A Reconfigurable Patch Antenna Using Liquid Metal Embedded in a Silicone Substrate

• Published in: IEEE transactions on antennas and propagation Vol. 59; no. 12; pp. 4406 - 4412
• Main Authors: Mazlouman, S. J., Xing Jie Jiang, Mahanfar, A., Menon, C., Vaughan, R. G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01-12-2011; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Antenna measurements; Antenna radiation patterns; Antennas; Aperture-coupled patch antenna; Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Fabrication; Patch antennas; Radiocommunications; reconfigurable antennas; Reconfigurable architectures; Resonant frequency; stretchable antenna; Substrates; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Performance evaluation; stretchable antenna; Prototype; reconfigurable antennas; Coupled method; Printed antenna; Aperture-coupled patch antenna; Aperture coupling; Tuning; Implementation; Aperture antenna; Manufacturing process; Microstrip antennas; Radiation pattern; Stretchable structure; Reconfigurable architectures
• ISSN: 0018-926X; 1558-2221
• DOI: 10.1109/TAP.2011.2165501

A frequency-reconfigurable microstrip patch antenna is implemented using a stretchable silicone TC5005 substrate. The stretchable patch is fabricated by injecting liquid metal alloy Galinstan into a square reservoir fabricated in the silicone elastomer substrate. An aperture-coupled feeding method is presented to enhance the strain by separating the fixed feed element from the stretched radiating element. The implemented prototype is demonstrated to be stretchable by a strain of up to 300% (and the material has the potential for more). The electrical length of the patch antenna varies with the stretching, and we demonstrate frequency tuning from 1.3 to 3 GHz. A maximum radiation efficiency of 80% is measured for the antenna. The fabrication process of the antenna system and experimental results for impedance and radiation pattern are presented.