Conductive ink from a printer allows for the fabrication of conductive material with tight tolerances without the cost and time of chemical etching. This paper explores the use of AGIC printable conductive ink on a paper substrate as design tool for antennas as well as classroom use in antenna education. The antenna designs satisfy the requirements of a compact Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antenna while showing a competitive performance within the current market. One best design is shown along with three other structures. These antennas consist of a bowtie cross-dipole over a reflective disc with conductive-ink grounded structures. In addition to the GNSS antennas, a linear elliptical dipole over a reflective disc with conductive grounded structures is presented. This elliptical antenna design attempts to find the maximum impedance bandwidth beyond the GNSS band. The inexpensive nature of conductive ink allows for its use in a classroom to demonstrate antenna behavior as part of antenna education. An inexpensive approach to the patch antenna using conductive ink is described and paired with a system made of off-the-shelf parts. The system is capable of measuring the power of the received signal. The received signal measurement is not as accurate as using a anechoic chamber but pattern details are visible. This is used to demonstrate aspects of the Friis transmission equation such as distance, polarization, radiation pattern shape, and loss.

The layer-by-layer nature of additive manufacturing (AM) allows for access to the entire build volume of a component during manufacture including the internal structure. Voids are accessible during the build process and allow for components to be embedded and sealed with subsequently printed layers. This process, in conjunction with direct write (DW) of conductive materials, enables the direct manufacture of parts featuring embedded electronics, including interconnects and sensors. The scope of previous works in which DW and AM processes are combined has been limited to single material AM processes. The PolyJet process is assessed for hybridization with DW because of its multi-material capabilities. The PolyJet process is capable of simultaneously depositing different materials, including rigid and elastomeric photopolymers, which enables the design of flexible features such as membranes and joints. In this work, extrusion-based DW is integrated with PolyJet AM technology to explore opportunities for embedding conductive materials on rigid and elastomeric polymer substrates. Experiments are conducted to broaden the understanding of how silver-loaded conductive inks behave on PolyJet material surfaces. Traces of DuPont 5021 conductive ink as small as 750?m wide and 28?m tall are deposited on VeroWhite+ and TangoBlack+ PolyJet material using a Nordson EFD high-precision fluid dispenser. Heated drying at 55°C is found to accelerate material drying with no significant effect on the conductor's geometry or conductivity. Contact angles of the conductive ink on PolyJet substrates are measured and exhibit a hydrophilic interaction, indicating good adhesion. Encapsulation is found to negatively impact conductivity of directly written conductors when compared to traces deposited on the surface. Strain sensing components are designed to demonstrate potential and future applications. / Master of Science

A stretchable silver ink was screen printed to TPU sheets, then tensile coupons of the TPU, both bare and laminated to cotton, Denim and spandex fabric, were subjected to 1000 cycles of 20% uniaxial strain. In-situ resistance measurements of printed traces were processed to generate datasets of maximum and minimum resistance per cycle. A mechanistic fit model was used to predict the resistance behavior of the ink across TPU/fabric levels. The results show that traces strained on TPU laminated to spandex (polyester) fibers had an average rate of increase in resistance significantly lower than that of traces strained on bare TPU. The variation in predicted resistance was significantly lower in the spandex group than in the TPU group. Trace width was not found to have a significant effect on the resistance behavior across TPU/fabric groups. More testing is required to understand the effect of lamination to high elasticity fabrics on resistance behavior as it relates to the viscoelastic properties of the fibers and weave structure.

