DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF A SLOT-LOADED PLANNER ANTENNA FOR FR-I NR BANDS FOR 5G APPLICATIONS

Abstract

This paper presents the design and performance evaluation of a slot-loaded planner antenna for FR-I NR bands n70, n7, n38, and partially n79, suitable for 5G applications. The proposed antenna is fabricated using substrate material FR4 epoxy with dielectric constant of 4.3 and thickness of 1.57mm. The antenna operates at triple band within the frequency ranges of 1.55-2.08 GHz, 2.49-2.82 GHz, and 4.49-4.8 GHz, respectively. Both simulated and measured results show a VSWR well below 2 across all bands. The antenna attains a maximum gain of 3.75 dBi at 2.75 GHz, with measured gains of 1.5 dBi for the lower band and 3 dBi for the higher band. Radiation efficiency ranges from 70% to 90%, peaking at 90%. Radiation patterns exhibit a dipole nature, with slight deviations observed at phi=90. The results confirm the antenna's efficacy in covering the designated FR-I NR bands, validating its potential for 5G communication systems.