Effects of different manufacturing techniques on the performance of planar antennas

Abstract

This study investigates antenna performance based on its manufacturing process. Two types of planar antennas are manufactured on FR-4 dielectric using three different techniques: traditional lithography, laser ablation, and the novel SSAIL (selective surface activation by laser) technique. Various characteristics, such as reflection coefficient, gain, half-power beamwidth, and surface conductivity, are measured to compare the results. These findings offer invaluable insights for choosing the most suitable antenna manufacturing technique, particularly since the SSAIL technique has not been previously compared to alternative methods in the context of antenna production. In both types of antennas, the highest gain is achieved using laser ablation, with the slot-loaded patch antenna reaching 8.5 dBi and the Yagi-Uda antenna reaching 9.76 dBi. Antennas manufactured using SSAIL technology are notable for their excellent resolution and usefulness in constructing structures on non-metallized dielectrics.