Influence of dielectric loading on PIFA antennas in close proximity to user´s body

The emerging trend for handset antenna design puts strong constraints on their volume occupation and user´s proximity resilience. Several PIFA antenna configurations are investigated, studying the influence of substrate/superstrate dielectric loading on both absorption and mismatch loss at 900 MHz. By using high-permittivity materials and by leaving a small clearance area between the PIFA top plate and the back of the handset, both absorption and mismatch loss can be reduced at the expense of a narrower bandwidth.