Design, simulation, and fabrication of broadband inkjet-printed log-periodic antennas

Abstract

We present design and computational analysis of log-periodic antennas that are fabricated by using low-cost inkjet printing technology. The designed antennas operate in the 1.5–2.5 GHz range and are suitable for diverse applications, including energy harvesting at WiFi and GSM bands. Suitable designs are fabricated by using silver-based inks in standard commercial printers. Despite the challenges in both design and fabrication processes, we demonstrate log-periodic antennas with desired operating properties at the target frequencies. Details of the design procedures, parametric analysis, as well as simulation and measurement results are presented.