Fully direct-write dispenser printed dipole antenna on woven polyester cotton fabric for wearable electronics applications

A novel technique of direct-write dispenser printing on fabrics is introduced which is applied to realise a dipole antenna for wearable electronic applications. The challenge of digitally printing a conductive layer of <20 µm thickness on polyester cotton, which has a surface roughness of the order of 150 µm, is met using only direct-write dispenser printing. An interface paste, which was originally developed for screen printing, is dispenser printed in selected areas of the fabric to smooth its surface before printing the conductive layer on top of it. Neither screen nor photolithographic masks are needed for any deposition stage, so dispenser printing offers a direct-write technique for electronic functions on fabrics. Fully dispenser printed dipole antennas have been fabricated on standard polyester cotton fabrics and the measured results from a vector network analyser are discussed.