Screen-Printed Graphene Film Circuit Model for Microwave Applications

Graphene, a 2D structure with carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal (honeycomb) lattice, exhibits intriguing mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. Graphene nanoplatelets can be deposited on different substrates through the preparation of inks with a proper combination of solvents and binders. Films loaded with graphene are attractive for many applications as biosensors and chemical sensors as well as flexible electronics applications. In this paper, graphene films loaded with graphene nanoplateletes of 25 wt.% are deposited by screen printing technique on a microstrip circuit and they are characterized in the microwave frequency range. By fitting the measured scattering parameters of graphene-loaded microstrip lines with Cadence AWR software simulations, an equivalent lumped circuit model of the film is obtained.