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Wang C, Zhang N, Liu C, Ma B, Zhang K, Li R, Wang Q, Zhang S. New Advances in Antenna Design toward Wearable Devices Based on Nanomaterials. BIOSENSORS 2024; 14:35. [PMID: 38248412 PMCID: PMC10813296 DOI: 10.3390/bios14010035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Wearable antennas have recently garnered significant attention due to their attractive properties and potential for creating lightweight, compact, low-cost, and multifunctional wireless communication systems. With the breakthrough progress in nanomaterial research, the use of lightweight materials has paved the way for the widespread application of wearable antennas. Compared with traditional metallic materials like copper, aluminum, and nickel, nanoscale entities including zero-dimensional (0-D) nanoparticles, one-dimensional (1-D) nanofibers or nanotubes, and two-dimensional (2-D) nanosheets exhibit superior physical, electrochemical, and performance characteristics. These properties significantly enhance the potential for constructing durable electronic composites. Furthermore, the antenna exhibits compact size and high deformation stability, accompanied by greater portability and wear resistance, owing to the high surface-to-volume ratio and flexibility of nanomaterials. This paper systematically discusses the latest advancements in wearable antennas based on 0-D, 1-D, and 2-D nanomaterials, providing a comprehensive overview of their development and future prospects in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunge Wang
- School of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, NingboTech University, Ningbo 315100, China; (C.W.); (N.Z.); (K.Z.)
| | - Ning Zhang
- School of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, NingboTech University, Ningbo 315100, China; (C.W.); (N.Z.); (K.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Forging & Stamping Technology and Science, Yanshan University, Ministry of Education of China, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Chen Liu
- Ningbo Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Ningbo 315100, China;
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Ningbo, Ningbo 315100, China
| | - Bangbang Ma
- Ningbo L.K. Technology Co., Ltd., Ningbo 315100, China;
| | - Keke Zhang
- School of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, NingboTech University, Ningbo 315100, China; (C.W.); (N.Z.); (K.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Forging & Stamping Technology and Science, Yanshan University, Ministry of Education of China, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Rongzhi Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center of Materials Genome Engineering, State Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China;
| | - Qianqian Wang
- School of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, NingboTech University, Ningbo 315100, China; (C.W.); (N.Z.); (K.Z.)
- Ningbo Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Ningbo 315100, China;
| | - Sheng Zhang
- School of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, NingboTech University, Ningbo 315100, China; (C.W.); (N.Z.); (K.Z.)
- Ningbo Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Ningbo 315100, China;
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Ningbo, Ningbo 315100, China
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Zheng B, Li X, Rao X, Li N. Multi-Beam Conformal Array Antenna Based on Highly Conductive Graphene Films for 5G Micro Base Station Applications. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 22:9681. [PMID: 36560052 PMCID: PMC9786057 DOI: 10.3390/s22249681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Recently, micro base station antennas have begun to play a more important role in 5G wireless communication, with the rapid development of modern smart medical care, the Internet of things, and portable electronic devices. Meanwhile, in response to the global commitment to long-term carbon neutrality, graphene film has received significant attention in the field of antennas due to its low carbon environmental impact and high electrical conductivity properties. In this work, a conformal array antenna based on highly conductive graphene films (CGF) is proposed for 5G millimeter-wave (MMW) applications. The proposed antenna consists of three antenna arrays, with eight patch elements in each array, operating at 24 GHz, with linear polarization. Each antenna array's current amplitude distribution coefficient is constructed by synthesizing a series-feeding linear array using the Chebyshev method. The measurement results demonstrated that the proposed CGF antenna exhibits a peak realized gain higher than 8 dBi in the bandwidth of 23.0-24.7 GHz. The proposed antenna achieves three independent beams from bore-sight to ±37° in conformal installations, with a cylinder radius of 30 mm, showing excellent beam-pointing performance. These characteristics indicate that the CGF can be used for the design of MMW micro base station antennas, fulfilling the requirements of the conformal carrier platform for a lightweight and compact antenna.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Na Li
- The Key Laboratory of Electronic Equipment Structure Design, Ministry of Education, Xidian University, Xi’an 710071, China
