Multilevel Microstructured Flexible Pressure Sensors with Ultrahigh Sensitivity and Ultrawide Pressure Range for Versatile Electronic Skins

Flexible pressure sensors as electronic skins have attracted wide attention to their potential applications for healthcare and intelligent robotics. However, the tradeoff between their sensitivity and pressure range restricts their practical applications in various healthcare fields. Herein, a cost‐effective flexible pressure sensor with an ultrahigh sensitivity over an ultrawide pressure‐range is developed by combining a sandpaper‐molded multilevel microstructured polydimethylsiloxane and a reduced oxide graphene film. The unique multilevel microstructure via a two‐step sandpaper‐molding method leads to an ultrahigh sensitivity (2.5–1051 kPa^?1) and can detect subtle and large pressure over an ultrawide range (0.01–400 kPa), which covers the overall pressure regime in daily life. Sharp increases in the contact area and additional contact sites caused by the multilevel microstructures jointly contribute to such unprecedented performance, which is confirmed by in situ observation of the gap variations and the contact states of the sensor under different pressures. Examples of the flexible pressure sensors are shown in potential applications involving the detection of various human physiological signals, such as breathing rate, vocal‐cord vibration, heart rate, wrist pulse, and foot plantar pressure. Another object manipulation application is also demonstrated, where the material shows its great potential as electronic skin intelligent robotics and prosthetic limbs.     

Wood Derived Composites for High Sensitivity and Wide Linear‐Range Pressure Sensing

Natural wood possesses a unique 3D microstructure containing hierarchical interconnected channels along its growth direction. This study reports a facile processing strategy to utilize such structure to fabricate carbon/silicone composite based flexible pressure sensors. The unique contribution of the multichannel structure on the sensor performance is analyzed by comparing the pressure response of the vertically cut and horizontally cut composite structures. The results show that the horizontally cut composite based sensors exhibit much higher sensitivity (10.74 kPa^?1) and wider linear region (100 kPa, R² = 99%), due to their rough surface and largely deformable microstructure. Besides, the sensors also show little hysteresis and good cycle stability. The overall outstanding sensing properties of the sensors allow for accurate continuous measurement of human pulse and respiration, benefiting the real‐time health signal monitoring and disease diagnoses.     

Hierarchical Synergistic Structure for High Resolution Strain Sensor with Wide Working Range

Strain sensors have been attracting tremendous attention for the promising application of wearable devices in recent years. However, the trade-off between high resolution, high sensitivity, and broad detection range is a great challenge for the application of strain sensors. Herein, a novel design of hierarchical synergistic structure (HSS) of Au micro cracks and carbon black (CB) nanoparticles is reported to overcome this challenge. The strain sensor based on the designed HSS exhibit high sensitivity (GF > 2400), high strain resolution (0.2%) even under large loading strain, broad detection range (>40%), outstanding stability (>12000 cycles), and fast response speed simultaneously. Further, the experiments and simulation results demonstrate that the carbon black layer greatly changed the morphology of Au micro-cracks, forming a hierarchical structure of micro-scale Au cracks and nano-scale carbon black particles, thus enabling synergistic effect and the double conductive network of Au micro-cracks and CB nanoparticles. Based on the excellent performance, the sensor is successfully applied to monitoring tiny signals of the carotid pulse during body movement, which illustrates the great potential in the application of health monitoring, human-machine interface, human motion detection, and electronic skin.     

Ultra-Wide Range,High Sensitivity Piezoresistive Sensor Based on Triple Periodic Minimum Surface Construction

Flexible piezoresistive sensors with biological structures are widely exploited for high sensitivity and detection. However, the conventional bionic structure pressure sensors usually suffer from irreconcilable conflicts between high sensitivity and wide detection response range. Herein, a triple periodic minimum surface (TPMS) structure sensor is proposed based on parametric structural design and 3D printing techniques. Upon tailoring of the dedicated structural parameters, the resulting sensors exhibit superior compression durability, high sensitivity, and ultra–high detection range, that enabling it meets the needs of various scenes. As a model system, TPMS structure sensor with 40.5% porosity exhibits an ultra–high sensitivity (132 kPa⁻¹ in 0–5.7 MPa), wide detection strain range (0–31.2%), high repeatability and durability (1000 cycles in 4.41 MPa, 10000 s in 1.32 MPa), and low detection limit (1% in 80 kPa). The stress/strain distributions have been identified using finite element analysis. Toward practical applications, the TPMS structural sensors can be applied to detect human activity and health monitoring (i.e., voice recognition, finger pressure, sitting, standing, walking, and falling down behaviors). The synergistic effects of MWCNTs and MXene conductive network also ensure the composite further being utilized for electromagnetic interference shielding applications.     

Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor Based on Synergistical Innerconnect Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanowires/Wrinkled Graphene Film

Piezoresistive sensor is a promising pressure sensor due to its attractive advantages including uncomplicated signal collection, simple manufacture, economical and practical characteristics. Here, a flexible and highly sensitive pressure sensor based on wrinkled graphene film (WGF)/innerconnected polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanowires/interdigital electrodes is fabricated. Due to the synergistic effect between WGF and innerconnected PVA nanowires, the as‐prepared pressure sensor realizes a high sensitivity of 28.34 kPa^?1. In addition, the device is able to discern lightweight rice about 22.4 mg (≈2.24 Pa) and shows excellent durability and reliability after 6000 repeated loading and unloading cycles. What is more, the device can detect subtle pulse beat and monitor various human movement behaviors in real‐time.     

基于MAX1452的硅压阻压力传感器数字补偿设计与拟合分析

随着现代科学与技术的高速发展,高精度传感器的应用日趋成熟。MAX1452作为一种高度集成的模拟传感器信号处理器,具有16引脚SSOP封装、全模拟信号通道、低功耗、温度范围宽等特点,可用于硅压阻压力传感器的数字补偿。硅压阻压力传感器输出的信号经过MAX1452校准补偿版输出模拟信号,再经过A/D转换器输出数字信号,在这个过程中,MAX1452全模拟信号通道没有引入量化噪声,利用16位DAC实现数字化校正,16位DAC对信号的偏移量和跨度进行校准,实现硅压阻压力传感器的数字补偿。     

压阻变换压力传感器的性能预测模型

热、压环境下压阻变换压力传感器的性能可以通过有限元方法预测．这里研究了简化的1／8模型，模型考虑了二氧化硅和氮化硅生成过程及堆阳极键合和胶粘结合过程．结果发现有限元预测结果和实验数据具有可比性．范例研究表明，硼硅堆导致产生一定的非线性，但它隔离了硬环氧树脂的非线性．在包装过程中最好使用柔性环氧黏合或软黏胶性结合．黏合材料的黏弹性和黏塑性将会导致传感器输出的滞后和漂移误差．然而，在相对稳定的环境下。软黏合剂对传感器的影响可以忽略．此外，详细的设计和过程信息有助于提高模型的适用性．     

High Sensitivity,Wearable, Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors Based on Irregular Microhump Structures and Its Applications in Body Motion Sensing

A pressure sensor based on irregular microhump patterns has been proposed and developed. The devices show high sensitivity and broad operating pressure regime while comparing with regular micropattern devices. Finite element analysis (FEA) is utilized to confirm the sensing mechanism and predict the performance of the pressure sensor based on the microhump structures. Silicon carbide sandpaper is employed as the mold to develop polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microhump patterns with various sizes. The active layer of the piezoresistive pressure sensor is developed by spin coating PEDOT:PSS on top of the patterned PDMS. The devices show an averaged sensitivity as high as 851 kPa^?1, broad operating pressure range (20 kPa), low operating power (100 nW), and fast response speed (6.7 kHz). Owing to their flexible properties, the devices are applied to human body motion sensing and radial artery pulse. These flexible high sensitivity devices show great potential in the next generation of smart sensors for robotics, real‐time health monitoring, and biomedical applications.     

Highly Sensitive,Flexible MEMS Based Pressure Sensor with Photoresist Insulation Layer

Pressure sensing is a crucial function for flexible and wearable electronics, such as artificial skin and health monitoring. Recent progress in material and device structure of pressure sensors has brought breakthroughs in flexibility, self‐healing, and sensitivity. However, the fabrication process of many pressure sensors is too complicated and difficult to integrate with traditional silicon‐based Micro‐Electro‐Mechanical System(MEMS). Here, this study demonstrates a scalable and integratable contact resistance‐based pressure sensor based on a carbon nanotube conductive network and a photoresist insulation layer. The pressure sensors have high sensitivity (95.5 kPa⁻¹), low sensing threshold (16 Pa), fast response speed (<16 ms), and zero power consumption when without loading pressure. The sensitivity, sensing threshold, and dynamic range are all tunable by conveniently modifying the hole diameter and thickness of insulation layer.     

