Hans-Erik Nilsson

Characterization of Printed Moisture Sensors in Packaging Surveillance Applications

This work presents a study on the performance of printed low-cost moisture sensors fabricated using conductive ink on paper substrates. The sensors are intended to add value to the surveillance of packages. Two different kinds of sensors are evaluated and characterized. The two sensors have similar geometrical shapes, but different measuring principles are employed. The first sensor is measuring the moisture content in cellulose-based substrates, while the second is measuring high levels of relative humidity in the surroundings. The sensors have been developed so that they can be integrated into radio frequency identification (RFID) systems for surveillance in logistic chains. A laboratory setup of a RFID tag with sensor capability based on an ordinary passive RFID tag has been shown.

Remote Moisture Sensing utilizing Ordinary RFID Tags

The paper presents a concept where pairs of ordinary RFID tags are exploited for use as remotely read moisture sensors. The pair of tags is incorporated into one label where one of the tags is embedded in a moisture absorbent material and the other is left open. In a humid environment the moisture concentration is higher in the absorbent material than the surrounding environment which causes degradation to the embedded tags antenna in terms of dielectric losses and change of input impedance. The level of relative humidity or the amount of water in the absorbent material is determined for a passive RFID system by comparing the difference in RFID reader output power required to power up respectively the open and embedded tag. It is similarly shown how the backscattered signal strength of a semi-active RFID system is proportional to the relative humidity and amount of water in the absorbent material. Typical applications include moisture detection in buildings, especially from leaking water pipe connections hidden beyond walls. Presented solution has a cost comparable to ordinary RFID tags, and the passive system also has infinite life time since no internal power supply is needed. The concept is characterized for two commercial RFID systems, one passive operating at 868 MHz and one semi-active operating at 2.45 GHz.

Inkjet Printed Silver Nanoparticle Humidity Sensor With Memory Effect on Paper

In this paper, the design and the manufacture of an inkjet printed resistive type humidity sensor on paper are reported. After having been exposed to humidity above a given threshold level, the resistance of the sensor decreases substantially and remains at that level even when the humidity is reduced. It is possible to deduce the humidity level by monitoring the resistance. The main benefit of the printed sensor presented in this case is in relation to its very low production costs. It has also been shown that both the ink type and this paper combination used prove to be crucial in order to obtain the desired sensor effect. More research is required in order to fully understand the humidity sintering effect on the nano particle ink and the role of the substrate. However, the observed effect can be put to use in printed humidity sensors which possess a memory function. The sensor can be used in various applications for environmental monitoring, for example, in situations where a large number of inexpensive and disposable humidity sensors are required which are able to detect whether they have been subjected to high humidity. This could be the checking of transportation conditions of goods or monitoring humidity within buildings.

Monte carlo simulation of electron transport in 4H-SiC using a two band model with multiple minima

A Monte Carlo study of the high‐field electron transport in 4H–SiC is presented using a new analytic band model. The band model consists of two analytical bands that include band bending at the Brillouin zone boundaries. The band bending is very important in 4H–SiC and 6H–SiC and has to be taken into account in order to have an accurate model at high electric fields. Numerical calculation of the density of states given by the new model has been used in order to model the energy dependence of the scattering mechanisms accurately. The new model predicts a lower saturation velocity in the c direction (peak velocity 1.8×107 cm/s) than in perpendicular directions (peak velocity 2.1×107 cm/s). This is directly related to the strong band bending in the c direction. This effect is also responsible for a much more pronounced velocity peak in the c direction compared to perpendicular directions. In the low‐field region the mobility is higher in the c direction (mobility ratio near 0.8), which is in agreement with e...

Electrical Sintering of Silver Nanoparticle Ink Studied by In-Situ TEM Probing

Metallic nanoparticle inks are used for printed electronics, but to reach acceptable conductivity the structures need to be sintered, usually using a furnace. Recently, sintering by direct resistive heating has been demonstrated. For a microscopic understanding of this Joule heating sintering method, we studied the entire process in real time inside a transmission electron microscope equipped with a movable electrical probe. We found an onset of Joule heating induced sintering and coalescence of nanoparticles at power levels of 0.1–10 mW/m3. In addition, a carbonization of the organic shells that stabilize the nanoparticles were found, with a conductivity of 4 105 Sm−1.

