The Design and Modeling of a Reconfigurable Inset-Fed Microstrip Patch High Gain Antenna for Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

In this paper, we designed a tunable microstrip patch antenna using RF MEMS switches. The design and simulation of the antenna were performed using a high frequency structure simulator(HFSS). The antenna was designed for use in the ISM band and either operates at 2.4 GHz or 5.7 GHz achieving -10 dB return-loss bandwidths of 20 MHz and 180 MHz, respectively. In order to obtain high efficiency and improve the ease of integration, a high resistivity silicon(HRS) wafer on a glass substrate was used for the antenna. The antenna achieved high gains: 8 dB at 5.7 GHz and 1 dB at 2.4 GHz. The RF MEMS DC contact switches were simulated and analyzed using ANSYS software.