Development and testing of an antenna made of an optically transparent conductive film

Introduction Optically transparent antennas are being actively developed for various industrial applications; however, their widespread deployment is often limited by low radiation efficiency. Improving efficiency while maintaining high optical transparency remains a significant challenge. Methods This study presents the design and fabrication of a transparent monopole antenna operating at 2.4 GHz. The antenna was fabricated using a transparent conductive film (TCF) based on a metallic micromesh. The surface impedance of the TCF was experimentally characterized over the 2.0–3.3 GHz frequency range using a waveguide transmission method, yielding a value of 1.25 + j0.33 Ω/sq at 2.4 GHz. A laboratory prototype was produced by laser patterning the TCF, which was subsequently adhered to a PET substrate. Results Experimental measurements demonstrated a radiation efficiency of 65% at 2.4 GHz. The antenna achieved an estimated optical transmittance of 86% without the use of antireflection coatings. Discussion The proposed antenna demonstrates a high radiation efficiency for optically transparent antennas achieving this level of transparency without visible mesh structures, highlighting the effectiveness of the selected material and design approach.