Indium Tin Oxide Based Flexible Transparent Ultrawideband Metamaterial Absorber

A flexible, transparent metamaterial absorber (MMA) based on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) is proposed, covering the X, Ku, K, and Ka bands. The design begins with the fabrication of a flexible, transparent PDMS layer, whose microwave absorption properties are analyzed. The PDMS layer exhibits a low loss tangent (0.02-0.04), indicating minimal absorption. To enhance absorption, a patterned ITO-PET metasurface is combined with the PDMS layer to realize MMA using CST microwave studio tool. The conductive patterned ITO layer creates resonances and generates ohmic losses, significantly improving overall microwave absorption. This MMA achieves an ultrawideband 10-dB absorption bandwidth (ABW) of 27.23 GHz (7.47-34.7 GHz) with maximum absorption reaching up to 99.99% at 22.42 GHz, all within a thickness of just 1.85 mm. This proposed MMA shows promise for applications in microwave absorption for stealth technology, 5G, and space.