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Jhunjhunwala VK, Ali T, Kumar P, Kumar P, Kumar P, Shrivastava S, Bhagwat AA. Flexible UWB and MIMO Antennas for Wireless Body Area Network: A Review. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 22:9549. [PMID: 36502257 PMCID: PMC9737792 DOI: 10.3390/s22239549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in the field of wireless communication for designing a monitoring system to observe the activity of the human body remotely. With the use of wireless body area networks (WBAN), chronic health and physical activity may be tracked without interfering with routine lifestyle. This crucial real-time data transmission requires low power, high speed, and broader bandwidth communication. Ultrawideband (UWB) technology has been explored for short-range and high-speed applications to cater to these demands over the last decades. The antenna is a crucial component of the WBAN system, which lowers the overall system's performance. The human body's morphology necessitates a flexible antenna. In this article, we comprehensively survey the relevant flexible materials and their qualities utilized to develop the flexible antenna. Further, we retrospectively investigate the design issues and the strategies employed in designing the flexible UWB antenna, such as incorporating the modified ground layer, including the parasitic elements, coplanar waveguide, metamaterial loading, etc. To improve isolation and channel capacity in WBAN applications, the most recent decoupling structures proven in UWB MIMO technology are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikash Kumar Jhunjhunwala
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India
| | - Tanweer Ali
- Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India
| | - Pramod Kumar
- Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India
| | - Praveen Kumar
- Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India
| | - Pradeep Kumar
- Discipline of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
| | - Sakshi Shrivastava
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India
| | - Arnav Abhijit Bhagwat
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India
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Cherevko AG, Krygin AS, Ivanov AI, Soots RA, Antonova IV. Benefits of Printed Graphene with Variable Resistance for Flexible and Ecological 5G Band Antennas. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 15:7267. [PMID: 36295335 PMCID: PMC9608259 DOI: 10.3390/ma15207267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The possibility of creating antennas of the 5G standard (5.2-5.9 GHz) with specified electrodynamic characteristics by printing layers of variable thickness using a graphene suspension has been substantiated experimentally and by computer simulation. A graphene suspension for screen printing on photographic paper and other flexible substrates was prepared by means of exfoliation from graphite. The relation between the graphene layer thickness and its sheet resistance was studied with the aim of determining the required thickness of the antenna conductive layer. To create a two-sided dipole, a technology has been developed for the double-sided deposition of graphene layers on photographic paper. The electrodynamic characteristics of graphene and copper antennas of identical design are compared. The antenna design corresponds to the operating frequency of 2.4 GHz. It was found that the use of graphene as a conductive layer made it possible to suppress the fundamental (first) harmonic (2.45 GHz) and to observe radiation at the second harmonic (5.75 GHz). This effect is assumed to observe in the case when the thickness of graphene is lower than that of the skin depth. The result indicates the possibility of changing the antenna electrodynamic characteristics by adjusting the graphene layer thickness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G. Cherevko
- Department of Physics, Siberian State University of Telecommunications and Informatics, 86 Kirov Str., Novosibirsk 630102, Russia
| | - Alexey S. Krygin
- Department of Physics, Siberian State University of Telecommunications and Informatics, 86 Kirov Str., Novosibirsk 630102, Russia
| | - Artem I. Ivanov
- Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics SB RAS, 13 Lavrentev Av., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Regina A. Soots
- Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics SB RAS, 13 Lavrentev Av., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Irina V. Antonova
- Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics SB RAS, 13 Lavrentev Av., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Department of Semiconductor Devices and Microelectronics, Novosibirsk State Technical University, 20 K. Marx Av., Novosibirsk 630073, Russia
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3D-Printed Graphene-Based Bow-Tie Microstrip Antenna Design and Analysis for Ultra-Wideband Applications. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13213724. [PMID: 34771280 PMCID: PMC8587930 DOI: 10.3390/polym13213724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, the effects of graphene and design differences on bow-tie microstrip antenna performance and bandwidth improvement were investigated both with simulation and experiments. In addition, the conductivity of graphene can be dynamically tuned by changing its chemical potential. The numerical calculations of the proposed antennas at 2–10 GHz were carried out using the finite integration technique in the CST Microwave Studio program. Thus, three bow-tie microstrip antennas with different antenna parameters were designed. Unlike traditional production techniques, due to its cost-effectiveness and easy production, antennas were produced using 3D printing, and then measurements were conducted. A very good match was observed between the simulation and the measurement results. The performance of each antenna was analyzed, and then, the effects of antenna sizes and different chemical potentials on antenna performance were investigated and discussed. The results show that the bow-tie antenna with a slot, which is one of the new advantages of this study, provides a good match and that it has an ultra-bandwidth of 18 GHz in the frequency range of 2 to 20 GHz for ultra-wideband applications. The obtained return loss of −10 dB throughout the applied frequency shows that the designed antennas are useful. In addition, the proposed antennas have an average gain of 9 dBi. This study will be a guide for microstrip antennas based on the desired applications by changing the size of the slots and chemical potential in the conductive parts in the design.
