TY - JOUR

T1 - MEMS Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor Based on Flexible PET Thin-Film for Applications in Gaseous-Environments

AU - Balderrama, Victor S.

AU - Leon-Gil, Jesus A.

AU - Fernandez-Benavides, David A.

AU - Ponce-Hernandez, Juan

AU - Bandala-Sanchez, Manuel

PY - 2022/2/1

Y1 - 2022/2/1

N2 - This experimental study presents the operation of pressure sensors made from lowerature flexible substrates. Design, simulation, fabrication, and characterization are carried out with a number of fabricated flexible pressure devices. Simulations are used to optimize the sensor parameters such as the geometrical shape, electrical potential output, sensitivity and working-range of the sensor, thus predicting the sensing behavior before fabrication. The behaviour of the devices are simulated by using COMSOL Multiphysics. The pressure structure consists of a substrate of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) thin-film used as a diaphragm. A thin layer of indium tin oxide (ITO) on the PET substrate is obtained and used as a first conductive metallic track. Subsequently, nichrome (NiCr 80/20 wt%) alloy material was deposited by electron beaming to generate four piezoresistors with thickness of 50 nm that can be used to detect resistance change using a Wheatstone bridge when the sensor is exposed to different working pressures. Aluminum metallic tracks of 200 nm in thickness are deposited by sputtering in order to connect the four piezoresistors. A working range of pressure is applied from 0 kPa to 130 kPa. Resistivity and sensitivity measured values were 1.37 × 10-3\, Ω-cm and 6.365 mV/kPa respectively. All simulations and experimental results showed that the sensor characteristics are favorable for applications where the pressure is below 130 kPa.

AB - This experimental study presents the operation of pressure sensors made from lowerature flexible substrates. Design, simulation, fabrication, and characterization are carried out with a number of fabricated flexible pressure devices. Simulations are used to optimize the sensor parameters such as the geometrical shape, electrical potential output, sensitivity and working-range of the sensor, thus predicting the sensing behavior before fabrication. The behaviour of the devices are simulated by using COMSOL Multiphysics. The pressure structure consists of a substrate of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) thin-film used as a diaphragm. A thin layer of indium tin oxide (ITO) on the PET substrate is obtained and used as a first conductive metallic track. Subsequently, nichrome (NiCr 80/20 wt%) alloy material was deposited by electron beaming to generate four piezoresistors with thickness of 50 nm that can be used to detect resistance change using a Wheatstone bridge when the sensor is exposed to different working pressures. Aluminum metallic tracks of 200 nm in thickness are deposited by sputtering in order to connect the four piezoresistors. A working range of pressure is applied from 0 kPa to 130 kPa. Resistivity and sensitivity measured values were 1.37 × 10-3\, Ω-cm and 6.365 mV/kPa respectively. All simulations and experimental results showed that the sensor characteristics are favorable for applications where the pressure is below 130 kPa.

KW - Flexible diaphragm

KW - Modeling of a pressure sensor

KW - Nichrome piezoresistors

KW - Sensitivity

KW - Wheatstone bridge

U2 - 10.1109/JSEN.2021.3135543

DO - 10.1109/JSEN.2021.3135543

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85121814567

VL - 22

SP - 1939

EP - 1947

JO - IEEE Sensors Journal

JF - IEEE Sensors Journal

SN - 1530-437X

IS - 3

ER -