Abstract
The development of pressure sensors with highly sensitivity, fast response and facile fabrication technique is desirable for wearable electronics. Here, we successfully fabricated a flexible transparent capacitive pressure sensor based on patterned microstructured silver nanowires (AgNWs)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite dielectrics. Compared with the pure PDMS dielectric layer with planar structures, the patterned microstructured sensor exhibits a higher sensitivity (0.831 kPa−1, <0.5 kPa), a lower detection limit, good stability and durability. The enhanced sensing mechanism about the conductive filler content and the patterned microstructures has also been discussed. A 5×5 sensor array was then fabricated to be used as flexible and transparent wearable touch keyboards systems. The fabricated pressure sensor has great potential in the future electronic skin area.
摘要
对可穿戴电子设备来说, 采用简易制备技术得到具有高灵敏度、 快速响应的压力传感器至关重要. 本文成功地研制了一种基于特殊微结构银纳米线/PDMS复合电介质层材料的柔性透明电容式压力传感器. 与采用纯PDMS平面结构的电介质层器件相比, 有微结构的传感器具有更高的灵敏度(0.831 kPa−1, <0.5 kPa), 更低的检测范围, 更好的稳定性和耐久性. 本文对导电填料含量和微结构的增强传感机理也进行了讨论. 此外, 还研制了一个5×5的传感器阵列并用于柔性透明的可穿戴式触摸键盘系统. 研究结果表明所研制的压力传感器在未来的电子皮肤领域将具有良好的应用前景.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lou Z, Chen S, Wang L, et al. Ultrasensitive and ultraflexible eskins with dual functionalities for wearable electronics. Nano Energy, 2017, 38: 28–35
Khan Y, Ostfeld AE, Lochner CM, et al. Monitoring of vital signs with flexible and wearable medical devices. Adv Mater, 2016, 28: 4373–4395
Hammock ML, Chortos A, Tee BCK, et al. 25th anniversary article: the evolution of electronic skin (e-skin): a brief history, design considerations, and recent progress. Adv Mater, 2013, 25: 5997–6038
Wang L, Jackman JA, Tan EL, et al. High-performance, flexible electronic skin sensor incorporating natural microcapsule actuators. Nano Energy, 2017, 36: 38–45
Chen S, Lou Z, Chen D, et al. Polymer-enhanced highly stretchable conductive fiber strain sensor used for electronic data gloves. Adv Mater Technol, 2016, 1: 1600136
Lou Z, Chen S, Wang L, et al. An ultra-sensitive and rapid response speed graphene pressure sensors for electronic skin and health monitoring. Nano Energy, 2016, 23: 7–14
Kim CC, Lee HH, Oh KH, et al. Highly stretchable, transparent ionic touch panel. Science, 2016, 353: 682–687
Lee J, Kwon H, Seo J, et al. Conductive fiber-based ultrasensitive textile pressure sensor for wearable electronics. Adv Mater, 2015, 27: 2433–2439
Wang L, Jackman JA, Ng WB, et al. Flexible, graphene-coated biocomposite for highly sensitive, real-time molecular detection. Adv Funct Mater, 2016, 26: 8623–8630
Wang L, Chen D, Jiang K, et al. New insights and perspectives into biological materials for flexible electronics. Chem Soc Rev, 2017, 46: 6764–6815
Wang L, Jackman JA, Park JH, et al. A flexible, ultra-sensitive chemical sensor with 3D biomimetic templating for diabetes-related acetone detection. J Mater Chem B, 2017, 5: 4019–4024
Wang L, Ng WB, Jackman JA, et al. Graphene-functionalized natural microcapsules: modular building blocks for ultrahigh sensitivity bioelectronic platforms. Adv Funct Mater, 2016, 26: 2097–2103
Chou HH, Nguyen A, Chortos A, et al. A chameleon-inspired stretchable electronic skin with interactive colour changing controlled by tactile sensing. Nat Commun, 2015, 6: 8011
Pang C, Koo JH, Nguyen A, et al. Highly skin-conformal microhairy sensor for pulse signal amplification. Adv Mater, 2015, 27: 634–640
Lee BY, Kim J, Kim H, et al. Low-cost flexible pressure sensor based on dielectric elastomer film with micro-pores. Sensor Actuat A-Phys, 2016, 240: 103–109
Chen YS, Hsieh GW, Chen SP, et al. Zinc oxide nanowire-poly (methyl methacrylate) dielectric layers for polymer capacitive pressure sensors. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 2015, 7: 45–50
Kim SY, Park S, Park HW, et al. Highly sensitive and multimodal all-carbon skin sensors capable of simultaneously detecting tactile and biological stimuli. Adv Mater, 2015, 27: 4178–4185
Guo X, Huang Y, Cai X, et al. Capacitive wearable tactile sensor based on smart textile substrate with carbon black /silicone rubber composite dielectric. Meas Sci Technol, 2016, 27: 045105
Lee D, Lee H, Jeong Y, et al. Highly sensitive, transparent, and durable pressure sensors based on sea-urchin shaped metal nanoparticles. Adv Mater, 2016, 28: 9364–9369
