Aperture-coupled patch array antenna for microwave band RFID handheld reader applications

In this paper, an aperture-coupled patch array for Microwave RFID handheld reader is presented. The proposed antenna is composed of feeding network, ground with coupling apertures, and two patch elements. Patch antennas possess advantages of high directivity and well front-to-back ratio. To further improve the antenna gain and constrain the vertical radiation side lobe while preserving the compactness for handheld applications, the number of element is limited to two. In the following sections, the design concept of the antenna is introduced followed by numerical simulations. Parametric study will then be performed to investigate the effects of various parameter combinations on the antenna performance. Finally, experimental results are presented followed by the conclusions.