Effects of Different Manufacturing Techniques on the Performance of Planar Antennas

This study investigates antenna performance based on its manufacturing process. Two types of planar antennas are manufactured on FR-4 dielectric using three different techniques: traditional lithography, laser ablation, and the novel SSAIL (selective surface activation by laser) technique. Various characteristics, such as reflection coefficient, gain, half-power beamwidth, and surface conductivity, are measured to compare the results. These findings can provide valuable guidelines for selecting an optimal antenna manufacturing technique. In both types of antennas, the highest gain is achieved using laser ablation, with the slot loaded patch antenna reaching 8.5 dBi and the Yagi-Uda antenna reaching 9.76 dBi. Antennas manufactured using SSAIL technology are notable for their great resolution and usefulness in constructing structures on non-metallized dielectrics.