Polydimethylsiloxane-Embedded Conductive Fabric: Characterization and Application for Realization of Robust Passive and Active Flexible Wearable Antennas

Simorangkir, RBVB; Yang, Y; Hashmi, RM; Bjorninen, T; Esselle, KP; Ukkonen, L

Polydimethylsiloxane-Embedded Conductive Fabric: Characterization and Application for Realization of Robust Passive and Active Flexible Wearable Antennas

Simorangkir, RBVB Yang, Y

Hashmi, RM Bjorninen, T Esselle, KP

Ukkonen, L

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: IEEE Access, 2018, 6 pp. 48102 - 48112
Issue Date:: 2018-08-28

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Simorangkir, RBVB	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Yang, Y https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7439-2156	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Hashmi, RM	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Bjorninen, T	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Esselle, KP https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3681-0086	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Ukkonen, L	en_US
dc.date.issued	2018-08-28	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	IEEE Access, 2018, 6 pp. 48102 - 48112	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/132495
dc.description.abstract	© 2013 IEEE. We present our study on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-embedded conductive fabric, which we propose as a simple yet effective solution to the challenging issue of poor PDMS-metal adhesion, allowing for a relatively easy realization of robust flexible antennas for wearable applications. The method combines the use of conductive fabric as a radiator with PDMS, which acts as the substrate and a protective encapsulation simultaneously. For the first time, a holistic study on the mechanical and electrical properties of the proposed combination of materials is presented thoroughly using a number of fabricated samples. As concept demonstrations, a microstrip patch and a reconfigurable patch antenna are fabricated using the proposed technique to validate the idea. The inclusion of a PDMS-ceramic composite as part of the antenna's substrate, which leads to over 50% reduction in the size compared with a pure PDMS, is also demonstrated to showcase further the versatility of the proposed technique. The fabricated antennas are tested in several wearable scenarios and consistent performance including reconfigurability is obtained even after the antennas are exposed to harsh environments, i.e., extreme bending and machine-washing.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	IEEE Access	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1109/ACCESS.2018.2867696	en_US
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title	Polydimethylsiloxane-Embedded Conductive Fabric: Characterization and Application for Realization of Robust Passive and Active Flexible Wearable Antennas	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	6	en_US
utslib.for	1005 Communications Technologies	en_US
utslib.for	0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering	en_US
utslib.for	08 Information and Computing Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	09 Engineering	en_US
utslib.for	10 Technology	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Electrical and Data Engineering
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	6	en_US

Abstract:

© 2013 IEEE. We present our study on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-embedded conductive fabric, which we propose as a simple yet effective solution to the challenging issue of poor PDMS-metal adhesion, allowing for a relatively easy realization of robust flexible antennas for wearable applications. The method combines the use of conductive fabric as a radiator with PDMS, which acts as the substrate and a protective encapsulation simultaneously. For the first time, a holistic study on the mechanical and electrical properties of the proposed combination of materials is presented thoroughly using a number of fabricated samples. As concept demonstrations, a microstrip patch and a reconfigurable patch antenna are fabricated using the proposed technique to validate the idea. The inclusion of a PDMS-ceramic composite as part of the antenna's substrate, which leads to over 50% reduction in the size compared with a pure PDMS, is also demonstrated to showcase further the versatility of the proposed technique. The fabricated antennas are tested in several wearable scenarios and consistent performance including reconfigurability is obtained even after the antennas are exposed to harsh environments, i.e., extreme bending and machine-washing.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/132495