Design of U-Shaped Microstrip MIMO Antenna

for 5G Wireless Applications

Dr Sathish M,
Associate Professor, Shyam R, Shrijha S,
Electronics and Communication Electronics and Communication Electronics and Communication
Engineering, Engineering, Engineering,
Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Rajalakshmi Engineering College,
Thandalam, Chennai Thandalam, Chennai Thandalam, Chennai
sathish.m@[Link] 200801194@[Link] 200801192@[Link]

Janani Shree U,
Sree Bhuvana S, Assistant Professor,
Electronics and Communication Electronics and Communication
Engineering, Engineering,
Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Rajalakshmi Engineering College,
Thandalam, Chennai Thandalam, Chennai
200801203@[Link] Jananishree.u@[Link]

Abstract -- MIMO (Multiple Input-Multiple Output) A ground plane in a microstrip antenna serves as a
represents an antenna technology vital for wireless conductive surface that is positioned below the microstrip
communication, employing multiple antennas at both antenna's radiating element (patch or other antenna
transmission and reception ends. Crucial to 5G structure. The ground plane helps isolate the antenna from
communication, the Microstrip Antenna emerges as a the underlying structures or environment, reducing
cornerstone, aligning with specific criteria such as interference and coupling with nearby objects. This is
compact physical dimensions, low profile, and essential for maintaining the antenna's performance and
straightforward fabrication. In this project, an U- radiation pattern. The substrate plays a critical role as the
Shaped MIMO antenna is introduced, tailored for dielectric material that separates the radiating element
diverse wireless applications. Emphasizing diminutive (often a patch or strip) from the ground plane. The
proportions, enhanced reflection coefficient, VSWR, dielectric constant (εr) of the substrate affects the
gain, return loss, and directivity, the proposed antenna wavelength within the material and, consequently, the
aims to elevate performance standards in wireless antenna's operating frequency. A higher εr results in a
communication systems. smaller wavelength within the substrate, leading to a
smaller antenna size for a given frequency. The patch is
Keywords – MIMO, Wireless Communication, 5G, mounted on a dielectric substrate, which separates it from
Microstrip antenna, Low-profile, U-shaped MIMO, Small the ground plane. The dielectric properties of the substrate
size, Reflection coefficient, VSWR, Gain, Return loss, and the thickness of the substrate significantly influence
Directivity. the antenna's performance. The feedline in a microstrip
patch antenna is the transmission line that connects the
I. INTRODUCTION antenna's radiating element (the patch) to the external RF
(radio frequency) source or receiver. The feed point
A compact antenna design utilizing U- shaped MIMO determines the antenna's impedance matching and
technology with four antenna pairs is proposed for wireless radiation characteristics. Common feed points include the
device applications. This design leverages microstrip patch center of the patch (inset-fed), the edge of the patch
antennas, known for their compact size and low profile. (proximity-fed), or a combination of both. The radiation
These antennas consist of a metallic patch printed on a boundary is a boundary or surface in space beyond which
dielectric substrate and are fed by a microstrip transmission the radiated electromagnetic energy is considered to be
line. The patch acts as a resonant structure, with its part of the antenna's far field. The far field is the region
dimensions determining the operating frequency. While where the electromagnetic fields exhibit characteristics
limitations exist in bandwidth and sensitivity to surrounding independent of the antenna's geometry and are essentially
elements, this design offers advantages like affordability, plane waves. The radiation boundary is typically located
lightweight construction, and compatibility with mass at a distance where this condition is met.
production techniques. It caters to diverse mobile
applications across S-band, C-band, and UWB, achieving II. PROPOSED MIMO ANTENNA DESIGN
high gain and directivity with low return loss. The compact
size and MIMO technology improve data transmission rates The detailed analysis of the antenna was conducted
and signal strength, while the low-profile design minimizes using CST (Computer Simulation Technology) software.
the antenna's footprint. The antenna is designed on a low-cost Flame Retardant 4
This innovative design presents a promising (FR-4) substrate, which is sandwiched between a copper
advancement for 5G mobile technology, offering versatility, patch and a ground plane.
efficient data transfer, and paving the way for enhanced
mobile communication experiences.
 Table 1: Comparisons with other designs
ECC,
Freq Bandwid Number Gain Isolation
Ref Substrate DG
(GHz) th (GHz) of Ports (dBi) (dB)
(dB)

Rogers RO
22.5–29, 0.12,
[6] 28/38 4003C 2 ports 11.5 20
33.5–50 >9.4
(εr = 3.38)

Rogers RO
24–29, <0.005,
[8] 28 4003C 81 ports 7.8 20
30.5–36 9.99
(εr = 3.38)

Rogers RO
Fig. 2.
25–28.2, 0.0001,
[9] 27/39 4003C 2 ports 5, 5.7 >30
36–41 >9.99
(εr = 3.38)
A two-element antenna from a U-shaped design is
[10] 28 24–29.9
Rogers RT
5880 2 ports 12.4 >24
<0.0013, configured with a 180-degree rotation, start with the
(εr = 2.2)
>9.9
original design. It is ensured that the open ends of the arms
remain facing in the same direction. This rotation
effectively changes the orientation of one element relative
to the other, altering the antenna's radiation pattern and
characteristics.

