Broadband quasi-microstrip antenna

A new printed microwave antenna is presented. The antenna is a hybrid between a wire antenna array and a microstrip patch antenna. Although the size, cost, and efficiency are comparable to the microstrip patch, the voltage standing wave ratio 2:1 bandwidth of the antenna presented here is above 20%. The radiation pattern of the antenna does not change appreciably within the bandwidth, and the theoretical efficiency for optimal antennas remains above approximately 80% within the bandwidth. Measurements on several antennas around 2 and 4 GHz are presented, as well as theoretical results obtained using a full-wave analysis.