Miniaturized Terahertz Antenna Design Based on Symmetric Fractal Geometry for Sensing and Imaging Applications

Abstract

Miniaturized terahertz (THz) antennas often face trade-offs between size, bandwidth, and performance, limiting their suitability for integrated high-frequency applications. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a compact microstrip antenna based on a fourth-iteration Sierpinski Carpet fractal applied to both the patch and ground plane. Designed on a polyamide substrate ($$\varepsilon_r = 4.3$$, $$\tan\delta = 0.004$$) with a footprint of $$8 \times 12 \times 1.6$$ μm³, the antenna demonstrates multiband operation at 6.59, 12.49, and 14.42 THz. Simulations using Ansys High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) v15 show return losses ranging from –15.62 dB to –22.61 dB, bandwidths up to 1050 GHz, VSWR below 1.5, and peak gains of 1.99 to 7.25 dBi. The use of symmetric fractal geometries enables enhanced bandwidth and gain in a compact form, making the design suitable for THz sensing, imaging, and on-chip communication.