Binder Jet 3D Printed Ceramic Substrate for 5G Patch Antenna

ABSTRACT The demand for compact components in telecommunication systems, particularly for 5G networks, drives the development of 3.5 GHz microstrip patch antennas (MPAs) using binder jet 3D printing (BJ3DP). This study focuses on the fabrication of ceramic substrates via BJ3DP (followed by curing, de‐powdering, debinding and sintering), microwave dielectric property evaluations, and MPA performance evaluation. The design and simulation of 3.5 GHz MPA was accomplished using the CST software, where antenna parameters such as return loss, impedance and voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) were examined. Moreover, the effect of dimensional changes of BJ3DP MPA from 21 × 21 × 2.1 to 19 × 19 × 2.1 mm 3 on the antenna performance was investigated. The reduction in area by 20% and mass by 18% when compared to the larger MPA substrate was achieved with a smaller design. The conductive patch and ground plane were screen‐printed using in‐house developed silver ink. Simulation results showed S11 of −37.16 dB at 3.5 GHz, VSWR close to 1, gain of 2.405 dBi and total antenna efficiency of 74%. Antenna performance was measured on five samples of each substrate type to evaluate their reproducibility and consistency. Results indicate that the smaller, 19 × 19 × 2.1 mm 3 substrate provided superior miniaturization without compromising performance with resonance frequency of 3.70–3.78 GHz (1–2% tolerance), return loss in the range of −18 to −23 dB, impedance nearly 50 Ω, and VSWR close to 1. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of BJ3DP for reproducible, compact, and high‐performance ceramic MPAs having potential for 5G applications.