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Hu Z, Xiao Z, Jiang S, Song R, He D. A Dual-Band Conformal Antenna Based on Highly Conductive Graphene-Assembled Films for 5G WLAN Applications. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 14:5087. [PMID: 34501177 PMCID: PMC8434397 DOI: 10.3390/ma14175087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Flexible electronic devices are widely used in the Internet of Things, smart home and wearable devices, especially in carriers with irregular curved surfaces. Light weight, flexible and corrosion-resistant carbon-based materials have been extensively investigated in RF electronics. However, the insufficient electrical conductivity limits their further application. In this work, a flexible and low-profile dual-band Vivaldi antenna based on highly conductive graphene-assembled films (GAF) is proposed for 5G Wi-Fi applications. The proposed GAF antenna with the profile of 0.548 mm comprises a split ring resonator and open circuit half wavelength resonator to implement the dual band-notched characteristic. The operating frequency of the flexible GAF antenna covers the Wi-Fi 6e band, 2.4-2.45 GHz and 5.15-7.1 GHz. Different conformal applications are simulated by attaching the antenna to the surface of cylinders with different radii. The measured results show that the working frequency bands and the radiation patterns of the GAF antenna are relatively stable, with a bending angle of 180°. For demonstration of practical application, the GAF antennas are conformed to a commercial router. The spectral power of the GAF antenna router is greater than the copper antenna router, which means a higher signal-to-noise ratio and a longer transmission range can be achieved. All results indicate that the proposed GAF antenna has broad application prospects in next generation Wi-Fi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zelong Hu
- Hubei Engineering Research Center of RF-Microwave Technology and Application, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China; (Z.H.); (S.J.)
| | - Zhuohua Xiao
- School of Information Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China;
| | - Shaoqiu Jiang
- Hubei Engineering Research Center of RF-Microwave Technology and Application, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China; (Z.H.); (S.J.)
| | - Rongguo Song
- Hubei Engineering Research Center of RF-Microwave Technology and Application, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China; (Z.H.); (S.J.)
- School of Information Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China;
| | - Daping He
- Hubei Engineering Research Center of RF-Microwave Technology and Application, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China; (Z.H.); (S.J.)
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7
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A novel 3D printed curved monopole microstrip antenna design for biomedical applications. Phys Eng Sci Med 2021; 44:1175-1186. [PMID: 34480737 DOI: 10.1007/s13246-021-01053-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This paper proposes a novel and compact monopole microstrip antenna design with a three-dimensional (3D) printed curved substrate for biomedical applications. A curved substrate was formed by inserting a semi-cylinder structure in the middle of the planar substrate consisting of polylactic acid. The antenna was fed with a microstrip line, and a partial ground plane was formed at the bottom side of the substrate. The copper plane with two triangular slots is arranged on the curved semi-cylinder structure of the substrate. The physical dimensions of the radiating plane and ground plane were optimally determined with the use of the sparrow search algorithm to provide a wide-10 dB bandwidth between 3 and 12 GHz. A total of six microstrip antennas having different parameters related to physical dimensions were designed and simulated to compare the performance of the proposed antenna with the help of full-wave electromagnetic simulation software called CST Microwave Studio. The proposed curved antenna was fabricated, and a PNA network analyzer was used to measure the S11 of the proposed antenna. It was demonstrated that the measured S11 covers the desired frequency range.
