Design Evolution and Fabrication Challenges of a Novel Frequency Selective Surface

This paper explores the design, optimization, and fabrication of a new frequency selective surface (FSS) network. Initially, the research proposed a unit cell in the shape of a crescent moon, but this approach encountered major manufacturing difficulties due to the complexity of its geometry and extremely low periodicities. To overcome these challenges, the design was modified to use a simplified decagonal geometry. The new FSS design consists of a <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$4\mathrm{x}4$</tex> array of decagonal elements mounted on an FR-4 substrate, providing an optimal balance between the desired electromagnetic properties and manufacturability. The paper details the design specifications, including material properties, element dimensions, and spacing. The manufacturing process was successful, resulting in a prototype that closely adheres to the established specifications. The fabricated FSS demonstrates the feasibility of translating the optimized design into a physical structure using standard fabrication techniques such as photolithography and chemical etching.