Temperature Characteristics of a Pressure Sensor Based on BN/Graphene/BN Heterostructure

Temperature is a significant factor in the application of graphene-based pressure sensors. The influence of temperature on graphene pressure sensors is twofold: an increase in temperature causes the substrates of graphene pressure sensors to thermally expand, and thus, the graphene membrane is stretched, leading to an increase in the device resistance; an increase in temperature also causes a change in the graphene electrophonon coupling, resulting in a decrease in device resistance. To investigate which effect dominates the influence of temperature on the pressure sensor based on the graphene-boron nitride (BN) heterostructure proposed in our previous work, the temperature characteristics of two BN/graphene/BN heterostructures with and without a microcavity beneath them were analyzed in the temperature range 30-150 °C. Experimental results showed that the resistance of the BN/graphene/BN heterostructure with a microcavity increased with the increase in temperature, and the temperature coefficient was up to 0.25%°C^-1, indicating the considerable influence of thermal expansion in such devices. In contrast, with an increase in temperature, the resistance of the BN/graphene/BN heterostructure without a microcavity decreased with a temperature coefficient of -0.16%°C^-1. The linearity of the resistance change rate (ΔR/R)-temperature curve of the BN/graphene/BN heterostructure without a microcavity was better than that of the BN/graphene/BN heterostructure with a microcavity. These results indicate that the influence of temperature on the pressure sensors based on BN/graphene/BN heterostructures should be considered, especially for devices with pressure microcavities. BN/graphene/BN heterostructures without microcavities can be used as high-performance temperature sensors.