Antenna Design Solutions for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

167 Pages·2015·4.91 MB·English

Antenna Design Solutions for Radio
Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags based on
Metamaterial-inspired Resonators and other
Resonant Structures

Ph.D. Thesis written by
Simone Zuffanelli

Under the supervision of
Jordi Bonache Albacete
and
Ferran Martín Antolín

Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), July 2015

The undersigned, Dr. Jordi Bonache Albacete and Prof. Ferran Martín Antolín,

Professors of the Electronic Engineering Department (Engineering School) of the
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,
CERTIFY:

That the thesis entitled “Antenna design solutions for radio frequency identification
(RFID) tags based on metamaterial-inspired resonators and other resonant structures”
has been written by Simone Zuffanelli under their supervision, in fulfillment of the
requirements for the PhD degree of Electronic Engineering.

And hereby to acknowledge the above, sign the present.

Signature: Jordi Bonache Albacete Signature: Ferran Martín Antolín

Bellaterra, July 27th 2015.

Contents

Acknowledgements .............................................................................. ix
Summary .............................................................................................. 11
1  Motivation and objectives .............................................................. 1
2  Introduction to RFID ..................................................................... 5
2.1  Introduction to RFID technology ................................................................... 6
2.1.1  Brief history of RFID technology ............................................................... 7
2.1.2  Market trend for the near future ............................................................... 10
2.1.3  RFID types and operation frequencies ..................................................... 11
3  Passive UHF-RFID tags: Overview and State of the Art ............. 17
3.1  Passive UHF-RFID tags: an overview ......................................................... 18
3.1.1  UHF-RFID ASICs .................................................................................... 18
3.1.2  Passive UHF-RFID tag antenna ............................................................... 22
3.2  Passive tag performance ............................................................................... 29
3.2.1  The read range .......................................................................................... 29
3.2.2  Tag bandwidth .......................................................................................... 31
3.2.3  Measurement setups ................................................................................. 33
3.3  Metamaterial-inspired resonators: overview and application to passive
UHF-RFID tag design .................................................................................................. 36
3.3.1  Application to passive UHF-RFID tag design .......................................... 38
3.4  On-metal low-profile passive UHF-RFID tags: overview and state of the
art……… ...................................................................................................................... 41
4  Radiation Properties of Edge-coupled Split-ring Resonators (EC-
SRRs) and Derived Structures ............................................................... 45
4.1  EC-SRR at its fundamental resonance ......................................................... 46
4.1.1  Radiation resistance .................................................................................. 47
4.1.2  Loss resistance and radiation efficiency ................................................... 51
4.1.3  Far-field radiation pattern and quality factor ............................................ 55
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CONTENTS
4.2  EC-SRR at its second resonance .................................................................. 59
4.2.1  Radiation resistance .................................................................................. 59
4.2.2  Loss resistance and radiation efficiency ................................................... 64
4.2.3  Far-field radiation pattern and quality factor ............................................ 66
4.3  Non-Bianisotropic Split Ring Resonator (NB-SRR) ................................... 68
4.4  Complementary particles (EC-CSRR, NB-CSRR): free-space and on-metal
radiation… .................................................................................................................... 71
5  Antenna and UHF-RFID Tag Design based on Split-ring
Resonators and Derived Structures ....................................................... 79
5.1  UHF-RFID tag based on EC-SRR at its fundamental resonance ................. 80
5.1.1  Tag design and simulation ........................................................................ 80
5.1.2  Fabrication and measurements ................................................................. 84
5.1.3  Conclusions .............................................................................................. 85
5.2  On-metal UHF-RFID tags based on Non-bianisotropic Complementary
Split Ring Resonator .................................................................................................... 86
5.2.1  Tag design and simulation ........................................................................ 86
5.2.2  Fabrication and measurements ................................................................. 89
5.2.3  Conclusions .............................................................................................. 90
5.2.4  Other proposals ......................................................................................... 91
5.3  EC-SRR antenna design: application to the 900 MHz ISM band ................ 93
5.3.1  Design process and simulation results ...................................................... 93
5.3.2  Fabrication and experimental results ........................................................ 94
5.3.3  Conclusions .............................................................................................. 95
6  UHF-RFID Tags for Optical Discs ............................................. 97
6.1  Tag operation principle ................................................................................ 98
6.1.1  Structure of optical discs .......................................................................... 98
6.1.2  State of the art of UHF-RFID tags for optical discs ............................... 100
6.1.3  Optical disc-based tags ........................................................................... 101
6.2  UHF-RFID tag for DVDs ........................................................................... 102
6.2.1  Circuit model of the DVD disc ............................................................... 102
6.2.2  Tag design principles .............................................................................. 106
6.2.3  Layout synthesis and simulation ............................................................ 107
6.2.4  Fabrication and measurements ............................................................... 109
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CONTENTS

