana)
Copolar (H plane)

-30
-35
-40
- 1 8 0 - 1 5 0 - 1 2 0 -90

-60

-30

~ n g l et

30

60

90

120

150

180

["I

Figure 4 - Experimental radiation pattern at 932 MHz.

0
5
-10

C r o s s p o l a r (E p l a n e )
C o p o l a r (H p l a n e )
olar H lane
-Cross

-30
-35
-40

- 1 8 0 - 1 5 0 - 1 2 0 .90

-60

-30

30

Anglc 9

60

90

120

1SO

180

['I

Figure 5 - Experimental radiation pattern at 1776 MHz.

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H plane
Predicted
Measured
1776

4.4
6.0

97.6"
99.2"
73.5

80.0"

1n4 5"

96 30

80.0"

Table 1 - Summary of theoretical and experimental results

4. Futurework
The configuration presented shows the required GSM, 900 MHz and 1800
MHz, resonances but it does not provide the specified bandwidth. Therefore
the work will carry on until the required bandwidth is obtained. Two
approches are followed. The simplested is to use a thick low dielectric
constant substrate layer (foam or even air) between the RTlDuroid substrate
and the ground plane. Another possibility is the use of a satcked-patch
configuration [3].

5. Conclusions
A new dual-band microstrip patch antenna element is presented. The
element configuration consists on a rectangular patch with double U slots
and coaxial feeding. A prototype was designed, fabricated and tested to be
used in a GSM 900/1800 base station antenna. Good agreement has been
obtained between theoretical and experimental results. Typical broad
radiation patterns have been obtained for the two GSM bands. However the
bandwidth specifications are not fulfilled. To provide the required
bandwidth for both the GSM bands a double-layer structure is under
analysis.
References

T. Huynh and K.-F.Lee, "Single-layer single-patch wideband microstrip

antenna", Electronics Letters, vol. 31, no 16, pp. 1310-1312, August
1995.

ENSEMBLE, Design, Review & ID Array Synthesis, Version 5.1, User's

guide, Ansoft Corporation, January 1998.

D. M. Pozar, "A Review of Bandwidth Enhancement Techniques for

Microstrip Antennas", in Microstrip Antennas, The Analysis and Design
of Microstrip Antennas and Arrays, D. M. Pozar and D. H. Schaubert
(editors), IEEE PRESS, New York, 1995.

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