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Micromachines
Special Issues
Flexible Antennas and Devices
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Flexible Antennas and Devices

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "A：Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2020) | Viewed by 31263

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Praveen Sekhar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, WA 98686, USA
Interests: flexible wireless system; wearable sensors and electronics; wireless sensor systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Tutku Karacolak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, WA 98686, USA
Interests: antenna analysis and design; bioelectromagnetics; full-duplex systems for compact low-power devices
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent advancements in flexible antenna technology have led to the realization of new wireless applications such as wearable devices, textile antennas, on-body antennas for health care, and radio frequency identification (RFID) systems. Numerous studies have been carried out on flexible substrates for better antenna performance. Manufacturing technologies and novel antenna configurations for reconfigurability have also been investigated. This Special Issue will focus on studies that address fundamental challenges in the design, fabrication, and characterization of flexible antennas and devices for various applications. The Special Issue is seeking contributions that include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Design, fabrication, and characterization of flexible and conformal antennas
  • Wearable antennas
  • Textile antennas
  • RFID antennas
  • Ink-jet-printed antennas
  • Flexible antennas for wireless power transfer
  • Low-cost integrated wireless systems for biomedical and point of care applications
  • Novel materials (substrates) for flexible and conformal antennas
  • 3D-printed antennas

Prof. Dr. Praveen Sekhar
Prof. Dr. Tutku Karacolak
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Flexible antennas
  • Conformal antennas
  • Flexible antenna characterization
  • Antenna fabrication
  • New materials for antennas
  • Wearable antennas
  • Textile antennas

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 5918 KiB  
Article
CPW-Fed Flexible Ultra-Wideband Antenna for IoT Applications
by Sharadindu Gopal Kirtania, Bachir Adham Younes, Abdul Rakib Hossain, Tutku Karacolak and Praveen Kumar Sekhar
Micromachines 2021, 12(4), 453; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12040453 - 17 Apr 2021
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 4121
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flexible Antennas and Devices)
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13 pages, 5256 KiB  
Article
Inkjet Printing on a New Flexible Ceramic Substrate for Internet of Things (IoT) Applications
by Sharadindu Gopal Kirtania, Manjurul Ahsan Riheen, Sun Ung Kim, Karthik Sekhar, Anna Wisniewska and Praveen Kumar Sekhar
Micromachines 2020, 11(9), 841; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11090841 - 08 Sep 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4046
Abstract
In this article, the optimization of printing properties on a new, flexible ceramic substrate is reported for sensing and antenna applications encompassing internet of things (IoT) devices. E-Strate® is a commercially available, non-rigid, thin ceramic substrate for implementing in room temperature and [...] Read more.
In this article, the optimization of printing properties on a new, flexible ceramic substrate is reported for sensing and antenna applications encompassing internet of things (IoT) devices. E-Strate® is a commercially available, non-rigid, thin ceramic substrate for implementing in room temperature and high-temperature devices. In this substrate, the printing parameters like drop spacing, number of printed layers, sintering temperature, and sintering time were varied to ensure an electrically conductive and repeatable pattern. The test patterns were printed using silver nanoparticle ink and a Dimatix 2831 inkjet printer. Electrical conductivity, high-temperature tolerance, bending, and adhesion were investigated on the printed samples. The three-factor factorial design analysis showed that the number of printed layers, sintering temperature, sintering time, and their interactions were significant factors affecting electrical conductivity. The optimum printing parameters for the thin E-Strate® substrate were found to be 20 μm drop spacing, three layers of printing, and 300 °C sintering temperature for 30 min. The high-temperature tolerance test indicated a stable pattern without any electrical degradation. Repetitive bending, adhesion test, and ASTM tape tests showed adequate mechanical stability of the pattern. These results will provide insight for investigators interested in fabricating new IoT devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flexible Antennas and Devices)
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22 pages, 7800 KiB  
Article
Wireless Body Area Networks: UWB Wearable Textile Antenna for Telemedicine and Mobile Health Systems
by Ashok Yadav, Vinod Kumar Singh, Akash Kumar Bhoi, Gonçalo Marques, Begonya Garcia-Zapirain and Isabel de la Torre Díez
Micromachines 2020, 11(6), 558; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11060558 - 30 May 2020
Cited by 66 | Viewed by 5671
Abstract
A compact textile ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna with an electrical dimension of 0.24λo × 0.24λo × 0.009λo with microstrip line feed at lower edge and a frequency of operation of 2.96 GHz is proposed for UWB application. The analytical investigation using [...] Read more.
A compact textile ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna with an electrical dimension of 0.24λo × 0.24λo × 0.009λo with microstrip line feed at lower edge and a frequency of operation of 2.96 GHz is proposed for UWB application. The analytical investigation using circuit theory concepts and the cavity model of the antenna is presented to validate the design. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a wearable antenna with wide impedance bandwidth of 118.68 % (2.96–11.6 GHz) applicable for UWB range of 3.1 to 10.6 GHz. The results present a maximum gain of 5.47 dBi at 7.3 GHz frequency. Moreover, this antenna exhibits Omni and quasi-Omni radiation patterns at various frequencies (4 GHz, 7 GHz and 10 GHz) for short-distance communication. The cutting notch and slot on the patch, and its effect on the antenna impedance to increase performance through current distribution is also presented. The time-domain characteristic of the proposed antenna is also discussed for the analysis of the pulse distortion phenomena. A constant group delay less than 1 ns is obtained over the entire operating impedance bandwidth (2.96–11.6 GHz) of the textile antenna in both situations, i.e., side by side and front to front. Linear phase consideration is also presented for both situations, as well as configurations of reception and transmission. An assessment of the effects of bending and humidity has been demonstrated by placing the antenna on the human body. The specific absorption rate (SAR) value was tested to show the radiation effect on the human body, and it was found that its impact on the human body SAR value is 1.68 W/kg, which indicates the safer limit to avoid radiation effects. Therefore, the proposed method is promising for telemedicine and mobile health systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flexible Antennas and Devices)
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8 pages, 1808 KiB  
Communication
Development of a Strain Sensor Matrix on Mobilized Flexible Substrate for the Imaging of Wind Pressure Distribution
by Shusuke Kanazawa and Hirobumi Ushijima
Micromachines 2020, 11(2), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11020232 - 24 Feb 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3043
Abstract
This paper presents a novel flexible sensor for monitoring wind pressure distribution. Based on the concept of “flexible mechatronics”, a suspended structure was incorporated into the matrix of a resistive-strain sensor in a plastic film to make the sensor mechanically movable against the [...] Read more.
This paper presents a novel flexible sensor for monitoring wind pressure distribution. Based on the concept of “flexible mechatronics”, a suspended structure was incorporated into the matrix of a resistive-strain sensor in a plastic film to make the sensor mechanically movable against the wind. Screen printing and laser cutting were confirmed to be satisfactory methods for fabricating the proposed device structure. As a result, the visualization of wind pressure was successfully demonstrated by the fabricated sensor sheet and an imaging-display-creation software. The results of this study show that a mechanically functionalized substrate opens up new avenues for flexible electronics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flexible Antennas and Devices)
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Review

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43 pages, 11821 KiB  
Review
Flexible Antennas: A Review
by Sharadindu Gopal Kirtania, Alan Wesley Elger, Md. Rabiul Hasan, Anna Wisniewska, Karthik Sekhar, Tutku Karacolak and Praveen Kumar Sekhar
Micromachines 2020, 11(9), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11090847 - 11 Sep 2020
Cited by 134 | Viewed by 13610
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flexible Antennas and Devices)
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