3D-Printed Monolithic Conformal FSS with Embedded Spacer for Ultrawideband Electromagnetic Shielding Applications

Abstract

This work presents the design, simulation, and realization of a multilayer conformal frequency-selective surface (FSS) on a paraboloid surface for ultrawideband electromagnetic (EM) shielding applications. The unit cell geometry consists of two stacked FSS layers: a bandstop layer at the top and a bandpass layer at the bottom, separated by a 9 mm air spacer. Full-wave simulations of the unit cell confirm a wideband shielding effectiveness exceeding 10 dB across 1-13 GHz frequency range under both TE and TM polarizations, with stable performance up to 60° and 30° incidence, respectively. A detailed analysis of surface currents and E-field distributions further confirms the shielding mechanism. The structure is monolithically fabricated using 3-D printing while embedding the air gap. The methodology demonstrates a practical and scalable approach for broadband conformal EM shielding surfaces on complex curved platforms. © 2025 IEEE.