Effects of Metal Nanoparticle Doping and In Situ Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment on Carbon Nanotube Sheet Antenna Performance

Effects of nanomaterial postprocess treatments on the RF performance of a variety of carbon nanotube patch antennas are explored through fabrication and measurement. A discussion of the physical and electrical mechanisms underpinning the results of these measurements is presented. The sparse application of metal nanoparticles to carbon nanotube sheet material is found to increase the peak realized gain ~1 dB compared to an untreated carbon nanotube sheet patch antenna. The functionalization of carbon nanotube sheet material through in situ atmospheric pressure plasma treatment is found to reduce the peak realized gain ~1.5 dB compared to an untreated carbon nanotube sheet patch antenna.