Foldable and Stretchable Liquid Metal Planar Inverted Cone Antenna

A mechanically flexible planar inverted cone antenna (PICA) for ultrawideband (UWB) applications is presented. It can be both folded and stretched significantly without permanent damage or loss of electrical functionality. The antenna is manufactured with a process in which conductors are realized b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on antennas and propagation 2009-12, Vol.57 (12), p.3765-3771
Main Authors: Shi Cheng, Zhigang Wu, Hallbjorner, P., Hjort, K., Rydberg, A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alloys
Antennas
Applied sciences
Bending
Conducting materials
Dielectric materials
Dielectrics
Engineering Science with specialization in Microwave Technology
Exact sciences and technology
Flexibility
Frequency
Information technology
Informationsteknik
Inorganic materials
Integrated circuit interconnections
Liquid alloy
Liquid metals
Noise levels
planar inverted cone antenna (PICA)
polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)
Radiocommunications
Sheet materials
Signal processing
Signalbehandling
Silicon
stretchable electronics
Stretching
Substrates
TECHNOLOGY
TEKNIKVETENSKAP
Teknisk fysik med inriktning mot mikrovågsteknik
Telecommunications
Telecommunications and information theory
Ultra wideband antennas
Ultra wideband technology
Ultrawideband
ultrawideband (UWB)
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Description
Summary:A mechanically flexible planar inverted cone antenna (PICA) for ultrawideband (UWB) applications is presented. It can be both folded and stretched significantly without permanent damage or loss of electrical functionality. The antenna is manufactured with a process in which conductors are realized by injecting room temperature liquid metal alloy into micro-structured channels in an elastic dielectric material. The elastic dielectric material together with the liquid metal enables bending with a very small radius, twisting, and stretching along any direction. Port impedance and radiation characteristics of the non-stretched and stretched antenna are studied in simulations and experiments. The presented antenna has a return loss better than 10 dB within 3-11 GHz and a radiation efficiency of > 70% over 3-10 GHz, also when stretched. Tests verify that stretching up to 40% is possible with maintained electrical performance. The presented antenna is useful for example for body-worn antennas and in applications in harsh environments where mechanical flexibility helps improve durability.
ISSN:0018-926X
1558-2221
1558-2221
DOI:10.1109/TAP.2009.2024560