A Low Cost, Wideband, Microstrip Patch Antenna Array With Improved Gain for Millimeter-Wave Applications

Authors

  • Zakir Khan School of Optical and Electronic Information and Key Lab of Functional Materials for Electronic Information Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China, Advanced Manufacturing Institute Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wenzhou 325035, China
  • Ce Zhang Advanced Manufacturing Institute Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wenzhou 325035, China
  • Saeed Ur Rahman School of Electronic Engineering Xidian University, China
  • Xiao-Chuan Wang School of Optical and Electronic Information and Key Lab of Functional Materials for Electronic Information Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China, Advanced Manufacturing Institute Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wenzhou 325035, China
  • Lei Wen School of Optical and Electronic Information and Key Lab of Functional Materials for Electronic Information Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China, Advanced Manufacturing Institute Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wenzhou 325035, China
  • Wen-Zhong Lu School of Optical and Electronic Information and Key Lab of Functional Materials for Electronic Information Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China, Advanced Manufacturing Institute Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wenzhou 325035, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13052/2025.ACES.J.401009

Keywords:

Bandwidth, efficiency, fifth-generation, millimeter-wave, parasitic patch, wideband

Abstract

In this paper the design and analysis of a low cost, wideband and high gain 2×2 elements patch antenna array for millimeter-wave (mmWave) applications is presented. The proposed antenna array has been designed and fabricated using the cost-effective F4B substrate which is an economical and a suitable option for high frequency communication applications. The final geometry of the unit cell contains a slotted octagonal ring on the outside and a small parasitic octagonal ring on the inner side, connected by crossed-shape strip lines. A prototype of the proposed antenna element and array has been fabricated, which demonstrates a good agreement between the simulated and measured results. According to −10 dB matching bandwidth criteria, the proposed antenna array operates at frequency range 23.8–29.0 GHz, achieving a maximum gain of approximately 13.5 dBi and efficiency range 83–91% at its operating frequencies. The high performance of the proposed antenna array compared to the existing designs along with its simple design and cost-effectiveness demonstrate its potential for high data rate mmWave wireless communication applications.

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Author Biographies

Zakir Khan, School of Optical and Electronic Information and Key Lab of Functional Materials for Electronic Information Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China, Advanced Manufacturing Institute Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wenzhou 325035, China

Zakir Khan received the B.Sc. Engineering degree in Telecommunication Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Peshawar, Pakistan, in 2013, the master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from COMSATS University, Abbottabad, in 2016, and the Ph.D. (Engineering) degree from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 2022 in Electronic Science and Technology. He was with the University of Naples, Parthenope, Italy, 2022–2024. Currently, he is a postdoctoral researcher at Advanced Manufacturing Institute of HUST in Wenzhou, China. His major research interests include microwave/mmWave antenna design and microwave remote sensing.

Ce Zhang, Advanced Manufacturing Institute Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wenzhou 325035, China

Ce Zhang (S’11–M’16) received the B.E. degree in electronic communication engineering from the City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, in 2011, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA, in 2016. He worked at Tubis Technology (now Kyocera) from 2016 to 2017, Amazon Inc. from 2017 to 2019 and Facebook (now Meta) from 2019 to 2023. From 2023 to now, he works at Huazhong University Advanced Manufacturing Research Institute. His current research interests include antenna design, phased array system, and signal processing and electromagnetic theory in wireless power transfer and radar imaging system.

Saeed Ur Rahman, School of Electronic Engineering Xidian University, China

Saeed ur Rahman completed his B.S. degree from COMSATS University Abbottabad, Pakistan, and his master’s degree from Capital University of Science and Technology (CUST), with a major in Electronic Engineering. He completed his Ph.D. degree from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China, majoring in Information and Communication Engineering. He worked as a postdoctoral fellow from 2020 to 2022 at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing. He has been working as an associate professor at Xidian University, Xi’an, since 2022. His major research includes electromagnetic and microwave technology, especially in meta surfaces, antennas, and intelligent reflective surfaces (RIS).

Xiao-Chuan Wang, School of Optical and Electronic Information and Key Lab of Functional Materials for Electronic Information Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China, Advanced Manufacturing Institute Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wenzhou 325035, China

Xiao-Chuan Wang (M’ 14) received the B.E. degree in electronic science and technology and the Ph.D. degree in microelectronics and solid-state electronics from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, in 2005 and 2010, respectively. From 2010 to 2015, he served as a Lecturer with the Department of Electronic Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, where he was promoted to Professor within the School of Optical and Electronic Information in 2023. His current research interests include microwave and millimeter-wave components.

Lei Wen, School of Optical and Electronic Information and Key Lab of Functional Materials for Electronic Information Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China, Advanced Manufacturing Institute Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wenzhou 325035, China

Lei Wen is a Professor and Ph.D. supervisor at the School of Optical and Electronic Information in Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), and vice dean of Advanced Manufacturing Institute of HUST, Wenzhou, China. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Materials Science at HUST in 2008. His research activities are mainly concerned with microwave dielectric materials and components for microwave communication. He has undertaken more than 30 research projects supported by the National Natural Science Funds, the National Key Research and Development Program of China, and about 200 academic papers have been published and several research productions have been applied successfully for antennas, resonators and LTCC modules.

Wen-Zhong Lu, School of Optical and Electronic Information and Key Lab of Functional Materials for Electronic Information Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China, Advanced Manufacturing Institute Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wenzhou 325035, China

Wen-Zhong Lu received the Ph.D. degree in electronic materials and components from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, in 1994. From 1997 to 1998, he was a Research Scholar with the Department of Physics, Moscow University, Moscow, Russia. In 2002, he was a Senior Research Scholar in Material Research Center. Manchester University, Manchester, UK. He is currently a Professor and Dean of Advanced Manufacturing Institute of Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wenzhou. He has authored or coauthored more than 300 journal and conference papers. His current research interests include microwave functional materials and components.

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Published

2025-10-30

How to Cite

[1]
Z. . Khan, C. . Zhang, S. U. . Rahman, X.-C. . Wang, L. . Wen, and W.-Z. . Lu, “A Low Cost, Wideband, Microstrip Patch Antenna Array With Improved Gain for Millimeter-Wave Applications”, ACES Journal, vol. 40, no. 10, pp. 1037–1044, Oct. 2025.

Issue

2025: Vol 40 Iss 10

Section

General Submission