Thermal Transfer Printing with Donor Ribbon for Flexible Hybrid RFID Antenna Fabrication

Printed electronics is more and more used for the fabrication of devices in multiple fields like wearable, disposable and health domains. Benefits of using these technics are mainly guided by the reduction of manufacturing cost, the possibility to print on flexible substrates and to deposit a large variety of materials. Here, we present the adaptation of the printing technic of thermal transfer using a donor ribbon for the deposition of metal layers. Flexible hybrid printed antennas were made by using this technic. Their characterizations and S-parameter tests are shown. These flexible antennas can be easily integrated to more complex circuits which may include sensors and other components and lead to hybrid portable devices able to monitor human condition, such on a smart bandage or on a on-skin glucometer.