Effect of Conductive Materials and Substrates for Flexible Patch Antennas: A Comprehensive Review

Flexible patch antennas are in high demand for current communication systems, and they have a wide range of uses in wireless communication where antennas are mounted to a variety of electronic curved surfaces. Flexible patch antennas are robust light weight antennas which are withstand mechanical strain up to a certain extent. The type of substrate, materials utilized, processing techniques, antenna performance, and the surrounding environment all influence the choice of flexible patch antennas. As a result, there is a wide range of design developments, new materials and material properties, and specific applications on the market that have proven to be successful. However, there is a scarcity of knowledge on the electromagnetic properties of the materials employed. The main purpose of this review is to find the effect of conductive materials and substrates in research studies of flexible patch antennas. The importance of conductive materials and the various substrates are reviewed in detail for electrical properties and mechanical performance. The results also show that, the materials as well as processes to produce flexible patch antennas are presented and compared. Finally, conductive material for the flexible patch antenna and analysis that must be done to design proper flexible antennas is discussed and areas for future research are recommended.