Enhancing gain with multiple beams for four element phased array microstrip antenna using Rogers substrate material for 5G applications

Abstract

5G wireless systems are improved networks to be deployed recently. The newly specified frequency bands, in which 5G operates, comes in the millimetre wave bands (26, 28, 38, and 60 GHz). In this paper, a four element microstrip antenna having dimensions 27.7 X 27.7 X 1.27 mm3 is designed at a frequency of about 27–28 GHz that shows improved performance over a single element antenna. The antenna works, on a minimum attenuation level of around −38 dB and a gain of around 13.7 dB, with a HPBW of 23.4 degrees at a frequency of 27.74 GHz. The antenna is having 8 ports where each element is fed by two ports and multiple beam patterns can be obtained by changing the relative phase of inputs given at different ports. The designed antenna can be directed in single direction (Theta = 0 degree when phi = 0 degree), two different directions (Theta = ±22 degree when phi = 0 degree), three different directions (phi = 105, −80 and 180 degrees for theta = 90 degrees) and four different directions (phi = 0, −90, 90 and 180 degrees for theta = 90 degrees) at the same time with varying gain and half power beam width. The maximum gain is obtained with a single beam that keeps on decreasing with increasing number of beams. The simulation for antenna is done on CST Microwave Studio using the substrate material Rogers RT5880LZ having dielectric constant 1.96 and a thickness of 1.27 mm.