Screen-printed Textile Transmission Lines

Abstract

Electronic fabrics is an emerging topic in the field of smart textiles. We present transmission lines structures that were screen-printed on fabrics. They featured a sheet resistance of about 0.15 Ω/, while preserving the flexible nature of textiles. We show that the commonly used 50 Ω line impedance could be achieved on these fabric substrates. This technology is predestinated for printing of one-layer structures, such as fabric antennas and their feed lines. Apart from giving the electrical specifications of the transmission lines, we have performed several mechanical tests regarding stability of the printed layer. Eventually, we propose an advanced printing technique as outlook.