{"title":"Firefly Algorithm-Driven Development of Resistive Ink-Coated Glass and Mesh Fibers for Advanced Microwave Stealth and EMI Shielding Applications","authors":"Deepanshu Sahu, Ravi Panwar","doi":"10.1007/s11664-024-11405-1","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>The design and development of efficient microwave-absorbing and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials and structures to conceal electromagnetic (EM) waves remains a consistent and challenging task. Despite advancements in materials science and microwave engineering, there is a need for optimized materials that offer both effective microwave absorption and EMI shielding while minimizing material layer thickness. This research aims to address this gap by utilizing the firefly algorithm (FFA) to predict the optimal medium properties and thickness of microwave-absorbing and EMI shielding materials under specific constraints. In this context, a comprehensive investigation was carried out at the X-band involving numerical and experimental EM characterization of novel lightweight fiber-based samples. Additionally, the FFA has been applied to optimize these fiber-based microwave structures within the given constraints. Two separate objective functions (OBF) targeting minimum sample thickness, maximum microwave absorption, and shielding effectiveness (SE) bandwidth have been integrated into the FFA to address the thickness–bandwidth trade-off issue. Subsequently, resistive ink-coated glass fiber (IGF) and ink-coated mesh fiber (IMF) were developed and characterized based on the optimal solutions provided by the FFA. Consequently, an optimized IMF sample provides a minimum reflection coefficient (RC) of −19.0 dB at 10.7 GHz with a bandwidth of 2.8 GHz (9.6 to 12.4 GHz) below the −10 dB threshold. Besides, the optimal IGF sample achieves maximum SE of 11 dB at thickness of only 0.8 mm and covers the entire operating band. Furthermore, the response of the proposed structure was assessed for various oblique angles of incidence, revealing significant potential for various practical applications. A strong correlation between measured and theoretical findings underscores the potential of the proposed approach in realizing efficient microwave stealth and EMI shielding materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":626,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Electronic Materials","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Electronic Materials","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-024-11405-1","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The design and development of efficient microwave-absorbing and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials and structures to conceal electromagnetic (EM) waves remains a consistent and challenging task. Despite advancements in materials science and microwave engineering, there is a need for optimized materials that offer both effective microwave absorption and EMI shielding while minimizing material layer thickness. This research aims to address this gap by utilizing the firefly algorithm (FFA) to predict the optimal medium properties and thickness of microwave-absorbing and EMI shielding materials under specific constraints. In this context, a comprehensive investigation was carried out at the X-band involving numerical and experimental EM characterization of novel lightweight fiber-based samples. Additionally, the FFA has been applied to optimize these fiber-based microwave structures within the given constraints. Two separate objective functions (OBF) targeting minimum sample thickness, maximum microwave absorption, and shielding effectiveness (SE) bandwidth have been integrated into the FFA to address the thickness–bandwidth trade-off issue. Subsequently, resistive ink-coated glass fiber (IGF) and ink-coated mesh fiber (IMF) were developed and characterized based on the optimal solutions provided by the FFA. Consequently, an optimized IMF sample provides a minimum reflection coefficient (RC) of −19.0 dB at 10.7 GHz with a bandwidth of 2.8 GHz (9.6 to 12.4 GHz) below the −10 dB threshold. Besides, the optimal IGF sample achieves maximum SE of 11 dB at thickness of only 0.8 mm and covers the entire operating band. Furthermore, the response of the proposed structure was assessed for various oblique angles of incidence, revealing significant potential for various practical applications. A strong correlation between measured and theoretical findings underscores the potential of the proposed approach in realizing efficient microwave stealth and EMI shielding materials.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Electronic Materials (JEM) reports monthly on the science and technology of electronic materials, while examining new applications for semiconductors, magnetic alloys, dielectrics, nanoscale materials, and photonic materials. The journal welcomes articles on methods for preparing and evaluating the chemical, physical, electronic, and optical properties of these materials. Specific areas of interest are materials for state-of-the-art transistors, nanotechnology, electronic packaging, detectors, emitters, metallization, superconductivity, and energy applications.
Review papers on current topics enable individuals in the field of electronics to keep abreast of activities in areas peripheral to their own. JEM also selects papers from conferences such as the Electronic Materials Conference, the U.S. Workshop on the Physics and Chemistry of II-VI Materials, and the International Conference on Thermoelectrics. It benefits both specialists and non-specialists in the electronic materials field.
A journal of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society.