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8
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The Design of a Wideband Antenna with Notching Characteristics for Small Devices Using a Genetic Algorithm. MATHEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/math9172113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents the design and realization of a compact printed ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna with notching characteristics for compact devices using a genetic algorithm. The antenna is capable of mitigating an adjacent sub-band ranging from 3.75 to 4.875 GHz, mainly used by many applications and standards such as WiMAX, WLAN and sub-6-GHz. The notch band functionality is achieved by etching out two symmetrical slots from the pentagonal radiating element. The simulation and measured results demonstrate that the proposed antenna overperformed compared with state-of-the-art antennas in terms of compactness with an overall size of 20 mm×15 mm×0.508 mm. Moreover, the proposed design shows a large bandwidth in the UWB region with a fractional bandwidth of 180% with respect to the center frequency of 5.25 GHz. The antenna also presents omnidirectional radiations all over the operation band and a good return loss performance.
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Li W, Zu H, Liu J, Wu B. A Low-Profile Ultrawideband Antenna Based on Flexible Graphite Films for On-Body Wearable Applications. MATERIALS 2021; 14:ma14164526. [PMID: 34443049 PMCID: PMC8397992 DOI: 10.3390/ma14164526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents a low-profile ultrawideband antenna for on-body wearable applications. The proposed antenna is based on highly conductive flexible graphite films (FGF) and polyimide (PI) substrate, which exhibits good benefits such as flexibility, light weight and corrosion resistance compared with traditional materials. By introducing flaring ground and an arrow-shaped slot, better impedance matching is achieved. The wearable antenna achieves a bandwidth of 122% from 0.34 GHz to 1.4 GHz, with a reflection coefficient of less than −10 dB, while exhibiting an omnidirectional pattern in the horizontal plane. To validate the proposed design, the wearable antenna with a profile of ~0.1 mm was fabricated and measured. The measured results are in good agreement with simulated ones, which indicates a suitable candidate for on-body wearable devices.
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CPW-Fed Flexible Ultra-Wideband Antenna for IoT Applications. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12040453. [PMID: 33920716 PMCID: PMC8073834 DOI: 10.3390/mi12040453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In this article, an inkjet-printed circular-shaped monopole ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna with an inside-cut feed structure was implemented on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. The coplanar waveguide (CPW)-fed antenna was designed using ANSYS high-frequency structural simulator (HFSS), which operates at 3.04–10.70 GHz and 15.18–18 GHz (upper Ku band) with a return loss < −10 dB and a VSWR < 2. The antenna, with the dimensions of 47 mm × 25 mm × 0.135 mm, exhibited omnidirectional radiation characteristics over the entire impedance bandwidth, with an average peak gain of 3.94 dBi. The simulated antenna structure was in good agreement with the experiment’s measured results under flat and bending conditions, making it conducive for flexible and wearable Internet of things (IoT) applications.
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Qian W, Xia W, Zhou W, Song R, Zhao X, He D. A Graphene-Based Stopband FSS with Suppressed Mutual Coupling in Dielectric Resonator Antennas. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 14:1490. [PMID: 33803691 PMCID: PMC8002884 DOI: 10.3390/ma14061490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A novel stopband frequency-selective surface (FSS) made of high-conductivity graphene assemble films (HCGFs) for reducing the mutual coupling between dielectric resonator antennas (DRAs) is investigated and presented. The FSS is a "Hamburg" structure consisting of a two-layer HCGF and a one-layer dielectric substrate. A laser-engraving technology is applied to fabricate the FSS. The proposed improved Jerusalem cross FSS, compared with cross FSS and Jerusalem cross FSS, can effectively reduce the size of the unit cell by 88.89%. Moreover, the FSS, composing of 2 × 10-unit cells along the E-plane, is proposed and embedded between two DRAs, which nearly has no effect on the reflection coefficient of the antenna. However, the mutual coupling is reduced by more than 7 dB on average (7.16 dB at 3.4 GHz, 7.42 dB at 3.5 GHz, 7.71 dB at 3.6 GHz) with the FSS. The patterns of the antenna are also measured. Therefore, it is suggested that the proposed FSS is a good candidate to reduce mutual coupling in the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system for 5G communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Qian
- Hubei Engineering Research Center of RF-Microwave Technology and Application, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China; (W.Q.); (W.X.); (R.S.); (X.Z.)
