Enabling Low Cost Flexible Smart Packaging System With Internet-of-Things Connectivity via Flexible Hybrid Integration of Silicon RFID Chip and Printed Polymer Sensors

A flexible hybrid integration strategy combing both advantages of the silicon chip and the printed polymer sensors is demonstrated for low cost smart packaging with internet-of-things connectivity. In the system, the silicon chip, as the general part, performs wireless energy harvesting, sensor signal acquisition, data processing and transmission through mature standard interfaces. The functions, form factor, and substrate of the printed polymer sensors can be customized according to the packaging requirements. To prove the feasibility, a 13.56 MHz radio frequency identification (RFID) chip with multi-sensor interface is designed and taped out. Ammonia and anti-open sensors are fabricated using the same conducting polymer (PEDOT:PSS) through solution printing processes. After characterization of their performance individually, a flexible smart packaging system is implemented with packed pork by integrating the RFID chip and the sensors onto a packaging film. Both the product quality and the integrity of the packaging are able to be conveniently inspected with a smartphone.