Broadband, Miniaturized Stacked-Patch Antennas for L-Band Operation Based on Magneto-Dielectric Substrates

Design of stacked-patch antennas using magneto-dielectric substrates was investigated. In particular, special types of substrates with identical relative permittivity and permeability were considered. The optimal design parameters were determined using a genetic algorithm. It will be shown that by employing these matched magneto-dielectric substrates, a significant miniaturization of up to 60% can be achieved while providing a large operating bandwidth (20%). Several design examples were considered and their performance was evaluated using a full-wave analysis technique based on the method of moments. The tradeoff between antenna gain and degree of miniaturization for a fixed bandwidth was also investigated. A fabrication methodology for obtaining the required matched magneto-dielectric substrate materials is also proposed.