Identificação de Dispositivos por Radiofrequência, do inglês, Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID), é uma tecnologia para identificação, rastreamento e gerenciamento de produtos, animais e até mesmo pessoas sem a necessidade de um campo visual. Com o objetivo de alcançar custos menores e a utilização de processos de fabricação menos agressivo ao meio ambiente, tornou-se importante o desenvolvimento de novos tipos de etiquetas (tags). Em vista disso, a fabricação de antenas impressas compactas usando tinta condutiva, representa uma boa opção. O objetivo dessa pesquisa é o projeto e fabricação de antenas impressas sobre substratos flexíveis utilizando tinta condutiva composta de nanopartículas de prata. O desenvolvimento deste tipo de etiquetas é justificado principalmente pelos seguintes motivos. Primeiro, o processo reduz o uso de agentes químicos comumente empregados na fabricação convencional, levando a uma significativa redução no impacto ambiental. Segundo, a fabricação utilizando substratos como, por exemplo, papel ou polímero, reduz substancialmente o custo final da etiqueta. Estudos teóricos e práticos, juntamente com simulações eletromagnéticas foram realizados. Dois processos de prototipagem da etiqueta foram executados: um utilizando uma impressora jato de tinta que funciona propelindo gotas de tinta sobre o substrato e o outro utilizando serigrafia ou silkscreen printing que é muito prático para imprimir formas geométricas através de uma tela de fios trançados. Esses métodos de impressão permitiram a produção rápida da antena sem a necessidade de máscaras de fotolitografia, como é amplamente utilizado na indústria eletrônica. Quatro protótipos foram produzidos e medidas foram realizadas para verificar a viabilidade da utilização dessas etiquetas impressas em relação à sua operação, a confiabilidade das informações armazenadas e a troca de dados com o leitor RFID via interface aérea. Os resultados práticos foram comparados com os obtidos de etiquetas comerciais, onde foi possível verificar que a antena fabricada com tinta condutiva é capaz de capturar e radiar ondas eletromagnéticas de forma eficiente, resultando em uma troca de dados confiáveis através da interface aérea. / Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID), it is a technology using electromagnetic waves for identifying, tracking and management of products, animals and even people without requiring a visual field. Aiming at achieving low costs and using less aggressive manufacturing processes to the environment, it has become important to develop new types of RFID tags. In view of that, manufacturing compact printed antennas using conductive ink represents a good option. The goal of this research is the design of printed antennas on flexible substrates using silver nanoparticles ink. The developing of this type of tags is justified mainly by the following reasons. First, the process reduces the use of chemical agents commonly employed in conventional manufacturing leading to a significant reduction of the environmental impact. Second, the fabrication using substrates such as paper and polymer foils, substantially reduces the final cost of the tags. Theoretical and practical studies along with electromagnetic simulations were conducted. Two process of RFID prototyping were performed: one using an inkjet printer that operates by propelling particles of conductive ink onto the substrate and another using silkscreen printing that is a very practical method to print geometric forms through a twisted wires screen. These technologies allowed fast production of the antenna without requiring photolithographic masks, as it is widely used in the electronics industry. Four prototypes were produced and measurements were taken to verify the feasibility of using RFID tags printed with conductive ink regarding to its operation, reliability of the stored information and the exchange of data with the RFID reader via air interface. Practical results were compared with those obtained of the commercial tags. It was possible to verify that the antenna manufactured with conductive ink was able to capture and radiate efficiently electromagnetic waves, resulting in reliable exchange of data with the reader through the air interface

Dans le cadre de la fabrication de dispositifs pour l’électronique organique à grande échelle, les besoins en matériaux conducteurs stables à l’air libre, de coût réduit et compatibles avec les techniques d’impression sont croissants. Ces matériaux sont destinés à remplacer les couches métalliques déposés par des méthodes telles que la gravure ou l’évaporation sous vide. Les travaux présentés dans cette thèse ont pour objectif la mise au point d’une encre imprimable stable à l’air libre, composée de polyaniline dispersée en phase aqueuse. L’originalité de cette thèse est de décrire l’intégralité de ce processus, depuis la synthèse chimique de la charge, à partir du monomère jusqu’à l’intégration de l’encre conductrice dans une cellule solaire organique sous forme d’électrode imprimée, en passant par la formulation de l’encre. La première partie des travaux consacrés à la synthèse chimique de la charge a permis d’obtenir un matériau nano structuré, de taille et morphologie contrôlée, dispersable en phase aqueuse et conducteur. Cette dispersion a ensuite été formulée pour lui conférer des propriétés compatibles avec l’impression jet d’encre et lever des verrous critiques comme la granulométrie. La phase d’essai d’impression jet d’encre a permis de valider l’étape de formulation et d’optimiser la morphologie des gouttelettes éjectées. Les couches minces imprimées ont permis d’atteindre des résistances surfaciques inférieures à 1000 Ω/□. Finalement l’encre conductrice a pu être imprimée en tant qu’électrode supérieure dans des cellules solaires organiques. / Considering large-scale development and fabrication of organic electronic devices, needs for low cost conductive printable materials are growing. These materials are designed to replace thin metallic layers deposited via gravure or thermal evaporation. The objective of the work presented in this report is to obtain a conductive and inkjet printable aqueous stable dispersion of polyaniline. Originality of this PhD work is to describe all the steps from the chemical synthesis of polyaniline starting from the monomer, until the integration of the conductive ink in an organic solar cell as a conductive top electrode, through formulation of the ink to meet inkjet printing requirements. During the first part of work dedicated to chemical synthesis of PANI, we managed to produce a nanostructured and conductive material, with controlled size and morphology, which was dispersed in water. This aqueous dispersion was formulated to meet inkjet printing requirements and break technological locks such as particle size in the PANI dispersion. Formulation step was then validated during printing trials, which allowed optimising shape of ejected droplets. Printed PANI thin layers showed sheet resistance below 1000 Ω/□ after 20 printing passes. Finally, conductive ink was printed as a top electrode in fully solution–processed printed organic solar cell.

