Tapered Wire Antenna Design for Maximum Efficiency and Minimal Environmental Impact

Abstract

Antenna efficiency is an important parameter in RFID range and power consumption. Screen printed antennas often have poor conductivity and so increased loss. Designers offset this loss by increasing the width of the elements. This requires a substantial increase in the material required for construction. With billions of RFID antennas now in use worldwide, there is a need to reduce the environmental impact of the technology. A straight dipole antenna with decreasing width from the feed point to the ends achieved the same efficiency as a uniformly thick antenna. The design methodology is based on reducing the thickness of low current segments and increasing the thickness of high current segments.