Presentation at the NORDITE Conference, June 2011

1. Printed RFID and Wireless
Sensor Solutions, PWiSE
Nordite project

2. Our objectives
• Development of new tools for system integration of printed
wireless sensor solutions
– Basic research targeting printing of active or semi-active devices that
allow integration of printed logics, sensor and wireless
communication
• Printed RFID sensor solutions
– We are targeting RFID sensor functionality at similar price levels as
EPC type RFID tags (5 to 10 US cent). The main motivation for the
printed part is to reach large area sensor functionality and low cost
customization, and to allow disposable wireless sensor solutions.
• Sweep-over type or EAS wireless sensor solutions
– We are targeting integration of printed sensor functionalities into
fully printed RF structures. The readout solutions targeted are sweep
over readers (VTT) and resonator circuits typically used in Electronic
Article Surveillance systems (EAS).

3. Vision
Printed large Printed large
area sensor area sensor
Printed logic Printed logic
Printed Printed
modulator modulator
Printed or foil Silicon IC
antenna RFID inlay
Chip-less sensor label Hybrid sensor label

4. Roadmap and research layers
in the project
MIUN, VTT
MIUN, VTT,
KTH
VTT, MIUN, ‘Optional’
KTH
VTT, KTH
Both chip-less and chip-assisted printed wireless
sensor demonstrations

5. Single event logging using
passive circuits
• Passive wireless sensor solutions need
sensors with memory functions to bridge
the gap of time
Gap of time
Time
Event Wireless
detected tag near
by sensor reader
Relevant for both mesh-type and area type
solutions

6. Integration of printed gas sensors
with existing RFID inlays
• Combining nanoparticle based PriMeBits gas sensors with standard inlays
(aluminum) would drastically simplify manufacturing of sensor labels
• Utilizing electromagnetic coupling between printed WORM structures and
aluminum inlays is one possible solution
Manuscript ready and submitted for publication …

7. Measurements with moisture sensor
integrated using EM coupled loops
Measured minimum required transmit power between sensor tag and reference
tag when located inside a laboratory wall with 80% humidity and with the RFID
reader positioned perpendicular 0.8 m from the labels. Two layer printed loop
with moisture sensitive WORM was plastered over the antenna loop. The WORM
sensor was pre-sintered to about 10 kW.

8. Nanoparticle array sensor
EAS tag activated when moisture threshold reached
Printed moisture sensor with
memory function
Combining roll to roll and ink-jet techniques

9. Near field fully printed sensor label
• Near field solutions are
needed
– Our concept are based on
sweep-over reader in an
electrically active barcode
technology
• The barcode provides the ID
• Sensor data can be directly
linked to single bars (bits) in
the barcode Reader solution developed by
– Concepts using single event VTT for third party
logging and WORMs can be
used

10. Spoilage sensor
Inkjet printed nanoparticle based electronic bar code for
H2S sensing. High sensitivity reached using a low sintering
degree (porous array cleaned by toluene)

11. Smart packaging demo -
intrusion alarm using a printed electronic seal
Label to sensor attachment using anisotropic
conductive adhesives
- Low cost chip-less and passive solutions
- Uses the reader infrastructure already in
place for electronic article surveillance (anti-
theft)

12. Data logging using Battery Assisted
Passive RFID
System integration of a low cost smart label for
measurement of water content in different materials

13. Hybrid active sensor label
Moisture sensor

14. Smart packaging demo
- Active logging intrusion alarm
• If the electronic seal is tampered with the smart label will
record it and provide the exact time of intrusion
• Readout using standard EPC gen2 RFID platform
Electronics inside the box The sealing tape is all
(can be printed on the box) that is visible

15. Additional demons to be presented using
the semi-passive sensor platform
• System integration of RFID platform an
– Accelerometers – chock and tilt
– Light detection for intrusion alarm
enhancement
– Pressure for vacuum sealed packages
– Simple gas sensors (nano particle based)
– Strain

16. Conclusions
• Nanoparticle based printed thin film transistors
have been developed and evaluated.
• Some concepts to integrate printed large area
sensors with standard RFID technology has been
demonstrated
• Printed moisture sensors have been evaluated and
used in demonstrator setups
• Printed WORM memory technology has been
developed and evaluated for use with EPC RFID tags
• Five patents have been filed during the project and in
total 45 publications have been published