Printed Single-Chip RFID Tags on Uncoated Paper for Environmental Monitoring Applications

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable and efficient environmental monitoring systems has driven the development of innovative sensor technologies. This study presents a hybrid ultra-high frequency radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensor tag fabricated on uncoated paper substrate, which constitutes approximately 87% of the tag's mass thereby making the sensor tag more sustainable and eco-friendly. The sensor tag integrates an AS3213C.4 RFID chip together with an antenna, an interdigitated capacitor as a humidity sensor, pads, and interconnects. Temperature sensing is facilitated by the RFID chip's internal temperature sensor, while humidity is monitored through changes in the printed capacitor. All structures except for the chip were screen printed using a conductive silver ink. The silver layer exhibited a thickness of 5.6 μm and a sheet resistance of 56.4 mΩ/sq, sufficient for wireless communication over a distance of 2 m. The sensor was wirelessly interrogated using a Kathrein antenna and reader system, with data retrieved via commercial software. Temperature tests demonstrated accurate readings from 26 °C to 80 °C, aligning with the chip's specifications of −40 °C to 125 °C, with a precision of 1 °C in the range of 10 °C to 50 °C. Humidity measurements in a climate chamber, conducted between 15% and 55% relative humidity, showed an average sensitivity of 0.45% per % humidity change. Hysteresis effects of 7.4% were observed due to the moisture absorption and structural changes of the paper substrate. This work highlights the potential of paper-based sensor tags for sustainable environmental monitoring, aligning with the principles of Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT), while addressing the growing challenge of electronic waste.