A Micro-Pressure Sensing Method Based on the Micropatterned Electrodes Filled with the Microspheres

• Main Authors: Jianli Cui, Binzhen Zhang, Junping Duan, Hao Guo, Jun Tang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2017-12-01
• Series: Materials
• Subjects: pressure sensor; flexible sensor; micropatterned structure; PS microspheres
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/10/12/1439

As the core component of the sense of touch, flexible pressure sensors are critical to synchronized interactions with the surrounding environment. Here, we introduce a new type of flexible capacitive pressure sensor based on a template of electrodes, with a one-dimensional pyramid micropatterned structure on a Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate and a dielectric layer of polystyrene (PS) microspheres. The proposed sensor exhibits a stable and high sensing sensitivity of 0.741 kPa−1 to capacitance, good durability over 1000 cycles, and fast response time (<150 ms). Our flexible capacitive sensor responds not only to pressure but also to bending forces. Our device can be used to monitor the location and distribution of weight pressure. The proposed capacitive pressure sensor has itself been applied foreground in lots of aspects, such as electronic skins, wearable robotics, and biomedical devices.