Details:
Summary:
RFID technology has been around for many years, but it is only in the past few years that we have seen a surge in its acceptance and a massive growth in its use. The high production cost problem of RFID can be eliminated if the conventional screen printing process can be applied to print the RFID tag antennas. Printing the antenna is the most critical part of producing an RFID tag. This study was a true experimental research in nature and aimed to investigate the process consistency and capability of printing RFID tag antennas via the screening printing method with a conductive ink, silver-based (Ag) ink, on PET, PVC, and Wet Strength paper. In addition, the study intended to compare the differences in consistency and accuracy of printing RFID antennas on three different substrates. The target values of RFID frequency in this study were set at 13.56 MHz (HF frequency). Currently, PET and PVC have been frequently used as substrate materials of RFID labels. Wet Strength paper is commonly used in the package industry and its low cost is also suitable for mass production of RFID tags. To sum up, the specifications of antenna ink film thickness and ink density to achieve HF (13.56 MHz) frequency were reported respectively when the RFID antennas were printed on PET, PVC, and Wet Strength paper using screen printing. In addition, the consistency and capability of the three processes were analyzed and compared. It is hoped that the study can assist printers in determining the optimum substrates for printing RFID tag antennas using screen printing technology.