Monte Carlo study of high-field carrier transport in 4H-SiC including band-to-band tunneling

A full-band ensemble Monte Carlo simulation has been used to study the high-field carrier transport properties of 4H-SiC. The complicated band structure of 4H-SiC requires the consideration of band-to-band tunneling at high electric fields. We have used two models for the band-to-band tunneling; one is based on the overlap test and the other on the solution of the multiband Schrodinger equations. The latter simulations have only been performed for holes in the c-axis direction, since the computer capacity requirement are exceedingly high. Impact-ionization transition rates and phonon scattering rates have been calculated numerically directly from the full band structure. Coupling constants for the phonon interaction have been deduced by fitting of the simulated low-field mobility as a function of lattice temperature to experimental data. Secondary hot electrons generated as a consequence of hole-initiated impact ionization are considered in the study for both models of band-to-band tunneling. When the mul...

Designing of RFID-Based Sensor Solution for Packaging Surveillance Applications

In this work, a two-chip battery assisted Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) based sensor platform is presented. The radio frequency communication interface is based on the EPC Gen 2 standard. A laboratory setup of the platform has been shown and characterized for a moisture content sensor application. The laboratory setup of the sensor platform has a reading range of 3.4 meters which is in comparison to commercial available Gen 2 tags. The laboratory platform has an average power consumption of 2.1 μW operating at 3 V, which together with a printed battery gives an estimated lifetime for data logging of several years. The proposed RFID platform provides a tradeoff between, communication performance, compatibility with international standards, and flexibility in on-package customization including type and number of sensors. The proposed architecture separates the high-performance communication circuit and the low-frequency sensor interface logic. In the future, the sensor interface maybe integrated using printed logics to further enhance the flexibility and low-cost customization features of the architecture.

Monte Carlo calculation of hole initiated impact ionization in 4H phase SiC

In this article, we present a comprehensive, full band theoretical study of the high field, hole transport properties of the 4H phase of silicon carbide (4H-SiC). The calculations are performed using a full band ensemble Monte Carlo simulation that includes numerically tabulated impact ionization rates, and phonon and ionized impurity scattering rates. In addition, the simulation includes a mechanism, interband tunneling, by which the holes can move between bands in the proximity of band intersection points. It is found that there exists a significant anisotropy in the calculated steady-state hole drift velocity for fields applied parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis direction. Good agreement with experimental measurements of the hole initiated impact ionization coefficient for fields applied along the c axis is obtained, provided that interband tunneling in the proximity of band intersections is included in the model. If interband tunneling is not included, the calculated ionization coefficients are ...

System Integration of Electronic Functions in Smart Packaging Applications

A system integration scheme relevant for smart packaging applications is presented. Recent advances in printed electronics, radio frequency identification tag production, and standardization of communication protocols are factors that increase the design freedom for new applications. As in all new technology fields, the first products are expected to appear in the high-cost segment attracting early adopters in the form of niche products. A reasonable assumption is that these products will come from hybridization of different types of technologies. Such a scenario is likely since no technology solution available can provide all features that these types of applications demand. There is a need of standard solutions for hybridization of silicon devices and printed (or foil-type) components. Conductive ink technology is a powerful tool for hybridization and customization of large-area electronics, providing 3-D integration and large-area customization. However, high-performance communication and advanced processing demand the use of silicon. Smart hybridization solutions allow combination of the best from both worlds. This paper analyzes the requirements on hybridization technologies suitable for smart packaging applications and provides design examples on integration of intrusion surveillance solutions for cellulose-based packaging applications. It shows that even though the current hybridization technologies are far from optimal, they can provide a considerable design freedom and system performance.

Reduced Amount of Conductive Ink with Gridded Printed Antennas

It becomes more and more common to print tag antennas using electrically conductive ink for mass-produced Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags. Electrical properties of the ink are mostly determined by conductive (e.g. silver) particles mixed into the ink solution. Since silver is relatively expensive it is desirable to minimize the amount of ink used per antenna. This paper illustrates how the printed conductor area of the antenna can be reduced by applying a grid pattern to an existing antenna geometry and to what extent the gridding can be performed without significantly degrading of the antenna electrical properties. Two common antenna structures are used as an example. It is also shown that by slightly modifying the original antenna geometry it is possible to even further reduce the amount of used ink.