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In this paper, the feasibility of inkjet printing of circuit and microwave structures on paper-based substrates is investigated for the first time in the implementation of a complete low-cost wireless platform for sensors. First, the system-level design of the module including the amplifier characterization were carried out to ensure optimum performance of the sensor modules in the UHF bands used in RF identification communication. These results were then used to design two different antenna structures, which are printed on paper along with their respective circuit layouts using inket-printing technology. Different techniques were investigated for the assembly of circuit components on the silver printed layouts. Finally, wireless link measurements on the assembled prototypes verified the good performance on the wireless and sensing sides.

The individual components comprising a low-cost, low-power, small-form-factor wireless sensor node for simultaneous ECG and temperature monitoring over wireless personal area networks of dramatically increased range, have been successfully designed, tested and presented. A circular patch antenna has been created that can be integrated, the substrate material of which has been chosen in order to optimize size and reduce radiation lost from interactions with the body. In the future, our work will focus on adding extra reliability measures related to data traffic issues, introducing security layers in the WPAN and optimizing the design of the patch antenna for further miniaturization.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) can be utilized for the tagging of a wide variety of application. A planar inverted F antenna (PIFA) for real time locating has been designed, built and characterized on paper substrate. In specific the PIFA for tagging of metallic objects such as containers in ports or automotive applications is designed, fabricated, and characterized on a paper substrate. The antenna interconnect, or simply the shorting via A via, was drilled though the paper substrate using laser in one of the corners of the structure and, and is characterized by plotting S parameters. Agreement between simulation and measurements provide the proof of concept that paper is a good candidate for a multilayer low cost substrate. This effort proves for the first time, the feasibility of building 3D structure on paper with z-interconnects.