Laser ablation and other manufacturing approaches for flexible antenna fabrication

In this paper, we consider a short review of existing technologies of flexible antenna fabrication and propose our original approach for flexible antenna fabrication. Review of existing technologies of flexible antenna fabrication includes photolithography, screen printing, pad printing, gravure printing, inkjet printing, micro-dispensing, micro-jetting, and aerosol-jet technology. Advantages and disadvantages of each mentioned above technologies were noted. In the second part of this study, we consider our original technology for antenna fabrication on flexible substrates utilizing magnetron sputtering and laser ablation methods. Samples of flexible antennas are formed on a flexible dielectric substrate in a technology process comprising following basic stages: 1) deposition a conductive coating onto the dielectric substrate with help of magnetron sputtering, 2) formation the pattern of the antenna structure on the conductive coating by laser ablation. In the final stage, the substrate is divided into individual samples of specific sizes. A number of test flexible antennas fabricated by our original approach are shown.