Tailored EM Materials for Millimeter-Wave Direct Ink Write Printed Antennas

Abstract

This paper presents the development of dielectric materials with tailored dielectric properties (electric permittivity and loss tangent) at Gigahertz frequencies for their use in low-cost millimeter-wave flexible Direct Ink Write (DIW) printed antennas. The materials can be created to exhibit specific mechanical properties (liquid, semi-solids, temperature-sensitivity, ink adhesion, flexibility, or stretchability) to cover different application needs. Electromagnetic performance of microstrip antennas manufactured through DIW technique on two crafted custom semi-solid materials will be presented for millimeter-wave applications. The antennas exhibit remarkable characteristics for 6G systems, particularly in terms of cost-effectiveness, owing to the low-cost fabrication process employed.