Bio-Inspired Stretchable Absolute Pressure Sensor Network

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Traditional pressure sensors often lack flexibility and scalability for large-area or curved surface applications.
• There is a growing need for adaptable sensing solutions in emerging fields like smart vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a bio-inspired, large-area absolute pressure sensor network.
• To leverage Micro Electro-Mechanical system (MEMS) technology for ultrathin and highly sensitive sensor nodes.
• To create a cost-effective and time-efficient fabrication process for flexible sensor networks.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an absolute pressure sensor network on a 4-inch wafer with 77 nodes using MEMS surface micromachining.
• Integration of stretchable polyimide wires for interconnections.
• Development of a flexible polymer substrate process compatible with MEMS fabrication.

Main Results:

• Achieved ultrathin sensing nodes (<100 µm thickness).
• Demonstrated good linearity and high sensitivity (~14 mV/V/bar).
• Enabled sensor network scalability to cover areas up to 0.64 m × 0.64 m, a 100-fold increase.
• Obtained accurate pressure contour mapping.

Conclusions:

• The developed absolute pressure sensor network is highly adaptable to curved surfaces.
• The cost-effective and time-efficient fabrication process makes it suitable for mass production.
• The sensor network shows significant potential for smart vehicle applications, particularly for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).