In this paper, the design and simulation of an antenna for SAR applications, with specified imaging characteristics, is proposed. The antenna should represent a wideband impedance bandwidth and also a high gain; so the design of a microstrip array antenna with proximity coupling feed and U-shaped slot patch is considered. First, the main design parameters of such an antenna element are recognized by parametric study. Then the antenna element, with more than 16% impedance bandwidth, is designed, and the simulation results are presented and compared with measurement results. Finally, a preliminary design for the planar array is theoretically proposed regarding to the dimensions and the current distribution, which complies with the desired antenna characteristics.
