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Zhang CY, Zhou W, Geng D, Bai C, Li WD et al. Laser direct writing and characterizations of flexible piezoresistive sensors with microstructures. Opto-Electron Adv 4, 200061 (2021).. doi: 10.29026/oea.2021.200061
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Original Article Open Access
Laser direct writing and characterizations of flexible piezoresistive sensors with microstructures
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Abstract
Functional materials with high viscosity and solid materials have received more and more attentions in flexible pressure sensors, which are inadequate in the most used molding method. Herein, laser direct writing (LDW) method is proposed to fabricate flexible piezoresistive sensors with microstructures on PDMS/ MWCNTs composites with an 8% MWCNTs mass fraction. By controlling laser energy, microstructures with different geometries can be obtained, which significantly impacts the performances of the sensors. Subsequently, curved microcones with excellent performance are fabricated under parameters of f = 40 kHz and v = 150 mm·s-1. The sensor exhibits continuous multi-linear sensitivity, ultrahigh original sensitivity of 21.80 % kPa-1, wide detection range of over 20 kPa, response/recovery time of ~100 ms and good cycle stability for more than 1000 times. Besides, obvious resistance variation can be observed when tiny pressure (a peanut of 30 Pa) is applied. Finally, the flexible piezoresistive sensor can be applied for LED brightness controlling, pulse detection and voice recognition.-
Keywords:
- flexible pressure sensor /
- piezoresistive sensor /
- microstructure /
- laser processing
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References
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oea-2020-0061 Supplementary information 
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Zhang CY, Zhou W, Geng D, Bai C, Li WD et al. Laser direct writing and characterizations of flexible piezoresistive sensors with microstructures. Opto-Electron Adv 4, 200061 (2021).. doi: 10.29026/oea.2021.200061
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Figure 1.
Design and fabrication of flexible piezoresistive sensor.
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Figure 2.
Mechanical properties of materials. (a) Lateral contraction of MPC and PDMS, (b) σz-εz curves of MPC and PDMS.
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Figure 3.
Fabrication of microstructures. (a) Processing system of LDW. (b) Laser scanning strategy. (c) Schematic of laser processing. (d) Processing schematic of low microstructures. (e) Processing schematic of curved cone-like microstructures. (f) Processing schematic of approximate cylindrical microstructures.
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Figure 4.
Surface morphologies of microstructures fabricated with different laser parameters imaged by a super deep scene 3D microscope. (a) Param 1: f = 35 kHz, v = 100 mm·s-1; (b) Param 2: f = 35 kHz, v = 150 mm·s-1; (c) Param 3: f = 35 kHz, v = 200 mm·s-1; (d) Param 4: f = 40 kHz, v = 100 mm·s-1; (e) Param 5: f = 40 kHz, v = 150 mm·s-1; (f) Param 6: f = 40 kHz, v = 200 mm·s-1; (g) Param 7: f = 45 kHz, v = 100 mm·s-1; (h) Param 8: f = 45 kHz, v = 150 mm·s-1; (i) Param 9: f = 45 kHz, v = 200 mm·s-1.
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Figure 5.
(a) Design of SLI interdigital electrodes. (b) Design of CRI interdigital electrodes. (c) Image of a sensor with SLI interdigital electrodes. (d) Image of a sensor with CRI interdigital electrodes. (e, f) Equivalent model of resistance in flexible piezoresistive sensors (e) without pressure, (f) under pressure.
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Figure 6.
(a) Sensitivity properties of flexible piezoresistive sensors fabricated with different laser processing parameters. (b) Resistance variations with pressure of sensors packed with different interdigital electrodes within 8 kPa pressure. (c) Resistance variations with pressure of sensors fabricated with Param 5 and the planar one without microstructures. (d) I-V curves of sensor fabricated with Param 5 under different pressure.
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Figure 7.
(a) Resistance variation toward step load. (b) Resistance variation toward pressure of a peanut. (c) Cycle stability within 1000 cycle times at 7 kPa pressure.
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Figure 8.
Sensitivity variations with pressure of this work and typical references4,6,24,30,41. (a) Within 40 kPa pressure. (b) Over 40 kPa pressure.
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Figure 9.
Applications of the flexible piezoresistive sensor. (a) LED brightness controlling. (b) Pulse detection. (c) Pulse wave detected from wrist. (d) Magnified wave from panel (c). (e) Voice recognition from vocal cords. (f) Waves of different vowels. (g) Waves of different consonants.
