Analysis of printed antenna RFID technology and application of the value

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) radio frequency identification technology has become the focus of attention, its system of basic components include RFID tags, RFID readers and antennas.

Where the antenna is an electromagnetic wave forms the transceiver RF signal power received or radiation out of the device. In RFID systems, antenna into tag antenna and reader antenna. Tag antenna's goal is to transfer the largest energy access label chip: emission, high-frequency current is converted to electromagnetic waves; receive, the electromagnetic waves are converted to high-frequency current.

RFID antenna has a wide range of production process, this article on RFID antenna technology for summary and analysis, focused on the RFID antenna of the latest production methods — RFID printing antennas and related technologies, and prospects for their future.

Three RFID antenna technology

RFID antenna technology mainly in etching, winding around the preparation and printing of the antenna.

Where the RFID conductive ink printed antenna as in recent years the development of a new technology.

More RFID tag antennas of production methods for different frequency RFID products.

Low frequency RFID antenna base is winding way made high frequency RFID tag antennas using the above three methods can be implemented, but mainly by etching antenna materials typically aluminum or copper, UHF RFID tag antennas are printed antennas.

Etching method is also called the subtractive production technology.

Its production process is as follows (in copper antenna as an example): the first in a plastic film upper pressure a flat copper foil copper foil film; and then, in the light-sensitive adhesive coated on chip, dry after a positive film (with the desired shape of the pattern) to light; in chemical developer, photosensitive emulsion of illumination is rinsed off, exposing copper; and finally placed in etching tank, all is not part of the photographic plastic cover are etched out of copper, to get the desired shape of copper coil.

Etching printed antenna because of its high precision, characteristics and read-write machine asks signal match, while in the antenna impedance, applied to articles on RF performance is good, but it's only drawback is the cost is too high.

Make use of coil winding manufacture production of RFID tags, in a wound on the wound coil label and fixed, now called antenna coil turns more (typical turns 50-l500 oculi).

This method is used in the frequency range in 125-134 KHz RFID tags, the drawback is the cost is high, the production speed is slow.

Printed antenna is the direct use of conductive inks in insulating substrate (film), conductive lines on a printed form the antenna and circuit, also called Add method production technology.

The main printing methods have been expanded from only screen printing to offset printing, flexographic printing, gravure printing and production methods, more mature production technology for screen printing and gravure printing technology. Advances in printing technology and its further application to the production of RFID antenna so that the RFID tag production costs decrease, thus facilitating the application of RFID electronic tags.

Printing the antenna itself and etching antenna, winding antenna, has the following unique characteristics:

I. printed antenna manufacturing can be more accurately adjust electric performance parameters, use the performance optimization of the card.

RFID tag primarily to technology parameters are: resonance frequency and Q value and impedance.

In order to achieve optimal performance, all RFID label production technology can be used to change the antenna turns, antenna size and the thickness of wire diameter. Printed antenna technology can also be the width of the minor changes, change the thickness of the chip, and so on precise adjustment to the desired target value.

2. printed antenna manufacturing can change the shape of the coil to adapt user surface processing requirements.

RFID card multi-purpose use, as well as various personalized request more and more, print the antenna can be easily changed as required, into any shape, such as different curvature, angle of the surface to meet customer requirements, without compromising performance.

3. printed antennas can use various different card matrix material.

Printing-antenna can be requested by the user to use a different card body material, with the exception of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), you can use PET-G (polyester), PET (polyester), with ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer), PC (polycarbonate) and paper-based materials.

If you use bypassing cable technology, it is hard to use PC and other materials produced adapt to harsh environmental conditions of RFID tags.

4. printed antenna manufacturing suitable for all kinds of different manufacturers to provide chip module.

With the widespread use of RFID tags, a growing number of IC chip manufacturers are joined to the production of RFID chip module team.

Due to the lack of uniform standards, the electricity performance parameters are different, and the flexibility of printed antenna structures, respectively, and a variety of different chip and a different package to match the module, to achieve the best performance.

RFID conductive inks and printing antenna technology

RFID printing antennas is a strong characteristic of antennas in traditional, mainly depends on the characteristics and conductive inks and printing technology.

Conductive ink by subtle conductive particles or other special materials (e.g. conductive polymers, etc.), printing on flexible or rigid substrate can be made on a printed circuit, a conductor, antenna and resistance.

Conductive ink from a relatively large extent determines the RFID printing antenna impedance between RFID antenna performance of important parameters.

Currently, Fulin (Flint) company, Parelec company, DuPont (DuPont) company, Korea ABC nanotechnology

Company, Shanghai Bao silver company, Beijing force tuoda technology company, Wuhan Les science research and development of various RFID separately printed antenna with conductive inks.

According to the manufacturing process, the conductive ink can be divided into indirect method conductive inks and direct method of conductive inks.

According to the conductive ink in the composition of conductive factor, conductive inks including carbon ink ink, ink copper paste, silver paste ink and gold paste inks.

Because silver paste inks have low resistivity, RFID tags, is the best choice. Because copper oxidizes very quickly, and are not suitable for printing RFID antenna.

