3D Printing of Millimetre Wave and Low-Terahertz Frequency Selective Surfaces Using Aerosol Jet Technology

Anshuman Shastri,Benito Sanz-Izquierdo,Steven Gao,Lee Winchester,Edward A Parker,Patrick Reynaert,Zhijiao Chen

doi:10.1109/access.2020.3024584

Abstract

An investigation of the use of Aerosol jet 3D Printing of frequency selective surface for millimetre and low-THz applications is presented in this article. This 3D printing technique allows the fabrication of intricate details of the designs with high resolution. Band-stop and band-pass FSS are designed and tested. The band stop FSS consisted of a Square loop array that operated in the 26–28 GHz sub-millimetre band. This design is printed on glass substrate and can be used for deployment in windows. The bandpass FSS arrays consisted of simple slot elements arranged in a square lattice and operated at 125 GHz and 280 GHz. The slot arrays were printed on Kapton. Surface profiles demonstrated the uniformity and precision of this printing technique. Simulated and measured results compared well and offered good performances at both the millimetre wave and low-THz bands. The designs find applications in 5G and imminent 6G communications. This printing technique also provides environmentally friendly, rapid, and sustainable alternative for development of highly customised FSS which can be deployed to improve communications in buildings and in future Terahertz applications.

Highlights

Frequency Selective Surfaces (FSS) are filtering devices for electromagnetic waves which are beneficial in a wide range of applications [1], [2]
Aerosol Jet printing of Frequency Selective Surfaces ranging from sub mm-wave to low-THz frequency regions was demonstrated
The fabrication of FSS was demonstrated on glass and Kapton substrates

Summary

Introduction

Frequency Selective Surfaces (FSS) are filtering devices for electromagnetic waves which are beneficial in a wide range of applications [1], [2]. This article evaluates the use of direct Aerosol Jet Printing in developing 3D Frequency Selective Surfaces for millimetre wave and low-THz applications. The rest of the paper is arranged as follows: Section II presents the sub-millimetre wave bandstop square loop FSS design and the aerosol jet printing process.

Results

Conclusion