Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags and Reader Antennas Based on Conjugate Matching ...

130 Pages·2013·1.67 MB·English

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
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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
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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
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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.

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