Yagi-uda loops and shorted patches for a reduced size antenna

There is an increasing requirement to make devices smaller and at the same time interconnect them on a wireless network. One of the main challenges in the production of small wireless devices is the design of an antenna small enough to fit on the device and yet have good performance. Size reduced microstrip antenna are good candidates for this application; however, the size of the ground plane is a major impediment to its successful implementation. This paper will discuss the negative effects of reducing the size of the ground plane of a microstrip antenna and provide a unique solution to improving small antenna performance.