Li T, Luo H, Qin L, et al. Flexible capacitive tactile sensor based on micropatterned dielectric layer. Small, 2016, 12: 5042–5048
Tee BCK, Chortos A, Dunn RR, et al. Tunable flexible pressure sensors using microstructured elastomer geometries for intuitive electronics. Adv Funct Mater, 2014, 24: 5427–5434
Mannsfeld SCB, Tee BCK, Stoltenberg RM, et al. Highly sensitive flexible pressure sensors with microstructured rubber dielectric layers. Nat Mater, 2010, 9: 859–864
Zhuo B, Chen S, Zhao M, et al. High sensitivity flexible capacitive pressure sensor using polydimethylsiloxane elastomer dielectric layer micro-structured by 3-D printed mold. IEEE J Electron Devices Soc, 2017, 5: 219–223
Mi Y, Chan Y, Trau D, et al. Micromolding of PDMS scaffolds and microwells for tissue culture and cell patterning: A new method of microfabrication by the self-assembled micropatterns of diblock copolymer micelles. Polymer, 2006, 47: 5124–5130
Chen S, Zhuo B, Guo X. Large area one-step facile processing of microstructured elastomeric dielectric film for high sensitivity and durable sensing over wide pressure range. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 2016, 8: 20364–20370
Schwartz G, Tee BCK, Mei J, et al. Flexible polymer transistors with high pressure sensitivity for application in electronic skin and health monitoring. Nat Commun, 2013, 4: 1859
Pan L, Chortos A, Yu G, et al. An ultra-sensitive resistive pressure sensor based on hollow-sphere microstructure induced elasticity in conducting polymer film. Nat Commun, 2014, 5: 3002
Boutry CM, Nguyen A, Lawal QO, et al. A sensitive and biodegradable pressure sensor array for cardiovascular monitoring. Adv Mater, 2015, 27: 6954–6961
Xu J, Wong M, Wong C. Super high dielectric constant carbon black-filled polymer composites as integral capacitor dielectrics. 54th Electronic Components and Technology Conference (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37546), 2004, 1: 536–541
Kirkpatrick S. The nature of percolation ‘channels’. Solid State Commun, 1973, 12: 1279–1283
Zallen R. The formation of amorphous solids. In The Physics Of Amorphous Solids. New Jersey: Wiley-VCH, 1983, 1–32
Pecharromán C, Moya JS. Experimental evidence of a giant capacitance in insulator-conductor composites at the percolation threshold. Adv Mater, 2000, 12: 294–297
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of China (NSFC, 61625404), the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences, CAS (QYZDY-SSW-JWC004) and the NSFC (61504136).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Additional information
Ruilong Shi received his BSc degree from Jilin University in 2015. Now he is a graduate student at the Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research interest focuses on flexible pressure sensor and wearable electronic devices.
Zheng Lou received his PhD degree from Jilin University in 2014. He joined the Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences as an Assistant Professor in 2014 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2018. His current research focuses on flexible electronics, including pressure sensors, electronic-skin, transistors and photo-detectors.
Guozhen Shen received his BSc degree in 1999 from Anhui Normal University and PhD degree in 2003 from the University of Science and Technology of China. From 2004 to 2013, he conducted his research in Hanyang University (Korea), National Institute for Materials Science (Japan), University of Southern California (USA) and Huazhong University of Science and technology. He joined the Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences as a professor in 2013. His current research focuses on flexible electronics and printable electronics, including transistors, photodetectors, sensors and flexible energy-storage devices.
Electronic supplementary material
40843_2018_9267_MOESM1_ESM.pdf
Flexible and transparent capacitive pressure sensor with microstructured composite rubber dielectric for wearable touch keyboard application
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shi, R., Lou, Z., Chen, S. et al. Flexible and transparent capacitive pressure sensor with patterned microstructured composite rubber dielectric for wearable touch keyboard application. Sci. China Mater. 61, 1587–1595 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-018-9267-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-018-9267-3