Nanocomposite-Based Microstructured Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors for Low-Pressure Measurement Range

Mitrakos, Vasileios; Hands, Philip J. W.; Cummins, Gerard; Macintyre, Lisa; Denison, Fiona C.; Flynn, David; Desmulliez, Marc P. Y.

doi:10.3390/mi9020043

Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Edit a Special Issue

Article Menu

...

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Nanocomposite-Based Microstructured Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors for Low-Pressure Measurement Range

^1,2,*,

¹,

³,

⁴,

⁵

and

Marc P. Y. Desmulliez

Multimodal Sensing and Micro-Manipulation Centre, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK

Institute for Integrated Micro & Nano Systems (IMNS), School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, UK

School of Textiles & Design, Heriot-Watt University, Galashiels TD7 4LF, UK

⁴

Queen’s Medical Research Institute, MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK

⁵

Smart Systems Group, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Micromachines 2018, 9(2), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9020043

Received: 30 December 2017 / Revised: 23 January 2018 / Accepted: 24 January 2018 / Published: 26 January 2018

View Full-Text Download PDF

Browse Figures

Citation Export

Abstract

Piezoresistive pressure sensors capable of detecting ranges of low compressive stresses have been successfully fabricated and characterised. The 5.5 × 5 × 1.6 mm³ sensors consist of a planar aluminium top electrode and a microstructured bottom electrode containing a two-by-two array of truncated pyramids with a piezoresistive composite layer sandwiched in-between. The responses of two different piezocomposite materials, a Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube (MWCNT)-elastomer composite and a Quantum Tunneling Composite (QTC), have been characterised as a function of applied pressure and effective contact area. The MWCNT piezoresistive composite-based sensor was able to detect pressures as low as 200 kPa. The QTC-based sensor was capable of detecting pressures as low as 50 kPa depending on the contact area of the bottom electrode. Such sensors could find useful applications requiring the detection of small compressive loads such as those encountered in haptic sensing or robotics. View Full-Text

Keywords: pressure sensor; piezoresistive sensor; carbon nanotubes; quantum tunneling composite

▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Mitrakos, V.; Hands, P.J.W.; Cummins, G.; Macintyre, L.; Denison, F.C.; Flynn, D.; Desmulliez, M.P.Y. Nanocomposite-Based Microstructured Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors for Low-Pressure Measurement Range. Micromachines 2018, 9, 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9020043

AMA Style

Mitrakos V, Hands PJW, Cummins G, Macintyre L, Denison FC, Flynn D, Desmulliez MPY. Nanocomposite-Based Microstructured Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors for Low-Pressure Measurement Range. Micromachines. 2018; 9(2):43. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9020043

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mitrakos, Vasileios, Philip J.W. Hands, Gerard Cummins, Lisa Macintyre, Fiona C. Denison, David Flynn, and Marc P.Y. Desmulliez. 2018. "Nanocomposite-Based Microstructured Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors for Low-Pressure Measurement Range" Micromachines 9, no. 2: 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9020043

Find Other Styles

Note that from the first issue of 2016, MDPI journals use article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Abstract views Pdf views Html views

Article Menu

Nanocomposite-Based Microstructured Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors for Low-Pressure Measurement Range

Abstract

Share and Cite

Article Metrics

Article Access Statistics

Article Access Map by Country/Region

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI