Microstrip dipoles on electrically thick substrates

Certain basic radiation properties of microstrip dipoles on electrically thick substrates are investigated, and a comparison is made with the case of dipoles printed on a dielectric half-space. It is concluded that the microstrip dipole radiation properties become sensitive to substrate loss as the substrate thickness increases, with the half-space properties obtained for an adequate amount of loss. Asymptotic formulas for radiated power and efficiency are given for both the thick substrate and half-space problems, showing the behavior with increasing dielectric constant. The method of moments is used to extend the analysis to center-fed strip dipoles, and a method of improving both the efficiency and gain of a printed antenna by using a superstrate layer is discussed.