Electronically Re-Configurable, Non-Volatile, Nano-Ionics-Based RF-Switch on Paper Substrate for Chipless RFID Applications

• Published in: Technologies (Basel) 2018-09, Vol.6 (3), p.58
• Main Authors: Methapettyparambu Purushothama, Jayakrishnan, Vena, Arnaud, Sorli, Brice, Perret, Etienne
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum; CBRAM; chipless RFID; Conflicts of interest; Coplanar waveguides; Current pulses; Direct current; Electrodes; Electromagnetism; electronically reconfigurable switch; Engineering Sciences; Insertion loss; Laboratories; Mass production; MIM switch; Planar waveguides; Radio frequency identification; Random access memory; RF-switch; Silver; Substrates; Switches; Transmission lines
• ISSN: 2227-7080; 2227-7080
• DOI: 10.3390/technologies6030058

This article reports the first results of a Nafion®-based, solid state, non-volatile, electronically reconfigurable Radio Frequency (RF)-switch integrated to a co-planar waveguide transmission line (CPW) in shunt mode, on a flexible paper substrate. The switch is based on a metal–insulator–metal structure formed respectively using Silver–Nafion–aluminum switching layers. The presented device is fully passive and shows good performance till 3 GHz, with an insertion loss less than 3 dB in the RF-on state and isolation greater than 15 dB in the RF-off state. Low-power direct current pulses in the range 10 V/0.5 mA and −20 V/0.15 A are used to operate the switch. The device was fabricated in an ambient laboratory condition, without the use of any clean room facilities. A brief discussion of the results and potential application of this concept in a re-configurable chipless RFID tag is also given in this article. This study is a proof of concept of fabrication of electronically re-configurable and disposable RF-electronic switches on low cost and flexible substrates, using a process feasible for mass production.