NiC: a highly sensitive functional layer based on a nickel/graphene thin film for pressure and force sensors.

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 (CICMT) ◽  
pp. 000208-000212
Author(s):  
Ralf Koppert
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Pressure Range ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Gauge Factor ◽  
Force Sensors ◽  
Functional Layer ◽  
Voltage Range ◽  
Technical Effort

A functional layer based on nickel and graphene called NiC was developed with the goal of a high strain sensitivity in combination with an adjustable temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR). A gauge factor up to 30 and TCR values of approximately 0±25 ppm/K can be achieved by variation of the film composition. Based on the increased sensitivity the important pressure range of below 2.5 bar is opened up for steel membrane pressure sensors without the need of a sophisticated technical effort. First pressure and force sensors with NiC functional layers were realized in order to demonstrate the high performance of this new material. The enlarged sensitivity of the film leads to a complex re-development of the microsystems “pressure and force sensors” in order to take the advantage of the high linearity, low hysteresis, high overload protection and stability. Due to the high sensitivity, it is possible to produce sensors with significantly increased stability values in the overload region. Using the same output voltage range as usual with NiCr thin film elements, the overload capability of the sensors with the new functional layer is about twenty times the characteristic value of NiCr sensors. On the other hand, the low pressure range is opened up since the membrane needs to be deformed only one tenth of its usual value. Because of this low stress the load cycle stability increases accordingly. Additionally base body materials like 1.4435 (316L), which are not very suitable for the production of pressure sensor membranes, can be used for example for hydrogen applications.

scholarly journals Nano Carbon Black-Based High Performance Wearable Pressure Sensors

Nanomaterials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junsong Hu ◽  
Junsheng Yu ◽  
Ying Li ◽  
Xiaoqing Liao ◽  
Xingwu Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Black ◽  
Pressure Sensor ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Wearable Electronics ◽  
Atmospheric Pollutant ◽  
Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor ◽  
Nano Carbon

The reasonable design pattern of flexible pressure sensors with excellent performance and prominent features including high sensitivity and a relatively wide workable linear range has attracted significant attention owing to their potential application in the advanced wearable electronics and artificial intelligence fields. Herein, nano carbon black from kerosene soot, an atmospheric pollutant generated during the insufficient burning of hydrocarbon fuels, was utilized as the conductive material with a bottom interdigitated textile electrode screen printed using silver paste to construct a piezoresistive pressure sensor with prominent performance. Owing to the distinct loose porous structure, the lumpy surface roughness of the fabric electrodes, and the softness of polydimethylsiloxane, the piezoresistive pressure sensor exhibited superior detection performance, including high sensitivity (31.63 kPa−1 within the range of 0–2 kPa), a relatively large feasible range (0–15 kPa), a low detection limit (2.26 pa), and a rapid response time (15 ms). Thus, these sensors act as outstanding candidates for detecting the human physiological signal and large-scale limb movement, showing their broad range of application prospects in the advanced wearable electronics field.

scholarly journals Highly-Sensitive Textile Pressure Sensors Enabled by Suspended-Type All Carbon Nanotube Fiber Transistor Architecture

Micromachines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1103
Author(s):  
Jae Sang Heo ◽  
Keon Woo Lee ◽  
Jun Ho Lee ◽  
Seung Beom Shin ◽  
Jeong Wan Jo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Nanotube ◽  
Pressure Sensor ◽  
Pressure Range ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Electronic Textiles ◽  
Carbon Nanotube Fiber ◽  
Cnt Fiber ◽  
Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Among various wearable health-monitoring electronics, electronic textiles (e-textiles) have been considered as an appropriate alternative for a convenient self-diagnosis approach. However, for the realization of the wearable e-textiles capable of detecting subtle human physiological signals, the low-sensing performances still remain as a challenge. In this study, a fiber transistor-type ultra-sensitive pressure sensor (FTPS) with a new architecture that is thread-like suspended dry-spun carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber source (S)/drain (D) electrodes is proposed as the first proof of concept for the detection of very low-pressure stimuli. As a result, the pressure sensor shows an ultra-high sensitivity of ~3050 Pa−1 and a response/recovery time of 258/114 ms in the very low-pressure range of <300 Pa as the fiber transistor was operated in the linear region (VDS = −0.1 V). Also, it was observed that the pressure-sensing characteristics are highly dependent on the contact pressure between the top CNT fiber S/D electrodes and the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) channel layer due to the air-gap made by the suspended S/D electrode fibers on the channel layers of fiber transistors. Furthermore, due to their remarkable sensitivity in the low-pressure range, an acoustic wave that has a very tiny pressure could be detected using the FTPS.

scholarly journals Flexible and Highly Sensitive Pressure Sensors Based on Microstructured Carbon Nanowalls Electrodes

Nanomaterials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi Zhou ◽  
Yongna Zhang ◽  
Jun Yang ◽  
Jialu Li ◽  
Shi Luo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Sensor ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Physiological Signals ◽  
Healthcare Applications ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Carbon Nanowalls ◽  
Pressure Regime

