Enhanced RF response of 3D-printed wireless LC sensors using dielectrics with high permittivity

Abstract

The development of wireless sensing technologies paves the way for advances in the fields of wearable devices, prosthetics and robotics. Wireless communication between sensors and readers plays an important role in recent Internet of Things technologies. Among many types of wireless sensing devices, wireless passive radio frequency devices including inductor-capacitor (LC) resonators have been spotlighted. However, passive LC sensors suffer from short-range wireless detection, and their fabrication requires several processes. Here, we design a 3D integrated wireless compact LC location sensor fabricated using the 3D printing method for multi-layered devices. The fabricated wireless sensing system shows an increased wireless readout distance of up to 10 cm. In addition, a dielectric material with high dielectric permittivity has been applied to enhance the quality factor of the sensors by 2.5 times with improved wireless detection.