Inkjet printing of frequency selective surfaces on EBG antenna radome

This paper presents a solution to bypass the cost and flatness problems of electromagnetic band gap antennas. More precisely, a process to design an electromagnetic band gap antenna using frequency selective surfaces will be detailed. This kind of antenna had been designed before, but the used substrate is expensive and thin. A low cost and thick substrate (Plexiglas and window glass) has been used here, on which are printed the frequency selective surfaces using an inkjet printer; a cheaper process than photolithography technology. This type of substrate can also be used to manufacture the antenna radome. Finally, to validate this new structure, a 20 dBi antenna working around 7.5 GHz has been conceived, fabricated and successfully measured.