Design of a compact ultra-wideband antenna

A simple method for the design of ultra-wideband antennas in planar format is presented. This method is demonstrated for a high-dielectric-constant substrate material, which allows for a considerable antenna size reduction. Simulations are performed using Ansoft's High-Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) for antennas assuming DuPont951 (εr = 7.8) and RT6010LM (εr = 10.2) substrates. For the 1-mm-thick DuPont951, the designed antenna with 22 × 28 mm dimensions features a 10-dB return-loss bandwidth from 2.7 GHz to more than 15 GHz. For the 0.64-mm-thick RT6010LM a 20 × 26 mm antenna exhibits a 10-dB return loss bandwidth from 3.1 to 15 GHz. Both antennas feature nearly omnidirectional properties across the whole 10-dB return-loss bandwidth. The validity of the presented UWB antenna design strategy is confirmed by measurements performed on a prototype developed on RT6010LM substrate.