MEMS-reconfigurable antenna based on a multi-size pixelled geometry

A MEMS reconfigurable antenna with beam steering capability and resonance frequency reconfigurability is presented. The design is based in an interconnected patch grid structure and employs a hybrid geometry with different sized patches in a biclustered distribution on order to reduce the structure complexity and the number of necessary switches. A small antenna of λ/2 by λ/2 using only 12 RF-MEMS switches is optimized using genetic algorithms, demonstrating beam tilting over a range of 120° and resonant frequency reconfigurability over 4, 5 and 6 GHz. The described design constitutes a step forward in the accomplishment of multiple parameter reconfiguration.