• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.1857-1863
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• 2010

We present the fabrication and characterization of transparent carbon nanotube film (CNF) piezoresistors. CNFs were fabricated by vacuum filtration methods with 65?92% transmittance and patterned on Au-deposited silicon wafer by photolithography and dry etching. The patterned CNFs were transferred onto poly-dimethysiloxane (PDMS) using the weak adhesion property between the silicon wafer and the Au layer. The transferred CNFs were confirmed to be piezoresistors using the equation of concentrated-force-derived resistance change. The gauge factor of the CNFs was measured to range from 10 to 20 as the resistance of the CNFs increased with applied pressure. In polymer microelectromechanical systems, CNF piezoresistors are the promising materials because of their high sensitivity and low-temperature process.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.377-377
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• 2016

Under nanosecond-pulsed laser irradiation, light-absorbing thin films have been used for photoacoustic transmitters for ultrasound generation. Especially, nanostructured absorbers are attractive due to high optical absorption and efficient thermoacoustic energy conversion: for example, 2-dimensional (2-D) gold nanostructure array, synthetic gold nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and reduced graphene oxides. Among them, CNT has been used to fabricate a composite film with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) that exhibits excellent photoacoustic conversion performance for high-frequency, high-amplitude ultrasound generation. Previously, CNT-PDMS nanocomposite films were made by using a high-temperature chemical vapor deposition (HTCVD) process for CNT growth. However, this approach is not suitable to fabricate large-area CNT films (>several cm2). This is because a chamber dimension of HTCVD is limited and also the process often causes nonuniform CNT growth when the film area increases. As an alternative approach, a solution-based process can be used to overcome these issues. We develop PDMS composite transmitters, based on the solution process, using several nanostructured light-absorbers such as CNTs, nanoink powders, and imprinted regular arrays of gold nanostructure. We compare fabrication processes of each composite transmitters and photoacoustic output performance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.223-223
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• 2012

Surface engineering plays a significant role in fabricating highly functionalized materials applicable to industrial and biomedical fields. Surface wrinkles and folds formed by ion beam or plasma treatment are buckling-induced patterns and controlled formation of those patterns has recently gained considerable attention as a way of creating well-defined surface topographies for a wide range of applications. Surface wrinkles and folds can be observed when a stiff thin layer attached to a compliant substrate undergoes compression and plasma treatment is one of the techniques that can form stiff thin layers on compliant polymeric substrates, such as poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). Here, we report two effective methods using plasma modification techniques for controlling the formation of surface wrinkles and folds on flat or patterned PDMS substrates. First, we show a method of creating wrinkled diamond-like carbon (DLC) film on grooved PDMS substrates. Grooved PDMS substrates fabricated by a molding method using a grooved master prepared by photolithography and a dry etching process were treated with argon plasma and subsequently coated with DLC film, which resulted in the formation of wrinkled DLC film aligning perpendicular to the steps of the pre-patterned ridges. The wavelength and the amplitude of the wrinkled DLC film exhibited variation in the submicron- to micron-scale range according to the duration of argon plasma pre-treatment. Second, we present a method for controlled formation of folds on flat PDMS substrates treated with oxygen plasma under large compressive strains. Flat PDMS substrates were strained uniaxially and then treated with oxygen plasma, resulting in the formation of surface wrinkles at smaller strain levels, which evolved into surface folds at larger strain levels. Our results demonstrate that we can control the formation and evolution of surface folds simply by controlling the pre-strain applied to the substrates and/or the duration of oxygen plasma treatment.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.369-369
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• 2016

A nanostructure composite is a highly suitable substance for photoacoustic ultrasound generation. This allows an input laser beam (typically, nanosecond pulse duration) to be efficiently converted to an ultrasonic output with tens-of-MHz frequency. This type of energy converter has been demonstrated by using a carbon nanotube (CNT)-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite film that exhibit high optical absorption, rapid heat transition, and mechanical durability, all of which are necessary properties for high-amplitude ultrasound generation. In order to develop the CNT-PDMS composite film, a high-temperature chemical vapor deposition (HTCVD) method has been commonly used so far to grow CNT and then produce a CNT-PDMS composite structure. Here, instead of the complex HTCVD, we use a mixed solution of hydrophobic multi-walled CNT and dimethylformamid (DMF) and fabricate a solution-processed CNT-PDMS composite film over a spherically concave substrate, i.e. a focal energy converter. As the solution process can be applied over a large area, we could easily fabricate the focal transmitter that focuses the photoacoustic output at the moment of generation from the CNT-PDMS composite layer. With this method, we developed photoacoustic energy converters with a large diameter (>25 mm) and a long focal length (several cm). The lens performance was characterized in terms of output pressure amplitude for an incident pulsed laser energy and focal spot dimension in both lateral and axial. Due to the long focal length, we expect that the new lens can be applied for long-range ultrasonic treatment, e.g. biomedical therapy.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.44-50
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• 2023

In this study, a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based drag force-type flowmeter was fabricated using a graphite-carbon nanotube (CNT) composite as a piezoresistive material and evaluated. The device was in the form of a cantilever, which was composed of the soft material, PDMS, and fabricated using a mold manufactured by a three-dimensional printer. The cost-effective graphite was mixed with CNTs to serve as a piezoresistive material. The optimal mixing ratio was investigated, and the piezoresistive material formed using a graphite:PDMS:CNT ratio of 1.5:1:0.01 was adopted, which showed a stable output and a high sensitivity. Various forward and backward air flows in the range of 0-10 m/s were measured using the fabricated flowmeter, and both tensile and compression characteristics were evaluated. The measured results showed a stable output, with the resistance change gradually increasing with the air flow rate. Repeatability characteristics were also tested at a repeated air flow of 10 m/s, and the flowmeter responded to the applied air flow well. Consequently, the fabricated device has a high sensitivity and can be used as a flowmeter.

