Eco-friendly NFC Tag Label with Paper-based Antenna Substrate

Communication performance equivalent to products using plastic film achieved with new circuit fabrication technology and fraudulent reattachment prevented by antenna breaking when label is removed.

Toppan, a global leader in communication, security, packaging, décor materials, and electronics solutions, has developed an eco-friendly near-field communication (NFC) tag label that uses paper material as the substrate for the antenna instead of conventional polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. Global sales of the new tag label have been launched today, with Europe expected to be a promising market due to the high level of environmental consciousness.

In addition to reducing plastic consumption to zero by switching to paper, a new circuit fabrication technology ensures sufficient communication performance as an NFC device. Taking advantage of the properties of paper as a substrate, the NFC tag label is designed to break when it is removed, making communication impossible and thereby preventing fraudulent use due to reattachment of labels.

NFC tag labels are predominantly produced by using metal foil to form an antenna on a plastic substrate, such as PET film. As governments and businesses advance activities to move away from the use of plastic, the market for NFC tags is seeing growing demand for replacing plastic with paper materials that have lower environmental impact. However, achieving sufficient communication performance has been challenging because the electrical resistance of circuits increases when printing methods employing conductive inks, such as widely-used silver nanoparticles, are used to form antennas on paper.