am9b17966_si_001.pdf (1.78 MB)
Anodized Aluminum Oxide-Assisted Low-Cost Flexible Capacitive Pressure Sensors Based on Double-Sided Nanopillars by a Facile Fabrication Method
journal contribution
posted on 2019-12-11, 15:03 authored by Yunjian Guo, Song Gao, Wenjing Yue, Chunwei Zhang, Yang LiFlexible pressure sensors have garnered enormous attention
in recent years as they hold great promise in wearable electronic
devices. However, the realization of a high-performance flexible pressure
sensor via a facile and cost-effective approach still remains a challenge.
In this work, a capacitive pressure sensor based on a poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] dielectric film that
incorporates nanopillars into both sides is demonstrated. Unlike the
previous complicated and expensive methods, large-scale regular and
uniform nanopillars are easily and economically achieved by the pattern
transfer of anodized aluminum oxide templates. The double-sided nanopillars
constituting the P(VDF-TrFE) dielectric layer enable the pressure
sensor with high sensitivity (∼0.35 kPa–1), wide working range (4 Pa to 25 kPa), short response time (∼48
ms), and excellent durability. In addition to these salient features,
our sensor also exhibits superior performances under bending states,
ensuring that it can be used for detecting diverse practical stimuli
as experimentally validated by perceiving real-time and in-site human
physiological signals and body motions that, respectively, correspond
to the low- and high-pressure range. A sensor array is finally constructed
and is shown to be capable of perceiving the spatial pressure distribution
of either a contact or noncontact object. These demonstrations show
a promising future of our sensor in healthcare monitoring, smart robot
skin, and human–machine interfaces.