Identificação de Dispositivos por Radiofrequência, do inglês, Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID), é uma tecnologia para identificação, rastreamento e gerenciamento de produtos, animais e até mesmo pessoas sem a necessidade de um campo visual. Com o objetivo de alcançar custos menores e a utilização de processos de fabricação menos agressivo ao meio ambiente, tornou-se importante o desenvolvimento de novos tipos de etiquetas (tags). Em vista disso, a fabricação de antenas impressas compactas usando tinta condutiva, representa uma boa opção. O objetivo dessa pesquisa é o projeto e fabricação de antenas impressas sobre substratos flexíveis utilizando tinta condutiva composta de nanopartículas de prata. O desenvolvimento deste tipo de etiquetas é justificado principalmente pelos seguintes motivos. Primeiro, o processo reduz o uso de agentes químicos comumente empregados na fabricação convencional, levando a uma significativa redução no impacto ambiental. Segundo, a fabricação utilizando substratos como, por exemplo, papel ou polímero, reduz substancialmente o custo final da etiqueta. Estudos teóricos e práticos, juntamente com simulações eletromagnéticas foram realizados. Dois processos de prototipagem da etiqueta foram executados: um utilizando uma impressora jato de tinta que funciona propelindo gotas de tinta sobre o substrato e o outro utilizando serigrafia ou silkscreen printing que é muito prático para imprimir formas geométricas através de uma tela de fios trançados. Esses métodos de impressão permitiram a produção rápida da antena sem a necessidade de máscaras de fotolitografia, como é amplamente utilizado na indústria eletrônica. Quatro protótipos foram produzidos e medidas foram realizadas para verificar a viabilidade da utilização dessas etiquetas impressas em relação à sua operação, a confiabilidade das informações armazenadas e a troca de dados com o leitor RFID via interface aérea. Os resultados práticos foram comparados com os obtidos de etiquetas comerciais, onde foi possível verificar que a antena fabricada com tinta condutiva é capaz de capturar e radiar ondas eletromagnéticas de forma eficiente, resultando em uma troca de dados confiáveis através da interface aérea. / Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID), it is a technology using electromagnetic waves for identifying, tracking and management of products, animals and even people without requiring a visual field. Aiming at achieving low costs and using less aggressive manufacturing processes to the environment, it has become important to develop new types of RFID tags. In view of that, manufacturing compact printed antennas using conductive ink represents a good option. The goal of this research is the design of printed antennas on flexible substrates using silver nanoparticles ink. The developing of this type of tags is justified mainly by the following reasons. First, the process reduces the use of chemical agents commonly employed in conventional manufacturing leading to a significant reduction of the environmental impact. Second, the fabrication using substrates such as paper and polymer foils, substantially reduces the final cost of the tags. Theoretical and practical studies along with electromagnetic simulations were conducted. Two process of RFID prototyping were performed: one using an inkjet printer that operates by propelling particles of conductive ink onto the substrate and another using silkscreen printing that is a very practical method to print geometric forms through a twisted wires screen. These technologies allowed fast production of the antenna without requiring photolithographic masks, as it is widely used in the electronics industry. Four prototypes were produced and measurements were taken to verify the feasibility of using RFID tags printed with conductive ink regarding to its operation, reliability of the stored information and the exchange of data with the RFID reader via air interface. Practical results were compared with those obtained of the commercial tags. It was possible to verify that the antenna manufactured with conductive ink was able to capture and radiate efficiently electromagnetic waves, resulting in reliable exchange of data with the reader through the air interface

Ink-jet printing (IJP) using conductive inks, has gained the attention of scientistsand researchers during the past decades. Solar Cells (SCs), Radio FrequencyIdentication (RFID), E-papers and antennas are only some of the applicationsfor which IJP is being applied. IJP facilitates printing complex antenna structureswith a good resolution. The use of the IJP process is compatible with devicefabrication on unusual substrates such as paper, polymer lms (Polyethylenenaphthalate (PEN), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polyimide (PI)), textiles,etc at low temperature. The aim of this study is to design and fabricate antennason paper substrates capable of operating at 2.4 GHz via printing technique.Simulation and experimental studies have been presented for microstrip patchantenna and dipole antenna using Itoh's balun.