Wearable pressure sensors have attracted widespread attention in recent years because of their great potential in human healthcare applications such as physiological signals monitoring. A desirable pressure sensor should possess the advantages of high sensitivity, a simple manufacturing process, and good stability. Here, we present a highly sensitive, simply fabricated wearable resistive pressure sensor based on three-dimensional microstructured carbon nanowalls (CNWs) embedded in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate. The method of using unpolished silicon wafers as templates provides an easy approach to fabricate the irregular microstructure of CNWs/PDMS electrodes, which plays a significant role in increasing the sensitivity and stability of resistive pressure sensors. The sensitivity of the CNWs/PDMS pressure sensor with irregular microstructures is as high as 6.64 kPa−1 in the low-pressure regime, and remains fairly high (0.15 kPa−1) in the high-pressure regime (~10 kPa). Both the relatively short response time of ~30 ms and good reproducibility over 1000 cycles of pressure loading and unloading tests illustrate the high performance of the proposed device. Our pressure sensor exhibits a superior minimal limit of detection of 0.6 Pa, which shows promising potential in detecting human physiological signals such as heart rate. Moreover, it can be turned into an 8 × 8 pixels array to map spatial pressure distribution and realize array sensing imaging.

scholarly journals Flexible Ecoflex®/Graphene Nanoplatelet Foams for Highly Sensitive Low-Pressure Sensors

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (16) ◽  
pp. 4406
Author(s):  
Marco Fortunato ◽  
Irene Bellagamba ◽  
Alessio Tamburrano ◽  
Maria Sabrina Sarto
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Human Motion ◽  
Compression Tests ◽  
Piezoresistive Sensors ◽  
Human Motion Detection ◽  
Pressure Regime

The high demand for multifunctional devices for smart clothing applications, human motion detection, soft robotics, and artificial electronic skins has encouraged researchers to develop new high-performance flexible sensors. In this work, we fabricated and tested new 3D squeezable Ecoflex® open cell foams loaded with different concentrations of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) in order to obtain lightweight, soft, and cost-effective piezoresistive sensors with high sensitivity in a low-pressure regime. We analyzed the morphology of the produced materials and characterized both the mechanical and piezoresistive response of samples through quasi-static cyclic compression tests. Results indicated that sensors infiltrated with 1 mg of ethanol/GNP solution with a GNP concentration of 3 mg/mL were more sensitive and stable compared to those infiltrated with the same amount of ethanol/GNP solution but with a lower GNP concentration. The electromechanical response of the sensors showed a negative piezoresistive behavior up to ~10 kPa and an opposite trend for the 10–40 kPa range. The sensors were particularly sensitive at very low deformations, thus obtaining a maximum sensitivity of 0.28 kPa−1 for pressures lower than 10 kPa.

A High Performance UV Photodetector from Thin Film Diamond

1995 ◽  
Vol 416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. Mckeag ◽  
Michael D. Whitfield ◽  
Simon Sm Chan ◽  
Lisa Ys Pang ◽  
Richard B. Jackman
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Visible Light ◽  
Quantum Efficiency ◽  
Dark Current ◽  
External Quantum Efficiency ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Uv Light ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Uv Photodetector ◽  
Deep Uv

ABSTRACTThin film diamond has been used to fabricate a photodetector which displays high sensitivity to deep UV light, with an external quantum efficiency of greater than one, a dark current of less than 0.1nA and which is near ‘blind’ to visible light.

scholarly journals Hierarchical network enabled flexible textile pressure sensors with ultra-high sensitivity, ultra-wide linearity and high-temperature resistance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meiling Jia ◽  
Chenghan Yi ◽  
Yankun Han ◽  
Xin Li ◽  
Guoliang Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Pressure Sensor ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
Fiber Surface ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Harsh Environments ◽  
Point To Point

Abstract Thin, lightweight, and flexible textile pressure sensors with the ability to precisely detect the full range of faint pressure (< 100 Pa), low pressure (in the range of KPa) and high pressure (in the range of MPa) are in significant demand to meet the requirements for applications in daily activities and more meaningfully in some harsh environments, such as high temperature and high pressure. However, it is still a major challenge to fulfill these requirements simultaneously in a single pressure sensor. Herein, a high-performance pressure sensor enabled by polyimide fiber fabric with functionalized carbon-nanotube (PI/FCNT) is obtained via a facile electrophoretic deposition (EPD) approach. High-density FCNT is evenly wrapped and chemically bonded to the fiber surface during the EPD process, forming a conductive hierarchical fiber/FCNT matrix. Benefiting from the abundant yet firm contacting points, point-to-point contacting mode, and high elastic modulus of both PI and CNT, the proposed PI/FCNT pressure sensor exhibits ultra-high sensitivity (3.57 MPa− 1), ultra-wide linearity (3.24 MPa), exceptionally broad sensing range (~ 45 MPa), and long-term stability (> 4000 cycles). Furthermore, under a high working temperature of 200 ºC, the proposed sensor device still shows an ultra-high sensitivity of 2.64 MPa− 1 within a wide linear range of 7.2 MPa, attributing to its intrinsic high-temperature-resistant properties of PI and CNT. Thanks to these merits, the proposed PI/FCNT(EPD) pressure sensor could serve as an E-skin device to monitor the human physiological information, precisely detect tiny and extremely high pressure, and can be integrated into an intelligent mechanical hand to detect the contact force under high-temperature (> 300 ºC), endowing it with high applicability in the fields of real-time health monitoring, intelligent robots, and harsh environments.

