Millimeter-Wave Wire-Mesh Antenna Arrays for 3D-Printed Flexible Radars

In this paper, a 3D-printed millimeter-wave microstrip patch antenna array with wire-mesh structures is reported. The antenna array is realized by silver nanoparticle inks on a 3-mil LCP substrate. The performances of the antenna array are verified by both simulations and experimental characterizations. The proposed wire-mesh structure can increase the array radiation efficiency by at least 31% and enhance the realized gain by at least 1dBi. Measured reflection coefficients and radiation patterns on both E- and H-planes match with the simulations. The proposed antenna array shows great potential for applications such as 3D-printed flexible radar systems and flexible wireless mmWave communication systems.