A Study of a Dielectric Resonator Antenna with 3D-Printed Conductive Parasitic Elements

A fully 3D-printed dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) with right-hand circular polarization, fed by a cross-shaped aperture is presented. The DRA utilizes parasitic conductive elements to improve the circular polarization. The antenna operates in the S-band (2-3GHz). The effects of the conductive element parameters on the axial ratio and gain are examined, as well as the effect of using a 3D-printed conductive material versus copper for fabrication. The two prototypes are then fabricated. The microstrip line, dielectric substrate, ground plane with the aperture slot, and the conductive walls are all 3D-printed in a single process using fused deposition modeling technology.