Three-Dimensional Chipless RFID Tags: Fabrication through Additive Manufacturing

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Cryptography

Background:

• Traditional Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags face challenges with counterfeiting and data security.
• Existing chipless RFID solutions often rely on amplitude modulation, which can be vulnerable.
• Metallic surfaces pose mounting challenges for conventional RFID tag performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a new class of three-dimensional (3D)-printed chipless RFID tags.
• To demonstrate a secure data encryption method for RFID tags suitable for anti-counterfeiting.
• To assess the performance of these novel tags, particularly on metallic surfaces.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of 3D-printed chipless RFID tags using low-cost dielectric materials.
• Implementation of a novel data-encoding algorithm based on maximizing available states and non-overlapping uncertainty regions.
• Performance assessment through measurements on physical prototypes, including their behavior on metallic surfaces.

Main Results:

• Successful realization of 3D-printed chipless RFID tags with internally encrypted information.
• Demonstration of a secure data encoding method distinct from common amplitude schemes.
• Validation of tag functionality and security features through prototype measurements.

Conclusions:

• The proposed 3D-printed chipless RFID tags offer a promising, low-cost solution for anti-counterfeiting and security applications.
• The internal encryption method enhances security by preventing eavesdropping and visual inspection vulnerabilities.
• These tags are suitable for mounting on metallic surfaces, expanding their practical applicability.