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A new paradigm in chipless-RFID: all-dielectric

permittivity contrast tags
Cristian Herrojo
Departament d’Enginyeria Electrònica
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Bellaterra, Spain
cristian.herrojo@uab.cat
Ferran Paredes
Departament d’Enginyeria Electrònica
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Bellaterra, Spain
ferran.paredes@uab.cat
Ferran Martín
Departament d’Enginyeria Electrònica
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Bellaterra, Spain
ferran.martin@uab.cat

Abstract—In this contribution, chipless-RFID tags based on
permittivity contrast and implemented as chains of square
shaped hole arrays perforated on a dielectric substrate are
reported. These all-dielectric tags can be read through near-
field by means of a dedicated reader able to detect the
presence/absence of such hole array inclusions. Particularly,
the effective dielectric constant in the hole array regions is
smaller than the one of the host substrate. Thus, for tag
reading, a dedicated permittivity sensor able to monitor local
changes in the dielectric constant of the tag is used. System
validation is carried out by means of a permittivity sensor
based on a complementary spiral resonator (CSR) loaded
microstrip line. This new type of all-dielectric tags represents a
new paradigm in chipless-RFID technology, as far as printed
metallic inclusions are avoided. Lower tag cost and potentially
higher robustness against aging effects or mechanical friction
are advantages of these novel chipless tags.
Keywords— all-dielectric tags, chipless-RFID, microstrip
technology, microwave encoders.
I. INTRODUCTION
Chipless-RFID is a low cost alternative to chipped RFID,
where the application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or
chip, is replaced with a planar (typically metallic) encoder
[1] printed or etched on a dielectric substrate. By avoiding
the ASIC, chipless-RFID tags are substantially cheaper than
their chip-based counterparts. However, it is difficult to
compete against chip-based tags in terms of read distance
and data storage capacity.
Most chipless-RFID systems are based on the frequency
domain [1]-[19]. The tags are equipped with multiple
resonant elements tuned at different frequencies, and the tag
ID code is contained in the so-called spectral signature,
which depends on whether certain resonant elements of the
tags are detuned (i.e., are inoperative) or not. To increase the
data density, several domains have been exploited
simultaneously, e.g., frequency and polarization, frequency
and phase, frequency and amplitude, etc., giving rise to the
so-called hybrid tags [20]-[33]. Chipless-RFID tags
operating in the time domain, and mainly based on time-
domain reflectometry (TDR), have been also reported [34]-
[43]. In this case, tags with competitive number of bits have
been demonstrated, but using surface acoustic wave (SAW)
devices [44], which represent a penalty in terms of cost and
complexity.
Recently, a novel time-domain chipless-RFID approach
was presented by the authors. Within this approach, tags are
implemented as chains of identical metallic elements etched
or printed on a dielectric substrate [45]-[51]. Tag encoding is
achieved by the presence or absence of functional resonators
at their predefined positions in the chain, and tag reading
proceeds by proximity, through near field. That is, a
dedicated reader able to detect the functional metallic
elements when the chain is displaced over the sensitive part
of the reader, is required. In [45]-[51], the reader consists of
a transmission line loaded with a certain element sensitive to
the presence of the metallic inclusions of the tag chain when
such inclusions are close to it. Tag motion modifies the
transmission coefficient of the line each time a functional
element of the tag chains crosses the position of the sensitive
element of the reader. Therefore, by feeding the line with a
conveniently tuned harmonic (single tone) signal, the
amplitude of the output signal is modulated, and the ID code
is contained in the envelope of such amplitude modulated
(AM) signal. Though this approach requires proximity and
proper alignment between the tag and the reader, the main
advantage is the achievable number of bits, only limited by
tag size (e.g., in [51], 80-bit tags implemented on ordinary
paper were reported and were read with the specific designed
reader). The interrogation signal is simply a harmonic signal,
which represents also an advantage in terms of reader cost in
a real scenario (by contrast TDR and spectral signature based
tags require wideband interrogation signals for tag reading).
Note that tag reading with this approach proceeds by time
division multiplexing, rather than by frequency division
multiplexing, as occurs in frequency-domain chipless-RFID
systems. It is also worth mentioning that tag programming
and erasing is possible with this approach, as it was
demonstrated in [50].
Chipless-RFID tags based on printed or etched metallic
encoders may be subjected to aging effects, and mechanical
wearing (e.g., through the effects of friction, unavoidable in
ambients subjected to mechanical vibrations, etc.). To
alleviate this problem, all-dielectric tags based on
permittivity contrast were reported for the first time in [52].
The tags were implemented as chains of square shaped
apertures on a dielectric substrate. Since the apertures exhibit
the dielectric constant of air, the reader can be implemented
by means of a permittivity sensor, able to detect the presence
of apertures in their surrounding, thanks to the dielectric
permittivity contrast between the apertures (air) and the host
dielectric substrate. The working principle is exactly the
same as the one of the near-field time-domain chipless-RFID
systems based on metallic encoders, and reported previously
by us [45]-[51], i.e., the amplitude modulation of the
interrogation signal by tag motion over the reader.
In this paper, it is demonstrated that the apertures can be
replaced with arrays of holes of the same dimensions. The
reader is the same as the one used in [52], as far as such
reader, based on a transmission line loaded with a
complementary spiral resonator (CSR), is quite sensitive to

