Design and Fabrication of a Plastic-Free Antenna on a Sustainable Chitosan Substrate

Abstract

The majority of wearable and flexible 5G and 6G devices are based on plastic substrates, that are harmful to the environment. Therefore, the development of sustainable and plastic-free radio frequency (RF) devices becomes a crucial issue. In this regard, we present a fully biocompatible Planar Inverted-F Antenna (PIFA), fabricated on a 55 µm-thick chitosan substrate. Chitosan has a relative dielectric constant of 5. This antenna is working at 4.5 GHz in the sub-6 GHz band of the 5G spectrum. It has a very compact footprint of 14 x 23 mm 2 and a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of 0.41 W/kg. The prototype has been fabricated using an innovative fabrication protocol. A very good agreement between numerical and experimental results has been obtained. The measured realized gain is equal to 1 dBi at the resonant frequency. Our results demonstrate the suitability of chitosan as a dielectric substrate for the fabrication of plastic-free antennas and paves the way for the development of sustainable wearable devices for the Internet of Healthcare Things (IoHT) applications.

A Miniaturized Antenna for Millimeter-Wave 5G-II Band Communication

“…It operates in the sub-6 GHz band at 4.5 GHz. The compact antenna (mm 2 ) achieves a specific absorption rate (SAR) of 0.41 W/kg, highlighting the potential of chitosan as an eco-friendly dielectric for plastic-free antennas in Internet of Healthcare Things (IoHT) applications [20]. An interesting investigation related to the use of a flexible antenna in combination with the partial ground plane for ultra-wideband is reported in [21].…”

A circular compact ultra‐wideband antenna for 5G microwave applications

“…Furthermore, manipulating the antenna's backside by introducing modified slots has yielded intriguing results. This approach led to creation a patch element intentionally designed with a compromised plane, an unexpected characteristic that, counterintuitively, enhances the antenna's performance in certain contexts [19], [20]. These findings underscore the intricate nature of antenna design, where unconventional alterations can lead to unforeseen advantages.…”