Enhancing circular microstrip antenna performance with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrates in sub-6 GHz: a comparative study.

Choosing polymers as antenna substrates has become a significant challenge, as it involves addressing the escalating demands of emerging 5G applications for bandwidth and data transfer, while simultaneously prioritizing environmental adaptability. Furthermore, various applications such as IoT and smart wearables utilize specific frequency bands, such as sub-6 GHz, millimeter waves (MMwaves), and terahertz, which are characterized by unfavorable conditions of propagation. The current in-depth study focuses on the exploration of two specific polymers, Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), as potential substrates for designing flexible microstrip antenna operating at 5.8 Ghz. The proposed antenna showcases a compact design, measuring 25.6 × 45.6 × 2.2 mm³ for PMMA and 20.2 × 40.2 × 2.2 mm³ for PDMS. Notably, with a consistent substrate thickness of 2.2 mm, the PMMA polymer outperforms PDMS, achieving a higher gain of 4.4dBi compared to PDMS's gain of 3.75dBi. Furthermore, both substrates exhibit improved performance under bending conditions and excellent impedance matching, it is worth that in both cases, the return loss remains under 22 dB. This comprehensive analysis firmly establishes the viability of PMMA and PDMS in delivering efficient flexible microstrip antenna performance, thereby contributing significantly to the advancement of IoT devices technology and design within the Sub-6 GHz frequency band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]