A review on bending analysis of polymer-based flexible patch antenna for IoT and wireless applications

Flexible electronics have the potential to address the future demands for low power consumption, flexibility, low cost, scalability, and large manufacturing in a shorter amount of time. The low cost and bending capabilities of a flexible wearable wireless application have piqued the interest of academics. Wearable flexible antennas made of a variety of polymers such as Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), Polyimides (PI), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and Kapton polyimide are currently in demand for research and development. Various prominent polymers are evaluated for their ability to bend in this detailed work. The widespread acceptance of Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications to support a wide range of technologies. That will enable a wide range of new applications to be enabled via wireless connectivity. Such applications need a comprehensive inspection of the bending and deformation properties of materials. The purpose of this paper is to compare traditional flexible materials with popular polymers materials. The article examines the physical, electrical, and mechanical properties of certain commonly used polymer substrates and delivers a complete analysis and review of them. The results show that bending various polymers has a significant impact on antenna performance metrics. (C) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.