Progress in Inkjet-Printed Sensors and Antennas

Abstract

In recent years, inkjet printing has become a popular form for creating sensors and antennas. These devices are fabricated using different materials with inkjet printing using various (conductive, oxide, biological) inks on predominantly flexible substrate. This form of fabrication has attracted much attention for a variety of reasons such as relatively cheap cost of manufacturing and materials, as well as the ease of use and high customization. These devices also provide a lighter frame and added flexibility allowing them to be incorporated as devices on non-planar surfaces. It is also possible for inkjet printing to be used as a sustainable manufacturing method, providing a method of reducing electronic waste. In this article, several topics related to inkjet printing are covered. These topics include a general overview of the fabrication process of inkjet devices through an inkjet printer, recent applications of inkjet-printed sensors, applications of inkjet-printed antennae, challenges in inkjet printing, and an outlook on the inkjet printing. In the fabrication section, the different materials and printing process are explored. Topics covered in the application section include gas sensors, biomedical sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, glucose sensors, and more. In the inkjet antennas portion of the article, RFID tagging and 5G applications are highlighted. The main challenges covered are specific to fabrication that are being currently addressed.