scholarly journals High-Sensitivity Flexible Pressure Sensor-Based 3D CNTs Sponge for Human–Computer Interaction

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 3465
Author(s):  
Jianli Cui ◽  
Xueli Nan ◽  
Guirong Shao ◽  
Huixia Sun
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Sensor ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Wearable Electronics ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Flexible Pressure Sensors

Researchers are showing an increasing interest in high-performance flexible pressure sensors owing to their potential uses in wearable electronics, bionic skin, and human–machine interactions, etc. However, the vast majority of these flexible pressure sensors require extensive nano-architectural design, which both complicates their manufacturing and is time-consuming. Thus, a low-cost technology which can be applied on a large scale is highly desirable for the manufacture of flexible pressure-sensitive materials that have a high sensitivity over a wide range of pressures. This work is based on the use of a three-dimensional elastic porous carbon nanotubes (CNTs) sponge as the conductive layer to fabricate a novel flexible piezoresistive sensor. The synthesis of a CNTs sponge was achieved by chemical vapor deposition, the basic underlying principle governing the sensing behavior of the CNTs sponge-based pressure sensor and was illustrated by employing in situ scanning electron microscopy. The CNTs sponge-based sensor has a quick response time of ~105 ms, a high sensitivity extending across a broad pressure range (less than 10 kPa for 809 kPa−1) and possesses an outstanding permanence over 4,000 cycles. Furthermore, a 16-pixel wireless sensor system was designed and a series of applications have been demonstrated. Its potential applications in the visualizing pressure distribution and an example of human–machine communication were also demonstrated.

LTCC Substrates for High Performance Strain Gauges

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 (CICMT) ◽  
pp. 000175-000180
Author(s):  
Bjoern Brandt ◽  
Marion Gemeinert ◽  
Ralf Koppert ◽  
Jochen Bolte ◽  
Torsten Rabe
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Coefficient Of Thermal Expansion ◽  
Strain Gauges ◽  
Gauge Factor ◽  
Metal Foil ◽  
Accuracy Class ◽  
Film Sensor ◽  
Load Cells

Recent advances in the development of high gauge factor thin-films for strain gauges prompt the research on advanced substrate materials. A glass ceramic composite has been developed in consideration of a high coefficient of thermal expansion and a low modulus of elasticity for the application as support material for thin-film sensors. Constantan foil strain gauges were fabricated from this material by tape casting, pressure-assisted sintering and subsequent lamination of the metal foil on the planar ceramic substrates. The sensors were mounted on a strain gauge beam arrangement and load curves and creep behavior were evaluated. The accuracy of the assembled load cells correspond to accuracy class C6. That qualifies the load cells for the use in automatic packaging units and confirms the applicability of the LTCC substrates for fabrication of accurate strain gauges. To facilitate the deposition of thin film sensor structures onto the LTCC substrates, the pressure-assisted sintering technology has been refined. By the use of smooth setters instead of release tapes substrates with minimal surface roughness were fabricated. Metallic thin films deposited on these substrates exhibit low surface resistances comparable to thin films on commercial alumina thin-film substrates. The presented advances in material design and manufacturing technology are important to promote the development of high performance thin-film strain gauges.

scholarly journals E-Skin Pressure Sensors Made by Laser Engraved PDMS Molds

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (13) ◽  
pp. 1039 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreia dos Santos ◽  
Nuno Pinela ◽  
Pedro Alves ◽  
Rodrigo Santos ◽  
Elvira Fortunato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Wave ◽  
Pressure Range ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Wave Detection ◽  
Piezoresistive Sensors ◽  
Electronic Skin ◽  
Large Pressure ◽  
Skin Pressure

This work describes the production of electronic-skin (e-skin) piezoresistive sensors, which micro-structuration is performed using laser engraved molds. With this fabrication approach, low-cost sensors are easily produced with a tailored performance. Sensors with micro-cones and a high sensitivity of −1 kPa−1 under 600 Pa are more adequate for the blood pressure wave detection, while sensors micro-structured with semi-spheres and a maximum sensitivity of −6 × 10−3 kPa−1 in a large pressure range (1.6 kPa to 100 kPa) are more suitable for robotics and functional prosthesis.

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