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(a)
(b)
Fig. 1. Photograph of a 10-bit all dielectric tag based on apertures (a) and
hole arrays (b). The side length and the separarion of the square apertures
and hole arrays are 2.8 mm and 2.4 mm, respectively.
Fig. 2. Photograp of the fabricated reader. Dimensions (in mm) are:
W = 3.43, l1 = l2 = 2.80, c = d = 0.20.
variations in the dielectric constant of the surrounding
medium.
II. THE PROPOSED CHIPLESS-RFID TAG AND READER
Figure 1 depicts the picture of one of the 10-bit tags
reported in [52], based on square apertures, and the
equivalent tag with the apertures replaced with square hole
arrays. In both cases, the ID code is ‘1111111111’, i.e., with
all the square apertures or hole arrays present in the tag
chain. Both the apertures and the hole arrays have been
performed by means of a drilling machine LPPK H100, and
the considered substrate is the Rogers RO4003C with
dielectric constant εr = 3.55, thickness h = 0.81 mm and loss
factor tanδ = 0.0021.
Tag reading is carried out by means of a dedicated sensor
able to detect local changes in the dielectric constant in its
surrounding. By displacing the tag chain over the sensitive
part of the reader at short distance, the presence of the hole
arrays is expected to be detected by the sensor, as far as the
hole array regions exhibit a smaller effective dielectric
constant, as compared to the one of the host substrate of the
tag. In this paper, the same dielectric constant sensor
considered in [52] is used (Fig. 2). The sensor is
implemented by means of a microstrip line loaded with a
complementary spiral resonator (CSR) etched in the ground
plane, beneath the line. This particle is of interest since it is
electrically small and quite sensitive to changes in the
dielectric constant of the material in contact or in close
proximity to it. Note that in the proposed chipless-RFID
system, tags should be read by proximity, rather than by
contact, in order to avoid friction during tag motion. Thus,
the (unavoidable) air gap between the tag and the sensitive
164
0 f0
|S21| (dB)
-5
-10 aligned hole array with the CSR
missaligned hole array with the CSR
3.6 3.8 4.0 4.2 4.4
Frequency (GHz)
Fig. 3. Transmission coefficients for the CSR-loaded line with tag on top
it, where two different situations (aligned and missaligned hole array with
the CSR) are considered.
part of the reader (the CSR) further strengths the need to use
a very sensitive element.
III. EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION
As a first step in the experimental validation of the
system, we have obtained the transmission coefficients that
result by placing a 10-bit tag on top of the CSR of the reader,
where two different situations are considered: (i) hole array
aligned with the CSR (i.e., on top of it), and (ii) hole array
misaligned with the CSR (i.e., the CSR aligned with the
intermediate position between a pair of adjacent hole arrays).
The estimated air gap is 0.2 mm. The results are depicted in
Fig. 3, where it can be appreciated the significant difference
in the resonance (notch) frequency, caused by the different
capacitance of the CSR when the hole array is either aligned
or misaligned with it.
In view of Fig. 3, it follows that the different effective
dielectric constant between the hole arrays and the substrate
material suffice to discern the presence or absence of hole
arrays, as the tag is displaced above the sensitive part of the
reader (the CSR). The reason is that by tuning the feeding
(harmonic) signal of the reader to the resonance frequency
(f0) of the tag with aligned hole array, a significant excursion
in the transmission coefficient can be appreciated for
misaligned CSR-hole array. Therefore we expect to obtain a
significant modulation in the amplitude of the output signal
with tag motion.
For tag motion, we have used a translation stage with
stepper motor (Thorlabs LTS300/M). The Agilent E44338C
function generator has been used to generate the feeding
signal, tuned to f0 = 3.9 GHz. The envelope detector has been
implemented by means a Schottky diode (Avago HSMS-
2860) and the functionality of the low-pass filter has been
achieved by means of an active probe (N2795A), with
resistance and capacitance of R = 1 MΩ and C = 1pF,
respectively. In order to avoid reflections from de Schottky
diode, a circulator (ATM ATc4-8) has been added between
such diode and the sensitive part of the reader. The envelope
function has been visualized in an oscilloscope (model
Agilent MSO-X-3104A). The photograph of the experimental
setup is depicted in Fig. 4.
The envelope functions for tags with different ID codes
are depicted in Fig. 5, where the dips indicate the presence of
 



    


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by means of a complementary spiral resonator (CSR), and by

the experimental setup available in our laboratory, where tag
motion is achieved by means of a guiding system.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was supported by MINECO-Spain (project
TEC2016-75650-R), by Generalitat de Catalunya (project
2017SGR-1159), by Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis
Avançats (who awarded Ferran Martín), and by FEDER
funds.
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