Inkjet-/3D-Printed Nanotechnology-Enabled Wireless Communication, Sensing and RFID Modules for Internet of Things, “Smart Skin” and “Zero-Power” Applications

Nanotechnology and Inkjet-/3D-printed flexible electronics and sensors fabricated on paper, plastic and other polymer substrates as well as silicon wafers are introduced as a sustainable ultra-low-cost solution for the first real-world paradigms of Internet of Things, “Smart Skins” and “Zero-Power” applications. The talk will cover examples from HF/UHF RFID’s up to the mm-wave frequency ranges (mmID’s), while it will include the state-of-the-art of fully-integrated wireless sensor modules on paper or flexible polymers and show the first ever examples of 3D sensor integration with RFID tag modules, as well as numerous on-chip inkjet printed passives, antenna arrays, microfluidic channels, energy harvesters and 3D multilayer paper-based and LCP-based RF/microwave structures, that could potentially set the foundation for the truly convergent wireless sensor ad-hoc networks of the future with enhanced cognitive intelligence and “zero-power” operability through ambient energy harvesting and wireless power transfer. Examples from wearable (e.g. biomonitoring) antennas and Structural Health Monitoring RFID modules will be reported, as well as the first integration of inkjet-printed nanotechnology-based (graphene/CNT-based) RFID-enabled sensors on paper, plastic, wood, organic and bare silicon substrates. The talk will also present challenges for inkjet-printed high-complexity (e.g. “Origami” shape changing) modules as well as future directions in the area of ultra-low-power (below 1pJ/bit) modulation schemes for backscattering secure operability in smart agriculture and smart city environments.