• Clean Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.62-66
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• 2006

Poly($\small{L}$-Lactide)(PLLA) was prepared by a ring-opening polymerization of $\small{L}$-Lactide with various polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) based copolymers as a stabilizer in supercritical carbon dioxide($scCO_2$). The block copolymeric stabilizers were synthesized by group transfer polymerization (GTP) by using PDMS macroinitiator. PLLA was found to be produced with fairly low molecular weight distribution as confirmed by gel permeation chromatography(GPC) analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that sub-micron size Poly($\small{L}$-lactide)(PLLA) particles were formed by suspension polymerization.

• Journal of Information Display
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.16-21
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• 2006

The effect of improvement on the surface morphology of screen-printed carbon nanotube (CND) films was studied by using the optically clear poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer for surface treatment. After the PDMS activation treatment was applied to the diode-type CNT cathode, the entangled carbon nanotube (CNT) bundles were broken up into individual free standing nanotubes to remarkably improve the field-emission characteristics over the as-deposited CNT film. Also, the cathode film morphology of a top gated triode-type structure can be treated by using the proposed surface treatment technique, which is a low-cost process, simple process. The relative uniform emission image showed high brightness with a high anode current. This result shows the possibility of using this technique for surface treatment of large-size field emission displays (FEDs) in the future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.335-335
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• 2011

Instability of a thin film attached to a compliant substrate often leads to emergence of exquisite wrinkle patterns with length scales that depend on the system geometry and applied stresses. However, the patterns that are created using the current techniques in polymer surface engineering, generally have low aspect ratio of undulation amplitude to wavelength, thus, limiting their application. Here, we present a novel and effective method that enables us to create wrinkles with a desired wavelength and high aspect ratio of amplitude over wavelength as large as to 2.5:1. First, we create buckle patterns with high aspect ratio of amplitude to wavelength by deposition of an amorphous carbon film on a surface of a soft polymer poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). Amorphous carbon films are used as a protective layer in structural systems and biomedical components, due to their low friction coefficient, strong wear resistance against, and high elastic modulus and hardness. The deposited carbon layer is generally under high residual compressive stresses (~1 GPa), making it susceptible to buckle delamination on a hard substrate (e.g. silicon or glass) and to wrinkle on a flexible or soft substrate. Then, we employ glancing angle deposition (GLAD) for deposition of a high aspect ratio patterns with amorphous carbon coating on a PDMS surface. Using this method, pattern amplitudes of several nm to submicron size can be achieved by varying the carbon deposition time, allowing us to harness patterned polymers substrates for variety of application. Specifically, we demonstrate a potential application of the high aspect wrinkles for changing the surface structures with low surface energy materials of amorphous carbon coatings, increasing the water wettability.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.499-505
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• 2017

The increasing number of natural disasters resulting from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions has prompted the development of a gas separation membrane. Carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) is the main cause of global warming. Organic polymeric membranes with inherent flexibility are good candidates for use in gas separation membranes and poly(dimethyl siloxane)(PDMS) specifically is a promising material due to its inherently high $CO_2$ diffusivity. In addition, poly(vinyl pyrrolidine)(PVP) is a polymer with high $CO_2$ solubility that could be incorporated into a gas separation membrane. In this study, poly(dimethyl siloxane)-poly(vinyl pyrrolidine)(PDMS-PVP) comb copolymers with different compositions were synthesized under mild conditions via a simple one step free radical polymerization. The copolymerization of PDMS and PVP was characterized by FTIR. The morphology and thermal behavior of the produced polymers were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Composite membranes composed of PDMS-PVP on a microporous polysulfone substrate layer were prepared and their $CO_2$ separation properties were subsequently studied. The $CO_2$ permeance and $CO_2/N_2$ selectivity through the PDMS-PVP composite membrane reached 140.6 GPU and 12.0, respectively.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 2019

In order to improve gas separation properties of polymeric membranes which have been widely applied in the industry field, aluminosilicate hollow nanoparticles named as allophanes were synthesized by sol-gel method and formulated in Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) matrix to investigate the gas separation properties of PDMS membrane. Transmission electron microscope (TEM), Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Surface area and pore size analyzer (BET) and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) were carried out to characterize the synthetic allophanes. Then the PDMS mixed matrix membranes were prepared by adding different volume fraction of allophanes. To examine the effect of allophanes addition in PDMS matrix using unmodified allophane and modified ones, the gas permeation experiments were performed using oxygen, nitrogen, methane and carbon dioxide. As the volume fraction of modified allophane increased up to 4.05 Vol% the permeability of four test gases through PDMS mixed matrix membranes increased. Also, the selectivity of $O_2/N_2$ and $CO_2/CH_4$ increased with the contents of the modified allophane. Further improvement of gas separation properties of PDMS mixed matrix membranes containing higher volume percent of allophanes can be expected as long as well dispersion of allophanes in PDMS matrix can be achieved for better PDMS membranes.