Screen-Printed FSS Plasterboard for Wireless Indoor Applications

Abstract

Screen printing of a Frequency Selective Surface (FSS) on a plasterboard block to curtail the drop of wireless signals within indoor settings is described in this paper. The proposed low-cost FSS solution operates at a central frequency of 2 GHz and covers some of the existing mobile phone frequency bands. An array of square loop elements is used for this application. The array structure was printed with the help of a screen-printing setup on a plasterboard using Dycotech silver paste. Simulated transmission responses compared well with measurements. The FSS was simulated using CST Microwave Studio™. Screen printing allows the direct printing of FSS on the uneven and porous surfaces of plasterboards with the details necessary for various microwave and mm-wave applications and provide the necessary conductivity for filtering. The intended application is the production of plasterboard FSS as a building material with embedded RF properties.