IMPACT OF SUBSTRATE THICKNESS ON THE REFLECTION COEFFICIENT PERFORMANCE OF MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNAS FOR 5G SYSTEMS

Abstract

This paper presents the performance analysis of a proposed hexagonal Microstrip patch antenna by varying the substrate thickness (hs​) within the range of 0.4–0.8 mm. As the thickness of substrate changes, the reflection co-efficient S₁₁ has been improved significantly. While at hs = 0.6 mm gives the best performance with a minimum return loss of -42 dB, compared to -3.5 dB, -9.44dB, -13.4dB, and -9.73dB for other thicknesses. Furthermore, the Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) analysis indicates near-ideal impedance matching at hs=0.6 mm, with a value of 1.01, while values of 4.95, 2.01, 1.54, and 1.96 are observed for other thicknesses. The radiation pattern exhibits stable directional characteristics with reduced back radiation and consistent side-lobe behavior. The proposed antenna achieves a maximum gain of 8.35 dB, making it suitable for wireless communication applications, particularly in modern high-frequency systems such as 5G.