MEMS Reconfigurable Broadband Patch Antenna for Conformal Applications

An MEMS reconfigurable broadband pixelated patch antenna is introduced for conformal applications, such as in aircrafts or vehicles. The proposed design considers structural fiberglass composite, Rohacell foam, structural epoxy, ultrathin graphite fibers, and conductive epoxy to be the materials of choice. A nonconventional method of MEMS switch installation is developed and used, which requires connecting the MEMS chips to the antenna or feed traces using very small amounts of conductive epoxy and then curing the specimen in an oven. The proposed fabrication and assembly process is a low temperature process and is not limited in terms of specimen size. The proposed reconfigurable antenna has three reconfiguration states that allow it to operate from 1.13 to 1.7 GHz with 3–7 dBi gain, excellent radiation patterns, and low cross polarization.