Design and comparative analysis of compact flexible UWB antenna using different substrate materials for WBAN applications

Abstract

In the present scenario, smart devices are using flexible wearable wireless technologies to enable interaction among people and their surrounding equipments. Due to the commercialization of these flexible electronic devices and systems, these systems require the integration of flexible antennas. The compactness and flexibility of the antenna are the major objectives of the current research. This paper highlights the comparative study of a small-sized swastika-shaped slotted patch ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna. The designed microstrip patch antenna is simulated using Rogers RT 5880 as a substrate mounted on the partial ground structure. A rectangular substrate with a size of 24.56 × 22.48 mm × 1.575 mm is placed between the partial ground and patch. The dimensions of the radiating patch are 13 mm × 10.5 mm × 0.035 mm. The resonant frequencies of the designed antenna are 4.43 GHz and 8.84 GHz and have a large fractional bandwidth of 110% in the range of 3.1 to 10.7 GHz. The maximum observed gain and directivity of the proposed antenna are 5.9 dB and 6.8 dBi at 4.43 GHz. The simulation of the presented antenna design is performed in CST Microwave Studio 2018. The proposed antenna performance metrics are comparatively analyzed using different substrate materials like Rogers RT 5880, Jeans, and rubber substrates. The developed dual-band antenna can be useful for WBAN communication applications in the UWB band.