Miniaturization of Patch Antennas using

Magneto-Dielectric Materials
S. Deepak Ram Prasath, S. Balaji, M. Satish Khanna, S. Raju, Member, IEEE and V. Abhaikumar,
Senior Member, IEEE
Abstract-Miniaturization
magneto-dielectric

of

substrates

antennas
having

using

permeability

novel
and

permittivity values greater than one is proposed. The

limitations of magneto-dielectric substrates at higher GHz
frequencies and their suitable alternatives are discussed.
The

use

of

such

substrates

for

the

development

of

miniaturized antennas is validated by synthesis of a nickel

permeability of

10.3 and
2.3 and loading it in an aperture coupled

patch antenna.

The loaded substrate shifts the resonance

cobalt zinc ferrite substrate with permittivity of

frequency of the base patch antenna to lower frequencies

with improvement in return loss thus demonstrating the
capability for miniaturization.
Index
Terms-Antennas,
Patch
Dielectrics, Wireless Communication.

Antennas,

Magneto

I. INTRODUCTION

Miniaturised antennas with optimal perfonnance are one of

the greatest necessities for the modem wireless applications.
Over years, miniaturisation of antennas have been achieved by
structural modifications like introduction of slots, slits, shorts
meandering and by novel geometries like fractals or by using
materials of higher dielectric constant. However all the above
approaches in some way or other result in reactive loading of
the antenna and hence result in higher Q and reduced
bandwidth. The effect is much worse in planar patch antennas
resulting in bandwidths of less than I % making them
unsuitable for most of the practical applications. Although the
use of air substrate could be a suitable alternative, it results in
increased antenna size and volume.
Recently, magneto-dielectric substrates with penneability
and pennittivity values greater than one and having many
other favourable properties have been proposed as possible

substrates for antennas [ I], [2]. Miniaturised antennas on

Nickel Zinc Ferrite based magneto-dielectric substrates are
reported for FM and DVB - H Applications at MHz
Frequencies [3], [4]. Miniaturised antennas based on thin film
magneto-dielectric substrates have also been proposed [5], [6].
However the usage of magneto-dielectric substrates is
restricted to lower MHz frequencies and there exists a
fundamental limit which restricts its usage at GHz frequencies.
This paper presents the theoretical background behind the
restriction in using magneto dielectric substrates at higher
frequencies and the possible solutions for the same. The paper
also demonstrates the miniaturisation capability of magneto
dielectric substrate using a Nickel Zinc Cobalt Ferrite
substrate on an aperture coupled microstrip patch antenna.
II. MAGNETO DIELECTRICS AS SUBSTRATES FOR ANTENNAS
Magneto-dielectrics are defmed as materials with both
penneability and pennittivity values greater than one. The
property of the materials, unlike the traditional dielectric
substrates having J-lr=1 result in ultra miniaturization of
antenna structures. A suitable combination of materials can be
used to synthesize substrates with J-lr= Er> I, and thus resulting
in the wave impedance matching between free space and
antenna substrate.
The antennas designed on such substrates thus have a lower
Q and wider bandwidths. In addition the excitation of surface
waves is considerably reduced thus resulting in less coupling
losses in array antennas. However the use of Magneto
dielectric substrates to higher frequencies is limited by the
frequency of magnetic resonance as defmed in sneok's limit
given by

fMw(Pr -1)

y.4:r.Ms
Where fMR is the ferromagnetic resonance frequency, 'Y is
the gyroscopic constant and the Ms is the saturation
magnetiz atio
n :' "-r;::. :::"

_____
__

Manuscript received Feb

28, 2010. This work was supported by the

_____
__

Thiagarajar Advanced Research Centre, Madurai, India.

S. Deepak Ram Prasath is with TIFAC-CORE in Wireless Technology,

Electronics
Engineering,

and

Communications
Madurai,

Department,

Tamilnadu

Thiagarajar

625015,

college

India

of

(email:

deepak.tarcUilgmail.com)

S.Balaji is with Materials Laboratory, Thiagarajar A dvanced research

centre, Thiagarajar college of Engineering, Madurai.
M.satish Khanna is a Post Graduate student in Dept. of Electronics and
Communications, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai.
S.Raju, Professor and Head, Dept. of Electronics and Communications
Dept.,Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai.
Y. A bhai kumar is the Principal, Thiagarajar College of Engineering,
Madurai.

