A finite difference approach to microstrip antenna design

Microstrip antennas have received increased attention in recent years, due to their size and cost advantages. Analysis of the microstrip structure has proved difficult due to the presence of the dielectric substrate, particularly for complex geometries. One possible approach to a solution is the use of a finite difference computer code to model a proposed microstrip antenna design. The models are easily constructed and altered, and code versions are available which allow input impedance or far-field patterns to be calculated. Results for some simple antenna geometries will be presented.