This article presents a state-of-the-art 3-D-printed dielectric reflectarray antenna featuring one-shot deployability and wide-angle beam-scanning ability. The design is enabled by a series of a “kirigami”-inspired two-stage snapping-like element structure that can be retracted by 66% to save space. The prototype is fabricated with a stereolithography (SLA) 3-D printing method with the Formlabs Flexible 80A photopolymer. A bifocal phase distribution method is utilized to optimize the RF performance of the array, realized −30° to −10° and 10° to 30° beam-scanning ability. The outcome of this work demonstrated a high-performance dielectric reflectarray design with ease of fabrication for 5G and satellite communication applications.

A first-of-its-kind design methodology to realize thermally actuated origami-inspired multilayer Miura frequency selective surfaces (MLM-FSSs) using a polyester-based substrate is presented in this article that can change its frequency response according to the variation in its ambient temperature. In order to maintain the optimum interlayer distance between the two-layer Miura-FSS structures, a specialized low-loss origami-inspired spacer layer is introduced that preserves its desired overall frequency response during different folding configurations. It also features an unprecedented high mechanical strength, making it suitable for a wide range of terrestrial, outer-space, and biomedical applications. The frequency response and its relationship to kinematics of the proposed structure are also presented in detail, which gives a unique insight into the operation principles of such structures. The proposed structure features twice the bandwidth as compared to single-layer Miura-FSS, an excellent angle of incidence rejection, and is the first demonstration of a fully inkjet-printed MLM-FSS that is realized completely by a rigid heat-sensitive substrate as opposed to traditional cellulose-based Miura-FSSs that lack self-actuation mechanism as well as rigidity, which is a key attribute of most practical thick origami structures.

This work outlines the design, simulation, and fabrication of a millimeter-wave (mm-wave) frequency selective surface (FSS) integrated directly onto a 3D-printed die encapsulation. The cross-shaped slot FSS is designed to function as a bandpass filter centered at 77 GHz for on-package tunability. Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing is used to fabricate encapsulations for silicon dies attached to a metallic QFN leadframe. Surface profilometry is used to assess the roughness of the SLA-printed surfaces, yielding roughness 25× lower than standard fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing techniques. Finally, inkjet printing is used in a post-process fashion to fabricate the package-integrated FSS directly onto a 3D-printed die encapsulation as a proof-of-concept demonstration.

This paper reviews the fabrication and design of two different types of energy harvesting systems, that utilize ambient energy to power up connected wireless modules. A 3D/inkjet-printed origami-style (morphing) cube with orthogonally-placed patch antennas is presented which enhances the nodes diversity reception capabilities. The cube changes its shape upon heating up to 60°C. In contrast, the presented near-field energy harvester utilizes the ambient RF energy of a handheld two-way radio to convert the RF signal with an efficiency of 82.5%. For proof-of-concept purposes, an E-field energy harvesting receiver is fabricated on a flexible LCP substrate with inkjet printing technology featuring an open-circuit voltage of 17.87V for an output power of 43.2 mW for the E-field energy harvester placed 7 cm away from a 1W Walkie-Talkie transmitter.