Assessment of silver nanoparticle inkjet-printed microstrip lines for RF and microwave applications

The paper describes the fabrication process, the technology assessment and the experimental characterization of silver nanoparticle inkjet-printed microstrip structures on alumina substrates for RF and microwave applications. The present technology allows, through the adoption of innovative silver-based inks and a special piezoelectric-inkjet printer, the direct printing of microstrip prototypes on alumina substrates. The electrical characteristics of the manufactured strips have been modeled, starting from measured data, and several samples of line-stub impedance matching sections have been realized and measured to verify the repeatability of the line characteristic and printing alignment accuracy. More complex structures, including soldered components and ground wrap-around connection, have been realized and tested, showing good agreement between simulations and measurements.