Low RCS microstrip patch array: EM design and performance analysis

Abstract

In low observable technology, antennas with low radar cross section (RCS) but with high gain are preferred. In this paper, a low RCS microstrip patch array is designed using the concept of phase cancellation. The patch elements are rotated sequentially or randomly keeping the feed fixed. This geometric arrangement of patch elements reduces the scattering effectively. The gain and the RCS of randomly rotated (RR) microstrip patch array is analyzed in comparison with a uniform array with no element rotation (NR) and sequentially rotated (SR) patch elements. It is shown that the RCS of the RR array is reduced significantly without any adverse effect on its radiation performance.