This thesis presents the implementation of some of the basic concepts of digital logic design in a fun and creative way with the help of paper electronics. This involves circuit building on paper using conductive tape or conductive ink and circuit components as electronics craft materials. Paper electronics toolkit called circuit sticker microcontroller which is deployed by a company named Chibitronics and AT89C51 microcontroller were used for the computational functioning of the circuits built on paper. This can be used to teach the fundamentals of digital logic design to the students in their early stage of studies in an attractive way and can help them them gain a better understanding. This thesis can also be helpful in grabbing the attention of high school students and motivate them towards choosing the engineering discipline for their higher studies.

No description available.

Le brouillard électromagnétique dans lequel nous vivons en permanence estaujourd’hui montré du doigt car, outre les risques sanitaires qu’il pourrait engendrer, illimite l’usage de certaines technologies. L’importance des interférences entre réseauxsans fil, ou la peur du piratage sur ces mêmes réseaux, en sont deux exemples. Cetravail de thèse vise à développer un nouveau moyen de protection contre certaines deces ondes électromagnétiques. Plus spécifiquement, ce travail se focalise sur unetechnologie capable de filtrer uniquement les ondes WiFi et GSM à travers de grandessurfaces d’une habitation, comme un mur. Pour ce faire, la fonctionnalisation d’uncomposant standard des bâtiments, le papier-peint, a été étudié.L’utilisation de surfaces sélectives en fréquence a été retenue. Ces motifs sontdirectement imprimés sur du papier à l’aide d’encre conductrice et de la techniqued’impression flexographique. L’étude s’est également portée sur la réalisation de motifsde filtrage innovants. Les résultats de simulation montrent qu’ils sont capables de filtrerdeux ou trois bandes, qu’ils sont quasiment insensibles à la polarisation et à l’angled’incidence dans une plage allant de 0° à ± 80°. Le travail a ensuite permis dedémontrer la faisabilité pratique de ce concept aux stades laboratoire et industriel.Ensuite, nous avons démontré expérimentalement l’efficacité de ce concept dans lesbandes WiFi. La transmission atteint alors -30 dB. Enfin, une validation expérimentaledu produit en situation réelle a été menée, à savoir la pose du papier-peint sur du plâtre,du bois, l’influence de la colle ou encore la pose d’une couche de papier-peint décoratifpar-dessus le produit.En conclusion, les résultats pratiques obtenus confirment les résultats théoriquesestimés et, permettent à ce nouveau concept, appelé métapapier, d’être suffisammentefficace pour permettre la réduction des ondes WiFi ou GSM. / The electromagnetic smog in which we live today is nowadays a real issue because it limits the use of certain technologies and also because there are some potential health risks associated with it, even if the latter is still a controversial subject. The importance of the interferences between wireless networks or the possibility of data hacking on the same networks are two examples. The aim of this thesis is to develop a new way to protect buildings against some of these electromagnetic waves. More specifically, this work focuses on a technology able to filter only the WiFi and the GSM waves through large areas of a home, like a wall for example. To do this, the functionalization of a standard component of buildings, the wallpaper, was studied. The use of frequency selective surface (FSS) was chosen. These patterns are printed directly on paper with a conductive ink printing technology: the flexography. The study also focuses on the realization of innovative filter designs. Simulation results show that these novel FSS are able to filter two or three bands. They are almost insensitive to the polarization and to the angle of incidence in the range of 0° to ±80°. The realization feasibility of this concept in a laboratory or in industrial conditions was demonstrated. Next, an experimental demonstration of this concept in the WiFi bands was carried out. In this context, the transmission coefficient was reached -30 dB. Finally, an experimental validation of the product in real conditions of use was conducted, namely the wallpaper was put over plasterboards or over wood panels. Also, the influence of the glue on the general performances and the placement of a decorative wallpaper over the FSS wallpaper were studied. In conclusion, the practical results obtained confirm and validate the theoretical predictions of this new concept, called metapaper, and show that the practical realizations are efficient enough to allow the reduction of WiFi or GSM signals.