Optically Transparent Nano-Patterned Antennas: A Review and Future Directions

Abstract

Transparent antennas have been continuously developed for integration with solar cells, vehicular communications, and ultra-high-speed communications such as 5G in recent years. A transparent antenna takes advantage of spatial extensibility more so than all other antennas in terms of wide range of usable area. In addition, the production price of transparent antennas is steadily decreasing due to the development of nano-process technology. This paper reviews published studies of transparent antennas classified by various materials in terms of optical transmittance and electrical, sheet resistance. The transparent electrodes for the transparent antenna are logically classified and the transparent antennas are described according to the characteristics of each electrode. Finally, the contributions transparent antennas can make toward next-generation 5G high-speed communication are discussed.

Transparent Antenna for Green Communication Feature: A Systematic Review on Taxonomy Analysis, Open Challenges, Motivations, Future Directions and Recommendations

“…Transparent antenna and wireless communication are imminent costs to meet users ' needs [48]. The literature of transparent antenna has listed varied benefits pertaining to cost, including the step-by-step simple and low-cost alternatives [59], [72] [31], In designing low-cost transparent antennas, increment in multiband frequency helps to achieve various kinds of sensor nodes to create wireless sensor networks [19] that perform different sorts of sensor nodes to pattern wireless sensor networks [39], The proposed TA is optically transparent and low in cost [78], The FTO can replace the costly ITO as it also has good conductivity and is useful in outdoor applications [36], Nanotechnology has managed to decrease the production price of transparent antennas [93], along with suitable transparency performance and inexpensive fabrication [53], Due to its low cost, compact, and robust features, any mission requirement can be easily fitted with the antenna [73].…”

Recent Advances of Wearable Antennas in Materials, Fabrication Methods, Designs, and Their Applications: State-of-the-Art

“…Various new materials can be used to increase the performance of the stretchable wearable antennas such as doped oxides with indium, fluorine, tin, meshed wired, and transparent fabrics, etc. [ 148 , 149 ]. Recently, a new Ti3C2Tx/PVDF metacomposite with a negative permittivity (−550 to −400) and polymer-zirconia nanocomposite has aroused great attention due to their unique properties.…”

“…An efficiency of 22.8% was achieved on the head model. In [ 149 ], an array-type of wearable antenna was investigated on an ultra-thin Taconic substrate at 60 GHz. The design showed a directional radiation with a gain of 14.8 dBi along the boresight.…”

Optically Transparent Flexible Robust Circularly Polarized Antenna for UHF RFID Tags

“…The realization of flexible and optically transparent tag antennas is, however, very challenging due to the unavailability of suitable materials and complex fabrication processes. In the traditional transparent thin films [11]- [13] and meshed conductors [14], [15], there is a trade-off between the optical and electrical properties [16], hence, high optical transparency and good RF performance cannot be achieved simultaneously. Moreover, complex and costly fabrication techniques are required to fabricate antennas with these materials.…”