From future development, RFID printing antenna technology will become mainstream production technology of RFID antennas, which originate from the use of conductive inks for antenna printed the following advantages:

Low cost

Cost reduction mainly depends on the conductive ink and screen printing processes these two reasons.

From the material itself costs, ink than stamping or etched metal coil low prices, especially copper, silver prices, with conductive ink printing method for making RFID antenna is a satisfactory alternative; from materials consumption, etching to consume a large amount of metal, while the conductive ink printed antenna circuit speed, material province, low cost, high efficiency.

Screen printing process can reduce costs, one of the reasons is the introduction of printing equipment investment than introduce copper etching equipment is a lot cheaper.

In addition, due to the printing process without the need for environmental protection requirements and additional investment, production and maintenance costs than copper etching method also low, thereby reducing the cost of a single label.

Good electrical conductivity

Conductive ink drying, because the distance between the conductive particles, free electrons move along the applied electric field, thus forming the current RFID printing antennas with good conductivity.

Easy operation

Printing technology as a way to add a method for making technology produce than subtraction techniques (such as etching), itself is an easy to control, a step in the process.

No pollution

Copper etching process must be adopted in the light-sensitive and other chemical reagents are strong erosion, generated by the waste and effluents on the environment, the larger the pollution.

With conductive ink directly on the substrate on the printing, without the use of chemical reagents, thus has the advantage of no pollution.

Choose flexible substrate

Conductive ink printing of almost all of the printing materials, including polyester, polyimide, ABS engineering plastic, PVC (PVC), polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, (paint), cardboard, etc.

And copper etching technology you can only use highly resistant to corrosive materials such as polyester, this kind of material prices generally than printing the selected material.

Printing of conductive inks antenna is also able to withstand higher external mechanical pressure.

In addition, the use of conductive inks production of RFID label printing antennas has better flexibility and higher reliability.

Using the conductive ink printed RFID antennas, the following aspects of operation need to be aware that to achieve the best printing results.

Operating environment: printing environment of choice for printing effects have a direct impact, you should minimize the printing area of dust and foreign material contamination, environmental requirements at least 100000 level and above in the clean room.

Before the treatment: to ensure printing surface clean, no pollution, no grease and oxides, printing surface treatment after the stay time as short as possible, to prevent oxidation or pollution.

Dilution: Ink viscosity fine, plus a small amount of thinner, can improve the automatic printing of the printing results.

Mixing thoroughly before use for 10 minutes.

Pre-drying: temperature and time according to the specific production process.

Save: temperature in 20-25 degrees, light, away from heat.

This shows that the use of conductive inks produce RFID printing antennas on technology with the high demand.

For conductive ink itself, should have strong adhesion, resistance is low, the low curing temperature, conductivity stability characteristics to meet the functional requirements of RFID antennas.

RFID value printed antenna

RFID technology has been applied to logistics, retail, military, urban management, library management, food safety, traceability, etc.

Particularly in the areas of retail, RFID technology advanced and convenient management and by many retailers are added to the packaging, to real-time tracking the flow of goods. Wal-Mart, Metro international retailer requires its suppliers to provide products with RFID tags attached.

Thus, RFID and related technology required to continue to progress, to adapt to different industries in different fields of application requirements.

While the use of conductive inks and advanced printing technology, RFID antenna to optimize the application of RFID electronic tags to further promote the value of RFID applications. Therefore, RFID antenna printing technology applications, mainly concentrated in the following two aspects:

First, reduce the cost of promoting labels RFID application.

Tag cost has always been plagued by RFID industry and user problems, RFID tags cost in RFID as a proportion of the various links.

Therefore, in the application of RFID electronic tags, how to reduce the cost of the label, perfect performance, is imperative.

For general merchandise, the use of RFID tags will result in the improvement of product costs and thereby hinder the further application of RFID technology.

But the conductive ink technology you can make the cost of RFID application out of the bottleneck. Use of conductive inks for printing RFID tag antennas can greatly reduce the HF and UHF antenna systemFor cost, thereby reducing the overall cost of RFID tags.

Conductive ink printed antenna is used for RFID in China bus fare system using RFID ticket.

Medicine and other fields of products anti-counterfeiting is RFID electronic tags can show their fields. Tag prices so that it can scale applied to the pharmaceutical, liquor and other high added value products anti-counterfeiting systems.

Secondly, to promote the development of the printing industry.

RFID antenna in production in addition to the conductive ink, you also need with the help of advanced printing technologies.

This is to broaden the development of the printing industry's direction and the road to no longer limited to traditional paper printing, but with the automatic identification industry, semiconductor industry, such as the crossover point, can promote the common progress in various professions.

In addition, in line with the RFID technology and conductive ink RFID printing antennas, the printing industry will continue to develop more advanced printing technology, thus contributing to the printing industry's rapid development.

With conductive inks and printing technology, RFID printing antennas will be popular and widespread use, the cost of RFID tags will be further reduced, thus promoting the RFID technology in more areas of application.

This article uses Haina sharp editing and reprint, copyright the original author.