Novel inkjet printed modules for sensing, radar and energy harvesting applications

Flexible inkjet-printed sensor platforms fabricated on flexible substrates are demonstrated to be a sustainable economical solution for 2D “Zero-Power” sensing and active energy harvesting applications as well as multilayer 3D structures and complete radar systems. Several designs featuring the advantages, challenges and prospects of inkjet printing technology are presented. These designs demonstrate not only the feasibility of flexible 2D/3D sensing modules on polymer or paper but also the ruggedness and reliability they have to perform in humid biomedical conditions or harsh outdoor environments. Improving mechanical robustness for wearability or conformability and the addition of protective layers for corrosion resistance and prevention of component detachment will improve the foundation for inkjet-printed high-complex modules as well as future paths in the area of environmentally-friendly (“green”) RF electronics and conformal sensors.