Fabrication and Characterization of Single-Layer Textile-Based Flexible Pressure Sensors for Smart Wearable Electronics Applications

Textile-based sensors have been widely studied for wearable monitoring. The sensor systems demand a large sensing area, flexibility, and scalable fabrication method. Herein, single-layer piezoresistive sensors are developed by a machine stitching technique using metallic and graphene nanoplatelets-coated conductive threads and fabrics. The pressure-sensing mechanism is based on measuring the electrical resistance due to the change in the contact area between the conductive thread and fabric as pressure on the sensor varies. The single-layer sensor design provides flexibility and overcomes the physical drift of the sensor during human activities, which enhances wearability and performance. The coated textiles are characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Physical and electromechanical tests are performed on the sensors to evaluate their wearability and sensing performance. The sensors exhibit a wide working range of up to 100 kPa and good sensitivity with excellent durability against repeated mechanical deformations. The application potential of the sensors in real-time monitoring is demonstrated by embedding them into clothing as a wearable device. Moreover, the effectiveness of the sensors is tested for posture correction. This article suggests a novel technique to fabricate durable, flexible, and highly efficient pressure sensors for smart wearable applications.     

All‐Carbon Pressure Sensors with High Performance and Excellent Chemical Resistance

An all‐carbon pressure sensor is designed and fabricated based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanomaterials. By sandwiching one layer of superelastic rGO aerogel between two freestanding high‐conductive rGO thin papers, the sensor works based on the contact resistance at the aerogel–paper interfaces, getting rid of the alien materials such as polymers and metals adopted in traditional sensors. Without the limitation of alien materials, the all‐carbon sensors demonstrate an ultrawide detecting range (0.72 Pa–130 kPa), low energy consumption (≈0.58 µW), ultrahigh sensitivity (349–253 kPa^?1) at low‐pressure regime (<1.4 Pa), fast response time (8 ms at 1 kPa), high stability (10 000 unloading–loading cycles between 0 and 1 kPa), light weight (<10 mg), easily scalable fabrication process, and excellent chemical stability. These merits enable them to detect real‐time human physiological signals and monitor the weights of various droplets of not only water but also hazardous chemical reagents including strong acid, strong alkali, and organic solvents. This shows their great potential applications in real‐time health monitoring, sport performance detecting, harsh environment‐related robotics and industry, and so forth.     

基于单端口多模态微悬臂梁的谐振式大量程智能气体传感器(英文)

基于悬臂梁的谐振气体传感器可以通过测量悬臂梁谐振频率的偏移而检测相应气体分子.本文介绍了一种使用自激励自检测(SAD)电路驱动单端口多模态微悬臂梁的智能谐振式气体传感器.这种激励模式简化了悬臂梁结构和微加工过程.另外,还可以通过便捷地改变悬臂梁谐振模态实现大量程的气体浓度检测.通过仿真分析了不同模态下悬臂梁的模型和敏感度.通过测量这种基于单端口多模态悬臂梁的气体传感器对于气体的响应情况,展示了这种多模态SAD系统以及其改变模态增加测量量程的功能.     

微压压力传感器的结构改进

硅压力传感器具有小型和高灵敏等的优点，近年来小型高灵敏度的压力传感器的量程已低到１ｋＰａ。在这一发展过程中硅弹性体结构的改进起了很大的作用，本文介绍了作者首先提出了适用于微压压力传感器的梁膜（岛）结构以及以后几年来出现的相近的结构，用这些结构都已制成量程为１ｋＰａ的压力传感器 。     

Flexible and Transparent Gas Molecule Sensor Integrated with Sensing and Heating Graphene Layers

Graphene leading to high surface‐to‐volume ratio and outstanding conductivity is applied for gas molecule sensing with fully utilizing its unique transparent and flexible functionalities which cannot be expected from solid‐state gas sensors. In order to attain a fast response and rapid recovering time, the flexible sensors also require integrated flexible and transparent heaters. Here, large‐scale flexible and transparent gas molecule sensor devices, integrated with a graphene sensing channel and a graphene transparent heater for fast recovering operation, are demonstrated. This combined all‐graphene device structure enables an overall device optical transmittance that exceeds 90% and reliable sensing performance with a bending strain of less than 1.4%. In particular, it is possible to classify the fast (≈14 s) and slow (≈95 s) response due to sp²‐carbon bonding and disorders on graphene and the self‐integrated graphene heater leads to the rapid recovery (≈11 s) of a 2 cm × 2 cm sized sensor with reproducible sensing cycles, including full recovery steps without significant signal degradation under exposure to NO₂ gas.