| | - Wei Xia
- Hubei Engineering Research Center of RF-Microwave Technology and Application, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China; (W.Q.); (W.X.); (R.S.); (X.Z.)
| | - Wenqing Zhou
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Hunan University of Information Technology, Changsha 410138, China;
| | - Rongguo Song
- Hubei Engineering Research Center of RF-Microwave Technology and Application, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China; (W.Q.); (W.X.); (R.S.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xin Zhao
- Hubei Engineering Research Center of RF-Microwave Technology and Application, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China; (W.Q.); (W.X.); (R.S.); (X.Z.)
| | - Daping He
- Hubei Engineering Research Center of RF-Microwave Technology and Application, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China; (W.Q.); (W.X.); (R.S.); (X.Z.)
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Kirtania SG, Elger AW, Hasan MR, Wisniewska A, Sekhar K, Karacolak T, Sekhar PK. Flexible Antennas: A Review. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:E847. [PMID: 32933077 PMCID: PMC7570180 DOI: 10.3390/mi11090847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The field of flexible antennas is witnessing an exponential growth due to the demand for wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) framework, point of care devices, personalized medicine platform, 5G technology, wireless sensor networks, and communication devices with a smaller form factor to name a few. The choice of non-rigid antennas is application specific and depends on the type of substrate, materials used, processing techniques, antenna performance, and the surrounding environment. There are numerous design innovations, new materials and material properties, intriguing fabrication methods, and niche applications. This review article focuses on the need for flexible antennas, materials, and processes used for fabricating the antennas, various material properties influencing antenna performance, and specific biomedical applications accompanied by the design considerations. After a comprehensive treatment of the above-mentioned topics, the article will focus on inherent challenges and future prospects of flexible antennas. Finally, an insight into the application of flexible antenna on future wireless solutions is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharadindu Gopal Kirtania
- School of Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, WA 98686, USA; (S.G.K.); (A.W.E.); (M.R.H.); (A.W.); (T.K.)
| | - Alan Wesley Elger
- School of Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, WA 98686, USA; (S.G.K.); (A.W.E.); (M.R.H.); (A.W.); (T.K.)
| | - Md. Rabiul Hasan
- School of Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, WA 98686, USA; (S.G.K.); (A.W.E.); (M.R.H.); (A.W.); (T.K.)
| | - Anna Wisniewska
- School of Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, WA 98686, USA; (S.G.K.); (A.W.E.); (M.R.H.); (A.W.); (T.K.)
| | - Karthik Sekhar
- Department of ECE, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Vadapalani Campus, No.1, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Vadapalani, Chennai, TN 600026, India;
| | - Tutku Karacolak
- School of Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, WA 98686, USA; (S.G.K.); (A.W.E.); (M.R.H.); (A.W.); (T.K.)
| | - Praveen Kumar Sekhar
- School of Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, WA 98686, USA; (S.G.K.); (A.W.E.); (M.R.H.); (A.W.); (T.K.)
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Small Antennas for Wearable Sensor Networks: Impact of the Electromagnetic Properties of the Textiles on Antenna Performance. SENSORS 2020; 20:s20185157. [PMID: 32927710 PMCID: PMC7570873 DOI: 10.3390/s20185157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The rapid development of wearable wireless sensor networks (W-WSNs) has created high demand for small and flexible antennas. In this paper, we present small, flexible, low-profile, light-weight all-textile antennas for application in W-WSNs and investigate the impact of the textile materials on the antenna performance. A step-by-step procedure for design, fabrication and measurement of small wearable backed antennas for application in W-WSNs is also suggested. Based on the procedure, an antenna on a denim substrate is designed as a benchmark. It demonstrates very small dimensions and a low-profile, all while achieving a bandwidth (|S11| < −6 dB) of 285 MHz from 2.266 to 2.551 GHz, radiation efficiency more than 12% in free space and more than 6% on the phantom. Also, the peak 10 g average SAR is 0.15 W/kg. The performance of the prototype of the proposed antenna was also evaluated using an active test. To investigate the impact of the textile materials on the antenna performance, the antenna geometry was studied on cotton, polyamide-elastane and polyester substrates. It has been observed that the lower the loss tangent of the substrate material, the narrower the bandwidth. Moreover, the higher the loss tangent of the substrate, the lower the radiation efficiency and SAR.
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