Multi-Chip RFID Antenna Integrating Shape-Memory Alloys for Detection of Thermal Thresholds

Kurzfassung

Low-cost wireless measurement of objects’ temperature is one of the greatest expectation of radiofrequency identification technology for the so many applications in cold supplychain control and safety assessment in general. In this context, the paper proposes a dual-chip UHF tag embedding shape memory alloys (SMA) able to transform the variation of the tagged item’s temperature into a permanent change of antenna radiation features. This event-driven antenna is hence able to selectively activate the embedded microchips according to the temperature above or below a given threshold. A general design methodology for the resulting two-ports tag antenna is here introduced and then applied to prototypes able to work at low (around 0