Hexagonal Microstrip Antenna Array with Enhanced Gain for 28 GHz 5G Applications

Abstract

Millimeter-wave (mmWave) systems operating at 28 GHz encounter substantial propagation losses, making the development of advanced antenna architectures essential. This paper introduces a compact four-element antenna array featuring hexagonal patch elements, designed on a Rogers RT5880 substrate, characterized by a thickness of 0.45 mm, a loss tangent of 0.0009, and a relative permittivity (εᵣ) of 2.2. The array delivers a gain of 12 dB and offers a broad impedance bandwidth of 0.87 GHz. Compared to conventional rectangular patch arrays, which typically offer a bandwidth around 0.34 GHz with a slightly higher gain of 13.06 dB, the hexagonal geometry provides a superior trade-off between reduced physical size The simulation results demonstrate effective impedance matching and consistent radiation behavior, making this antenna configuration a strong candidate for integration into 5G mobile platforms and compact base station equipment, where both efficiency and miniaturization are essential.