Journal of Sensor Science and Technology (센서학회지)

The Korean Sensors Society (한국센서학회)
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Highly Sensitive Stretchable Electronic Skin with Isotropic Wrinkled Conductive Network

  • Seung Hwan Jeon (School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU)) ;
  • Hyeongho Min (Department of SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU)) ;
  • Jihun Son (School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU)) ;
  • Tae Kon Ahn (School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU)) ;
  • Changhyun Pang (School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU))
  • Received : 2024.01.02
  • Accepted : 2024.01.12
  • Published : 2024.01.31
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Abstract

Soft-pressure sensors have numerous applications in soft robotics, biomedical devices, and wearable smart devices. Herein, we present a highly sensitive electronic skin device with an isotropic wrinkled pressure sensor. A conductive ink for soft pressure sensors is produced by a solution process using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), poly 3-hexylthiophene (P3HT), carbon black, and chloroform as the solvents. P3HT provides high reproducibility and conductivity by improving the ink dispersibility. The conductivity of the ink is optimized by adjusting the composition of the carbon black and PDMS. Soft lithography is used to fabricate a conductive elastic structure with an isotropic wrinkled structure. Two conductive elastic structures with an isotropic wrinkle structure is stacked to develop a pressure sensor, and it is confirmed that the isotropic wrinkle structure is more sensitive to pressure than when two elastic structures with an anisotropic wrinkle structure are overlapped. Specifically, the pressure sensor fabricated with an isotropic wrinkled structure can detect extremely low pressures (1.25 Pa). Additionally, the sensor has a high sensitivity of 15.547 kpa-1 from 1.25 to 2500 Pa and a linear sensitivity of 5.15 kPa-1 from 2500 Pa to 25 kPa.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by the SKKU Excellence in Research Award Research Fund of the Sungkyunkwan University (2023).

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