978-1-4244-7917-7/10/$26.00 2010 IEEE

I
Fig. 1.

FREQUENCY
'
"
Variation of J.-l and J.-l with respect to frequency

As the frequency of operation approaches the fMR

frequency the flr gradually decreases and becomes almost
equal to one at the fMR frequency as shown in the figure l.The
fMR frequency of magneto-dielectric substrates could be
shifted to higher frequencies by increasing the net saturation
magnetization as per the above equation.
Alternate thin film coatings of ferromagnetic and anti
ferromagnetic layers increase the saturation magnetization and
thus increase the magnetic resonance frequency. Under an
applied magnetic field the ferromagnetic layer gets
magnetized instantly unlike the anti-ferromagnetic layer and
the combination increases the net saturation magnetization.
Thin film coatings of ferrites also have higher fMR frequency
limit because of their natural high saturation magnetization but
are limited by the presence of eddy current losses. In general
thin film combinations have higher magnetic resonance
frequency and are capable of operating at GHz frequencies but
have limitations with the amount of effective miniaturization
owing to the thin film nature of the coatings which are
typically around 2 to 5 microns of thickness.
Ferrite compounds with specific material combinations and
Garnets are better choice of magneto-dielectric substrates
because of their higher fMR frequency and capability to be used
as bulk materials. Ferrite compounds having small amounts of
anti-ferromagnetic elements like Zinc and cobalt and Garnets
like Yitrium Iron Gamet and Barium hexaferrite have
considerable values of permeability at GHz frequencies.

III. SYNTHESIS OF NICKEL ZINC COBA LT FERRITE

The synthesis of Nio.54Zllo.46Coo.Q\FeL9904 was carried out
through Self propagated high temperature synthesis method.
Stochiometry quantities of Nickel, Cobalt, Zinc nitrates and
urea were dissolved in double distilled water. The precursor

was subjected to vigorous stirring at 60 RPM speed at 60 C

for 10 hours in order to have homogeneous mixing and then

transferred to crucible and calcined at 350 C in the furnace in

ambient atmosphere. Calcined green powder was sintered at

800 C for 24h in ambient atmosphere. The chemical kinetics

involved in the compound formation was ascertained by
subjecting the dried precursor to thermal analysis using
TGA/TDA SII EXTAR 6000 equipment and whose result is
presented in Figure 2
In the self propagating high temperature synthesis, initially
the decomposition of fuelling agent urea takes place releasing
high exothermic energy and thus leading to the decomposition
of nitrate salts into desired product at faster rate with low
external energy consumption. While thermal analysis, the
initial elimination of water molecule from the reactants was
observed around 100C and which was found to be
endothermic in nature. The second step in weight loss curve
was observed around 260C, which could be attributed to the
decomposition of urea leaving sufficient energy for the
decomposition of the precursor and thus resulting in foamy
powder of product. The enormous energy released during urea
decomposition was also observed from the exothermic
transition in the Differential thermal analyzer (DTA) curve.
The compound formation was ceased around 400C and

beyond which, no phase transition was observed. This

illustrates the compound stability in higher temperature
without any oxygen vacancy formation.
110

100
-e-DTA
-o-TGA

Nlo.s.ZnO.46CoO.01Fe1.990..

80
60

100
90

40
20

80

"

>

20

<f.
=E
...

70

-20

60

-40
-60

50

-80

60'
"
0"

40

-100

30

-120
-140

200

400

600

800

20
1200

1000

Temperature (Deg C)

Fig. 2. Thermal analysis of the metal nitrate/urea

precursors
The sintered powder was then subjected to X-ray
diffraction analysis for structural characterization using
Philips Expert Pro diffractometer and the diffraction pattern
is presented in Figure 3. The pattern was observed to
possess well defmed peaks that are characteristic of spinel
cubic structure with Fd3m space group. The lattice
parameter was calculated to be around 8.379 A and the
crystallite size calculated using Debye scherrer formula was
observed to be around 23 nm.
700

Nio...Zno... Coo.o,Fe, . .. O.

