South Korean Researchers Create Ultra-Thin Film That Blocks 99.9999999% of Radar Waves

Key points

• The film is 17.5 micrometers thick, approximately one-fifth the width of a human hair.
• It achieves 90 dB of electromagnetic shielding effectiveness, blocking over 99.9999999% of incident waves in radar and communication bands.
• The material possesses a tensile strength of 1.02 GPa, comparable to high-strength structural steel.
• It exhibits ultra-low infrared emissivity, effectively hiding objects from heat-seeking thermal cameras.
• The composite is resistant to high heat and moisture, overcoming the degradation issues of pure MXene.
• The fabrication process is compatible with continuous manufacturing, suggesting potential for large-scale production despite current cost constraints.

Background

Recent advancements in lightweight aerospace materials, such as 3D-printed steel molds for aircraft doors, highlight the industry's push for weight reduction without sacrificing durability. This new film addresses the longstanding challenge of combining electromagnetic shielding with thermal stealth, a requirement that standard metallic coatings fail to meet due to weight and corrosion issues.

How outlets are covering it

Interesting Engineering emphasizes the dual military and civilian applications, highlighting how the film could protect slim consumer devices like foldable tablets from electromagnetic crosstalk as 6G networks develop. Science 2.0 focuses on the technical limitations of previous materials, noting that while carbon nanotubes are strong, they are difficult to assemble, and MXene is fragile. Both sources agree on the 'brick-and-mortar' analogy, where carbon nanotubes act as structural bricks and MXene as conductive mortar, but Science 2.0 explicitly notes that the technology is not yet cost-effective for mass production, whereas Interesting Engineering focuses on the performance metrics.

Why it matters

This material solves the trade-off between weight, durability, and stealth. For defense, it allows aircraft to shed heavy metallic shielding while remaining invisible to radar and thermal sensors. For consumer tech, it enables thinner, more reliable devices in an era of increasing electromagnetic interference from 5G and 6G infrastructure.

What to watch

Researchers must now address the cost-effectiveness of the fabrication process to enable large-area production. If successful, the film could be integrated into next-generation stealth fighters and reconnaissance drones, as well as lined inside future foldable smartphones and wearables to prevent internal signal interference.