6.2.5  Conclusions ............................................................................................ 110
6.3  Resistive scaling method ............................................................................ 111
6.3.1  Analysis of the resistive scaling method ................................................ 111
6.3.2  Bandwidth analysis for the transformed ASIC impedance .................... 114
6.3.3  Conclusions ............................................................................................ 116
6.4  UHF-RFID tag for DVDs matched to Alien Higgs 3 ASIC ....................... 117
6.4.1  Resistive scaling applied to Alien Higgs 3 ............................................. 118
6.4.2  Tag design, synthesis and simulation ..................................................... 118
6.4.3  Fabrication and measurements ............................................................... 123
6.4.4  Conclusions ............................................................................................ 124
6.5  UHF-RFID tag for Blu-Ray discs .............................................................. 124
6.5.1  Tag design, synthesis and simulation ..................................................... 125
6.5.2  Fabrication and measurements ............................................................... 127
6.5.3  Conclusions ............................................................................................ 128
6.6  Reading of stacked optical discs ................................................................ 128
7  A High-Gain Passive UHF-RFID Tag with Increased Read
Range .................................................................................................... 131
7.1  Strategy to maximize the read range .......................................................... 132
7.2  Tag design and simulation ......................................................................... 134
7.2.1  Copper wire antenna ............................................................................... 134
7.2.2  Planar technology ................................................................................... 136
7.3  Fabrication and measurement .................................................................... 137
7.4  Conclusions ................................................................................................ 138
8  Conclusions and Future Work ..................................................... 139
References .......................................................................................... 144
Author list of publications .................................................................. 152
Patents ................................................................................................ 155

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Acknowledgements

This work would have never been possible without the help of the many people
supporting me during these last years, and hence this thesis is partially their merit.
In particular, I would like to express my deep gratitude to my supervisors, Jordi
Bonache and Ferran Martín, for their constant encouragement and useful critiques of
this research work. Thank you Ferran for giving me the opportunity of joining the group
as a researcher, and for introducing me to the world of metamaterials with invaluable
enthusiasm and clearness. Jordi, I would like to express my very great appreciation for
your inspiring support, which greatly expanded my knowledge in antennas and RFID,
guided the development of this work and contributed to my formation as a researcher.
I would like to extend my thanks to the people in my research group, Gerard Zamora,
Ferran Paredes and Pau Aguilà, for actively participating at discussing and patiently
revising my work. Special mention to Gerard Zamora, who deeply contributed to the
mathematical expressions presented in this work, and dedicated long hours to the
inspiring discussions over the subjects of this thesis.
I also wish to thank all the people from GEMMA/CIMITEC, the Electronic
Engineering Department and the Engineering School, for their assistance and the good
times we spent together. A special thanks to Jordi Selga for his patient help and
precious advices throughout my PhD.
This work is also a tribute to my family, who gave me the possibility of beginning my
adventure in the world of science and technology, and supported me during these years
in spite of the long distance separating us.
Finally, a very special “thank you” goes to a very special person, who encouraged me
throughout the good and the bad moments: thank you Anna.

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