A non-thermal soldering technique to improve polymer based antenna performance

Abstract

A non-thermal soldering technique using cold solder or electrically conductive epoxy for connecting SMA connectors to polymer based antennas is proposed in this paper. The proposed technique prevents damage to the polymer due to the solder iron heat and also the loss of efficiency through the use of indirect connections of the coaxial feed via copper pads glued to the antenna. The direct connection of the feed points via SMA connectors on to a transparent antenna designed on AgHT-8 material has been demonstrated. The method can also be applied to solder the coaxial feed points directly to the antenna instead of using copper pads which will introduce additional reflection losses. The technique involves the use of colder soldering instead of hot soldering so as to not damage the polymer based antenna as well as improve the efficiency of the antenna.