Pressure-sensitive strain sensor based on a single percolated Ag nanowire layer embedded in colorless polyimide

Chan Jae Lee, Sungwoo Jun, Byeong Kwon Ju, Jong Woong Kim

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    7 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    This paper presents the fabrication of an elastomer-free, transparent, pressure-sensitive strain sensor consisting of a specially designed silver nanowire (AgNW) pattern and colorless polyimide (cPI). A percolated AgNW network was patterned with a simple tandem compound circuit, which was then embedded in the surface of the cPI via inverted layer processing. The resulting film-type sensor was highly transparent (~93.5% transmittance at 550 nm) and mechanically stable (capable of resisting 10000 cycles of bending to a 500 µm radius of curvature). We demonstrated that a thin, transparent, and mechanically stable electrode can be produced using a combination of AgNWs and cPI, and used to produce a system sensitive to pressure-induced bending. The capacitance of the AgNW tandem compound electrode pattern grew via fringing, which increased with the pressure-induced bending applied to the surface of the sensor. The sensitivity was four times higher than that of an elastomeric pressure sensor made with the same design. Finally, we demonstrated a skin-like pressure sensor attached to the inside wrist of a human arm.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)8-12
    Number of pages5
    JournalPhysica B: Condensed Matter
    Volume514
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2017 Jun 1

    Bibliographical note

    Funding Information:
    This research was supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE, Korea) under the Industrial Technology Innovation Program (No. 10067715). Support was also provided by the MOTIE/Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT) (No. 10051080), and the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning/the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) of the Republic of Korea (No. 2016M3A7B4910).

    Keywords

    • Composite
    • Flexible electrode
    • Pressure sensor
    • Silver nanowire
    • Strain sensor

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
    • Condensed Matter Physics
    • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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