Inkjet-Printed Wideband Antenna on Resin-Coated Paper Substrate for Curved Wireless Devices

A low-cost, inkjet-printed multiband monopole antenna for conformal wireless applications is presented for the first time. The antenna is implemented on a low-cost resin-coated paper substrate which can be used for conformal devices. The antenna developed here is composed of four branch lines on the radiator and three L-shaped slots on the ground plane that help to generate multiple bands without increasing the size of the antenna. The antenna has a compact size, making it suitable for handheld and wearable wireless devices. Details of the inkjet printing fabrication processes and related issues are presented. The antennas were characterized under flat and bent conditions, and the results indicate that the antennas can cover most bands for mobile and wireless applications such as PCS, UMTS, GSM1900, and WLAN.