Sweet-Tooth: Resonators on Sugar

The development of biodegradable electronics enables environmentally friendly devices for environmental monitoring and healthcare. An important component of many such systems is a wireless communication unit which needs a resonator. In this work, we investigate the design of LC resonators on isomalt, a form of beet sugar, used as the base substrate or scaffold. Isomalt is widely used in sugar art and can be sculpted into mechanically stable various forms. We take advantage of this feature to explore four inductor geometries, namely, planar, sculpted helix, Fe-doped core, and toroidal. The isomalt substrate is also used to design parallel plate capacitors. Based on these designs, LC resonators are characterized. Keeping in mind potential applications for edible electronics, the work finally discusses the overall performance of resonators keeping in mind the toxicity limit of the constituents.