Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags and Reader Antennas Based on Conjugate Matching and Metamaterial Concepts
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Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags and Reader Antennas Based on Conjugate Matching and Metamaterial Concepts Ph.D. Thesis written by Gerard Zamora González Under the supervision of Jordi Bonache Albacete and Ferran Martín Antolín Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), July 2013 The undersigned, Dr. Jordi Bonache Albacete and Prof. Ferran Martín Antolín, Professors of the Electronic Engineering Department (Engineering School) of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, CERTIFY: That the thesis entitled “Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags and Reader Antennas Based on Conjugate Matching and Metamaterial Concepts” has been written by Gerard Zamora González under their supervision. And hereby to acknowledge the above, sign the present. Signature: Jordi Bonache Albacete Signature: Ferran Martín Antolín Bellaterra, July 29th 2013 iii Contents Acknowledgements ......................................................................................... ix Summary .......................................................................................................... xi 1 Motivation and Objectives ......................................................................... 1 2 Introduction ................................................................................................ 5 2.1 Introduction to RFID Technology ..................................................................... 5 2.1.1 Automatic Identification Systems .............................................................. 6 2.1.2 Operating Frequency Ranges and Applications ......................................... 8 2.1.3 Brief History ............................................................................................. 12 2.1.4 Standardization ......................................................................................... 13 2.1.5 Market Trend ............................................................................................ 16 2.2 UHF-RFID Systems: Overview and State of the Art ...................................... 17 v CONTENTS 2.2.1 UHF-RFID Frequency Bands and Operating Principle ............................ 17 2.2.2 Read Range: Definition and Measurement ............................................... 19 2.2.3 Lumped element Equivalent-Circuit Model of UHF-RFID Chips ........... 21 2.2.4 Physical Bandwidth Limitations: The Bode Criterion ............................. 22 2.2.5 State of the Art .......................................................................................... 24 2.3 Introduction to Leaky-Wave Antennas Based on Metamaterial Transmission Lines ........................................................................................................................ 32 2.3.1 Metamaterial Transmisison Lines Based on SRRs................................... 32 2.3.2 Leaky-Wave Antennas ............................................................................. 35 2.4 References ........................................................................................................ 37 3 Single Resonant Passive Circuit Network for Conjugate Matching and Bandwidth Optimization ................................................................................ 49 3.1 Circuit Network Analysis ................................................................................ 50 3.2 Limitation of the –3 dB Bandwidth ................................................................. 52 3.3 Design of a Broadband UHF-RFID Tag .......................................................... 54 3.3.1 Equivalent-Circuit Model for Tag Bandwidth Optimization ................... 55 3.3.2 Tag Antenna Design ................................................................................. 56 3.4 Fabrication and Experimental Results ............................................................. 59 CONTENTS 3.5 Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 60 3.6 References ........................................................................................................ 61 4 Design and Synthesis Methodology for UHF-RFID Tags Based on the T-match Network ............................................................................................ 65 4.1 Previous Equivalent-Circuit Models of T-match Based Tags ......................... 65 4.2 Proposed Circuit Approach and Requirements ................................................ 66 4.3 Design and Synthesis of T-match Based Tags ................................................. 69 4.3.1 Design of a T-match Based Tag using a Resonant Antenna .................... 71 4.3.2 Tag Bandwidth Related to the Antenna Impedance ................................. 73 4.3.3 Frequency Range of Validity of the Proposed Approach ......................... 74 4.3.4 Synthesis of a T-match Based Tag using a Resonant Antenna ................ 74 4.4 Design of a Broadband UHF-RFID Tag using the Proposed Method ............. 75 4.5 Fabrication and Experimental Results ............................................................. 79 4.6 Synthesis Technique of the Proposed Method ................................................. 80 4.7 Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 82 4.8 References ........................................................................................................ 83 5 Microwave and UHF-RFID Devices Based on Metamaterial Concepts for Reader Applications ................................................................................. 85 5.1 Fundamental Mode LWA using Slot Line and SRR-Based Metamaterials for vii CONTENTS Microwave RFID Reader Applications ................................................................... 86 5.1.1 Design of a Balanced CPW CRLH Transmission Line ............................ 86 5.1.2 Proposed Structure .................................................................................... 87 5.1.3 Simulation and Experimental Results ...................................................... 90 5.1.4 Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) Applications ............................. 92 5.2 Design Strategy of Near Field Communication Devices for UHF-RFID Reader Applications ................................................................................................ 94 5.3 Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 98 5.4 References ........................................................................................................ 98 6 Conclusions and Future Work .............................................................. 101 APPENDIX A ................................................................................................. 107 APPENDIX B ................................................................................................. 109 APPENDIX C ................................................................................................. 111 Author list of publications ........................................................................... 113 Patents .......................................................................................................... 117 Acknowledgements The present work would have never been possible without the help and support of many people who helped me during the PhD, and hence this thesis is partially their merit. I have to give special thanks to my supervisors, Jordi Bonache and Ferran Martín, for their constant guidance, support and encouragement. Thank you Ferran for giving me the opportunity to start my professional trajectory as a researcher, and for your invaluable efforts, making things in my research much more understandable and simpler. Jordi, you have been the great master who has hugely contributed in my training as a researcher in the art of engineering and science. I do not find words for you, so I will simply say deep thanks. Also, I would like to thank all the members from GEMMA/CIMITEC and the Electronic Engineering Department for their support and help. Gonzalo, Jose, Paris, Núria, Albin, Miqui, Simone, G. Sisó, Naqui, Albert and J. Hellín. I have to give special mention to F. Paredes who has worked with me side by side during this period, and J. Selga for his help and patience. Thanks to my family for their kindness and affection, and to all my friends have provided me with so many laughs and good times during these last years. Of course, this is also a tribute to a very important person in my life, who knows the pains of this thesis better than I, and without whom the bad moments would have been infinitely worse: thank you Cristina. ix Summary Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a fast developing technology that provides wireless identification and tracking capability by using simple devices used for tagging objects or people on one end, called tags, and more complex devices on the other end of the link, called readers. RFID is an emerging technology and one of the most rapidly growing segments of today’s automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) industry. RFID is used for hundreds, if not thousands, of applications at present. RFID is revolutionizing supply chain management, replacing bar codes as the main object tracking system, and it is rapidly becoming a cost-effective technology. However, the design of tags able to cover the whole UHF-RFID regulated bands, providing appropriate read performance, becomes an important challenge. Also, there is a