Flexible inkjet-printed graphene antenna on Kapton

Abstract

Flexible printed antennas have attracted a great deal of attention due to their significant potential for different technologies. Using novel materials such as graphene and inkjet printing fabrication techniques is key for further developing this technology. Several studies have characterised them separately, but it is still challenging to merge them to produce plausible flexible antennas. This paper presents the whole methodology, covering the design, fabrication process, and characterisation of a flexible, inkjet-printed graphene-based antenna intended to use within flexible electronics. The antenna pattern follows a new optimised quasi-Yagi-Uda design working in the desired range of operational frequencies (5-6 GHz). It consists of four directors and a pair of reflectors to improve the directivity with an efficiency of 42%. A co-planar waveguide feeding method is designed to tune the impedance matching, ensuring the wearer's comfort. The flexible Kapton film was treated with plasma to improve the ink's adhesion and coverage. The novel antenna suggested potential in advanced materials devices, suitable for various wireless applications for next-generation conformal and flexible electronic devices and applications.