Study on a series-fed aperture-coupled microstrip patch array

An accurate generalized analysis of a series-fed patch antenna array whose elements are electromagnetically coupled via an aperture is presented. Coupled integral equations are formulated using the Green's function for a grounded dielectric slab so that the analysis includes all coupling, radiation, and surface-wave effects of both substrates. Uniformly weighted and -25 dB Chebyshev-weighted 16-element patch arrays at 5 GHz are studied. The weighting functions are achieved by adjusting the coupling apertures' size and position through an optimization subroutine combined with rigorous numerical analysis. Experimental results are compared with this analysis and demonstrate satisfactory agreement.<>