600

500

;no..

2.
c
;;;
"
"

.5

400

a
'"

300

200

100

c;;- O'
M ...
e

a
0

;:::

J.

.,." ..
10

20

-"

"'''fl

LJ

It

30

40
29

50

Il.
. "r
60

70

'T

80

90

(Degrees)

Fig.3. X ray diffraction pattern of Nio.54Zno.46Coo.Q\FeL9904

Fig. 4. The synthesized nickel zinc cobalt ferrite after

sintering

The sintered powder was pressed in to square shaped pellet

2
under the pressure 3.5tonlcm using hydraulic pressure. The
pressed pellets as shown in Figure 4 were once again
0
subjected to heat treatment at 800 C for hardening.

PATCH ANTENNA LOA DED WITH MAGNETO-DIELECTRIC

SUBSTRATE

The miniaturization capability of the magneto dielectric

substrate is validated by an aperture coupled patch antenna
loaded with the synthesized Nio54Zno46Coo.o,FeL9904 material
having e,. = 10.3 and = 2.3 [7]. The base patch antenna was
designed for a center frequency of l.77GHz using a
combination of FR4 substrate with a dielectric constant of 4.4
and thickness of 1.6mm along with an air layer as shown in
figure 5a. The antenna consists of a radiating patch etched on
a single sided FR4 substrate. The patch is fed by a microstrip
coupled slot feed etched on a second double sided FR4
substrate. Both the substrate layers are then mechanically
fitted one above the other using screws with the air gap of
5.8mm as shown in the figure 5a.

Fig. 6a. Photograph of the Aperture coupled antenna

,....-..c::====:::s:=:;-' Patch

flb===A=/r=
::i :::r
.

==::I _
Microstrip Feed
:::!. -?) Slot

6b. loaded with Magneto dielectric material.

(a)

r--..c:::====:::I:
::
:::

I'

[
r

3'
Air
3tl----------

Patch

Material

1t:=====::I""'"==!!!!
""'
!.
----,)
M icrostrip Feed
(b)

-5

c
0

-10

-15

Fig. 5. Layout of the aperture coupled antenna with the

loaded Magneto dielectric material
The synthesized ferrite material of 2mm thickness is then
placed above the slot of the feeding structure as in figure 5b
and 6. Thus the electromagnetic energy feed by microstrip
line slot combination passes through the synthesized magnetic
dielectric material and couples to the patch making it resonate.
The antenna both in loaded and unloaded condition was then
measured for the return loss characteristics using Agilent PNA
series vector network analyzer. The measured results in figure
7 show that the loading of the Nio54Zno46Cooo,FeL9904
material increases the effective permittivity and permeability
of the combinations and hence shifts the resonant frequency
from l.77GHz to a frequency of 1.49GHz. The increase in the
return loss characteristics from -1O.39dB to -19.89 dB could
also be noted because of the material loading.

..

.20+--.-----r--.---,---i--,--..--r--i
1A
1
1.0
18
2
==r----,
ater
ial'------,
==
M=
u t"'
ithi:":oC-::
Frequency(GHz) "'W=
freq=1.775GHz
d8(wo_maI..S(1 ,1))=-1 0.373

Fig. 7. Measured return loss characteristics of the aperture

coupled patch antenna with and without material loading
CONCLUSION

A Magneto-dielectric substrate based miniaturization of

patch antennas was presented. A magneto-dielectric material
based on Nickel zinc cobalt ferrite combination was
synthesized and was loaded to a aperture coupled patch
antenna to validate the capability of miniaturization,
Supporting multiple wireless applications operating in the
above mentioned unlicensed bands.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors would like to thank the TIFAC CORE in

Wireless Technologies, Thiagarajar Advanced Research
Centre (TARC), Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai,
India, and the Management, Thiagarajar College of
Engineering for providing fabrication and measurement
facilities.
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