Design and fabrication of a novel hexagonal reconfigurable antenna with RF switches for mobile terminal

In this study a hexagonal reconfigurable fractal shaped antenna has been made using radio frequency microelectromechanical systems (RF MEMS) switches. The proposed design offers miniaturization of antenna by using hexagonal fractals as the patch of antenna. The fractal shape offers multiband resonance of antenna. Hexagonal fractal has been considered up to 2 iterations and the second iteration of antenna offers multiband resonance as required in modern-day wireless devices. The effect of photonic band gap (PBG) on the hexagonal antenna performance has also been studied. The reconfigurable nature of the proposed antenna is demonstrated by applying RF MEMS switches within the hexagonal patch after providing the appropriate slots. The proposed antenna is fabricated on FR4 laminate (d = 1.6 mm, εr = 4.7 and tanδ = 0.019) and analyzed in the frequency range 1.5 GHz to 7.5 GHz. The antenna is simulated using a high frequency structure simulator (HFSS) and verified by fabrication results. Both simulated and fabricated results show a considerable degree of agreement. The novelty in the design offers miniaturization of the size, multiband behaviour in comparison to antennas described in literature and the utility of such antenna in mobile RF front section.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jnsfsr.v42i3.7403

J.Natn.Sci.Foundation Sri Lanka 2014 42 (3): 283-289