Flexible Adhesive-based Multilayer Antenna Using Press Patterning at Room Temperature for Electronic Applications

Flexible electronics have attracted significant research attention due to their distinct features and emerging applications in numerous fields such as, flexible displays, implantable sensors, wearable medical devices, and energy storage systems, among other applications. One of the current and future challenges in electronics is to develop suitable multifunctional materials which can address simultaneously several parameters such as flexibility, lightweight, conductivity, environmental impact, and production cost. Adhesive polymer electronics (multiply patterned laminates without lithography and etching process) forms a new and high-potential technological field, which may pave a way for many novel electronic applications and products. In this presentation, a new distinct fabrication method was applied to make flexible and adhesive patterned multilayer antenna using just press patterning at room temperature. This process needs no etching steps and gives no environmental wastes. In addition, several process steps can be reduced and, therefore, cost competitiveness can be improved very much. Overall structure is composed of multi polyimide film, metal film, adhesive and liner film. The patterned structure can be made only pressing at room temperature. Dielectric properties of the antenna were measured in the range of 6 to 10GHz. Precise cross-sectional structures, interfaces, and defects were analyzed by SEM, EDX, and ion beam polishing. Mechanical and thermal durability tests were performed to demonstrate possibility to several fields of wearable electronic applications. Failure analysis was compared between test antenna with different structures on the basis of physics-of-failure. Overall reliability of the antennas was evaluated by the results of durability test and failure analysis.<br/><br/>[Acknowledgement]<br/>This work was supported by the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs funded by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. (Program Name : Green Venture Program 2022 / Project Number : S3238880)