Stretchable pressure sensor made of ferroelectret-elastomer-composite and elastic gold electrodes

Description

Stretchable electronics recently emerged as a new area of macroelectronics,with applications in consumer goods, mobile appliances and artificial skin for full body tactile sensors. Challenges in research are the development of stretchable sensing materials, capable of recording changes in physical parameters such as temperature or pressure. Here we describe a reversibly stretchable pressure sensor material, where charged polypropylene ferroelectret foams as pressure-sensitive part are embedded in a 1mm thick matrix of a surface microstructured silicone elastomer. For electrical readout, 75 nm thick elastic gold electrodes were evaporated on it. The sensor was fabricated and tested as standalone system and combined with an a-Si:H TFT. Modulations in the source-drain-current reflect the periodically applied pressure signal. Pressure in a range from 10 to 1000 kPa was detected, while the sensor was uniaxially streched up to 40%. The signal remained stable over the described pressure and stretch ranges and is even high enough to switch the TFT from the OFF to the ON-state. Financial support of the work from the FWF is gratefully acknowledged.

Period	24 Mar 2009
Event title	DPG-Frühjahrstagung, Dresden, Deutschland
Event type	Conference
Location	GermanyShow on map