Moisture Impact Analysis on NFC Tag Antennas

• Published in: 2023 6th International Conference on Applied Computational Intelligence in Information Systems: Intelligent and Resilient Digital Innovations for Sustainable Living, ACIIS 2023 - Proceedings
• Main Author: Faudzi N.M.; Azlan A.A.; Razali A.R.; Rahman N.H.A.; Manaf A.A.; Ibrahim A.; Mozi A.M.
• Format: Conference paper
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. 2023
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85182952112&doi=10.1109%2fACIIS59385.2023.10367415&partnerID=40&md5=6ac9d9d42572a2722225f899e881d334

This study investigates the influence of moisture on the performance of Near Field Communication (NFC) tag antennas. NFC technology, operating at 13.56 MHz, was explored for its potential across industries such as food and soil moisture tracking. However, a substantial research gap existed concerning the performance of NFC tag antennas in moist environments, where their electromagnetic properties could be significantly altered. Therefore, the primary focus of this study is to analyze the effect of moisture on antenna parameters, including impedance, resonance frequency and tag reading range. Some comparison between wet and dry conditions has been made. The results revealed a notable shift in antenna resonant frequency and a reduction in inductance due to moisture, potentially resulting in short-circuiting risks. To address this issue, an insulating polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer was introduced to prevent electrical contact between the antenna and the water layer. Further parametric studies involved varying water layer sizes and thicknesses. While moisture had a substantial impact on antenna parameters, including inductance and resonant frequency, the NFC tag's reading range remained relatively stable. These findings show the importance of designing moisture-resistant NFC tag antennas to ensure reliability and precision in demanding environmental conditions. © 2023 IEEE.