Fig. 1(a) Fig. 1(b)

Fig. 3(a)

A 4 × 4 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO)

configuration is attained by orthogonally translating a
single-element antenna, as depicted in the setup. This
configuration enhances the system's capacity to transmit
Fig. 1(c) and receive multiple data streams simultaneously, thereby
improving spectral efficiency and overall performance. A
four-element U-shaped patch antenna was designed initially
The antenna resonates at a frequency of 5.75 GHz. The addition showing suboptimal performance which is obtained without
of a U-shaped slot enhances its performance, extending the an isolation element. The absence of an isolation element in
frequency coverage from 3 GHz to 6 GHz with a significant antenna design introduces several significant drawbacks.
return loss observed at the resonant frequency of 5.75 GHz. At Firstly, mutual coupling between adjacent antenna elements
this frequency, the antenna exhibits notable gain and directivity. becomes a prominent issue, leading to decreased antenna
The utilization of FR-4 substrate not only reduces costs but also efficiency and distorted radiation patterns.
ensures reliability in operation. Initially, in Fig. 1(a), a basic The introduction of an isolation element as circle with
circular antenna is depicted, characterized by an outer diameter diameter 20x13mm in the antenna design resulted in a
of 14mm and an inner diameter of 7mm, featuring a microstrip significant improvement, as evidenced by the S21
line feed. Subsequently, Fig. 1(b) illustrates the introduction of a parameter exceeding -40dB and -60dB at 8.37Ghz and
rectangular slot, measuring 12x60mm, onto the circular antenna. 9Ghz. This metric indicates strong isolation between
This addition aims to modify the antenna's characteristics and antenna elements, crucial for minimizing mutual coupling
improve its performance. effects and ensuring efficient signal transmission. The S11
Moving forward to Fig. 1(c), a Boolean subtraction operation parameter is improved by -16.6dB and-35.8dB at 8.37 and
is performed, wherein the circular and rectangular slots are 9Ghz. These improved parameters mitigate crosstalk and
combined through subtraction, refining the antenna's geometry interference, leading to clearer signal transmission and
and optimizing its functionality. Then, a waveguide port is reception. This outcome demonstrates the successful
introduced, serving as a vital component for feeding the optimization of the antenna's design, indicating its
calculation domain with power and absorbing returning power. suitability for various communication applications.
 Table 2. Simulated Results of Four element MIMO Antenna

Parameters (Ghz) 2.95 5.75 8.37 9

S11(dB) -5.7162 -17.944 -16.658 -35.898
Gain(dB) -1.332 2.420 5.267 5.234
Directivity(dBi) 6.91 8.36 9.08 8.49
Bandwidth (Mhz) 168 191 279 619

Table 1 presents the performance results for the four- Table 3: Dimensions of proposed antenna design
element antenna, including directivity, gain, and S11 reflection
coefficient values. The figure 3(b) demonstrates the proposed Annotation Specification Dimension
antenna with isolation element.
gw Ground Width 150

gl Ground Length 150

t Thickness of patch and Ground 0.035

sw Substrate Width 150

sl Substrate Length 150

h Substate Thickness 1.6

r1 Circle 1 Outer Diameter 14

r2 Circle 1 Inner Diameter 7

a Slot Width 12
Fig. 3(b)
b Slot Length 50
The figure 4(a) depicts the comparison of the S21 isolation fw Feed Width 0.8
parameter with and without an isolation element in the antenna
design, showing improvement after adding the isolation r3 Center Circle 2 Inner Diameter 20
element between antennas. Similarly, Figure 4(b) depicts the
improved factor of the S11 return loss parameter at 8.37 GHz r4 Center Circle 2 Outer Diameter 13
and 9 GHz frequencies. This outcome demonstrates the c1 Distance from Origin 35
successful optimization of the antenna's design, indicating its
suitability for various communication applications. w Patch Width 40

l Patch Length 60

[Link]

The results of the MIMO antenna obtained from the

simulation is discussed below. To study in detail the
performance of the proposed MIMO antenna, characteristics
such as Return loss (S11), VSWR, ECC, Isolation (S21),
Fig. 4(a) S21 Parameter results Radiation Pattern, Gain etc are simulated.

