Now, a technique for printing radio frequency identification (RFID) chips on paper has been developed by University of Montpellier researchers.
The technique uses a thermal evaporation process to deposit thin aluminium coil antennas on sheets of paper, which can later be used for packaging or printed material. The researchers claim this is a cheaper way to produce RFID tags, allowing the technology to replace both barcodes and QR codes.
The tags can both store information and provide a way to track the item to which the tag is attached. Unlike barcodes, they use radio signals, which can be detected over a short range, without a visual contact between the tag and the reader device.
RFID tags are not the only printable ultra-thin circuits. Last year, Norwegian technology company Thinfilm Film Electronics ASA developed a memory prototype embedded on a sheet of plastic.
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