This is the first report on novel mushroom-type electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structures, consisting of fractal periodic elements, used for enhancing the gain of microstrip patch antennas. Using CST Microwave studio the performance of rectangular patch antenna has been examined on proposed fractal EBG substrates. It is found that fractal EBGs are more effective in suppressing surface wave thus resulting in higher gain. The gain of rectangular patch has been improved from 6.88 to 10.67 dBi. The proposed fractal EBG will open new avenues for the design and development of variety of high-frequency components and devices with enhanced performance.
The transmission line model for rectangular patch antennas