A. Return Loss
An antenna’s return loss in fig. 4(b) indicates the proportion
of radio waves arriving at the antenna input that are rejected as
a ratio against those that are accepted. It is also defined as the
measure of how small the “return” or reflection/echo is. It is
specified in decibels (dB) relative to a short circuit (100 %
rejection). The obtained return loss values are -17.944 at 5.37
Ghz and -35.898 at 9 Ghz.

Fig. 4(b) S11 Parameter results

B. Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) F. Other Parameters
VSWR is a measurement which shows how efficiently radio The radiation patterns of this proposed design is given as
frequency power is transmitted to a load from a source in an below.
antenna system. 100 % of energy is transmitted in an ideal
system, however it is practically hard. In real systems some of
the power will be reflected back to the source due to
impedance mismatches like an echo.

Fig. 7(a) Radiation pattern at 2.95 Ghz

Fig. 5. VSWR Results

C. Gain
Another useful figure-of-merit describing the performance of
an antenna is the gain. Gain of an antenna (in a given direction)
is defined as “the ratio of the intensity, in a given direction, to
the radiation intensity that would be obtained if the power
accepted by the antenna were radiated isotropically. The
obtained gain value is 5.26 dB after the implementation of a
circular patch between the antennas.
Fig. 7(b) Radiation pattern at 5.75 Ghz
D. Bandwidth
The bandwidth of an antenna is defined as “the range of
frequencies within which the performance of the antenna, with
respect to some characteristic, conforms to a specified
standard. The bandwidth can be considered to be the range of
frequencies, on either side of a center frequency (usually the
resonance frequency for a dipole), where the antenna
characteristics (such as input impedance, pattern, beamwidth,
polarization, side lobe
level, gain, beam direction, radiation efficiency) are within an
acceptable value of those at the center frequency. The obtained Fig. 7(c) Radiation pattern at 8.37 Ghz
bandwidth is a dual bandwidth frequency in the range of 619
Mhz at 9 Ghz and 279 Mhz at 8.37 Ghz.

E. Isolation
Two or more antennas are arranged in the transmitter and
receiver sides while constructing the MIMO system. The
arrangement of antenna elements has to be done in a way that it
will not impair its performance or system requirements. To
achieve that mutual coupling or isolation between antennas is
considered as a vital factor. Several techniques have been
introduced to improve the isolation characteristic. With the
thought of reducing mutual coupling between the antennas, we Fig. 7(a) Radiation pattern at 9 Ghz
obtained the isolation values greater than -30dB.
Fig. 8 gives the Envelope Correlation Coefficient (ECC) curve
obtained for the antenna. The ECC values are in the range
between 0 and 1, which is acceptable in terms of MIMO
antenna performance.

Fig. 8. ECC

Fig. 6. S21 Isolation parameter results

 [Link] [8] Wang, F.; Duan, Z.; Wang, X.; Zhou, Q.; Gong, Y. High
Isolation Millimeter-Wave Wideband MIMO Antenna
The design of U-shaped Microstrip Patch MIMO Antennas for for 5G Com-munication. Int. J. Antennas Propag. 2019,
5G wireless communication systems involved a comprehensive [9] 2019, 4283010.
study of various antenna parameters, including patch length (L), Ali, W.; Das, S.; Medkour, H.; Lakrit, S. Planar dual-
patch width (W), substrate dielectric constant, substrate band 27/39 GHz millimeter-wave MIMO antenna for 5G
thickness, Gain (dB), Directivity (dBi), and Bandwidth (%). applications. Microsyst. Technol. 2020, 27, 283–292.
Microstrip line feed methods were utilized to excite the patch [10] Al-Bawri, S.S.; Islam, M.T.; Shabbir, T.; Muhammad,
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FR-4 was selected as the substrate material due to its favorable Index (NZI) Metamaterial Based MIMO Antenna for
characteristics, with a thickness of 1.6. Through rigorous Millimeter-Wave Application. IEEE Access 2020, 8,
analysis, four resonance frequencies were observed: 2.95 GHz 181003–181013.
(S11: -5.7162, Gain: -1.332 dB, Directivity: 6.91 dBi,
Bandwidth: 168 MHz), 5.75 GHz (S11: -17.944, Gain: 2.420
dB, Directivity: 8.36 dBi, Bandwidth: 191 MHz), and 8.37 GHz
(S11: -16.658, Gain: 5.26 dB, Directivity: 9.08 dBi, Bandwidth:
279 MHz), 9 GHz (S11: -35.898, Gain: 5.234 dB, Directivity:
8.49 dBi, Bandwidth: 619 MHz). These findings provide
valuable insights into the performance characteristics of the
designed MIMO antennas, facilitating the optimization of their
design for enhanced functionality and compatibility with 5G
communication systems.

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