Hierarchical Arete Architecture‐Enabled Iontronic Pressure Sensor with High Linearity and Sensitivity

Abstract

Linearity is an indispensable factor to be considered when evaluating the characteristics of a pressure sensor. Although different kinds of advanced materials and microstructures are explored to enhance the device performances, the nonlinear response of sensors caused by the attenuation of sensitivity as pressure increases still needs to be further addressed. In this spotlight, a sensitive flexible iontronic pressure sensor with highly linear response is reported here. The design of its hierarchical arete architecture (HAA) not only inherits the high sensitivity of hierarchical microstructures in a wide pressure range but also achieves ultrahigh linearity. Experimentally the HAA iontronic sensor is prepared by using a simple and low‐cost polycrystalline silicon template, and it demonstrates a high sensitivity of 20.98 kPa−1 in a broad range (0–37.5 kPa) with R2 up to 0.9921. Benefited from the combination of remarkable linearity, sensitivity, and other characteristics, practical applications around human health such as real‐time monitoring of tablets, recognition of respiratory airflows, and physiological signals detection are successfully demonstrated here. Based on these excellent performances, the HAA iontronic sensor can also be regarded as a promising choice in the fields of 5G communication, wearable devices, robotic intelligence, etc.

Modulus difference-induced embedding strategy to construct iontronic pressure sensor with high sensitivity and wide linear response range

“…It is assumed that such reproducibility and stability are ascribed to the embedding deformation process, where the local impression of the even-surfaced PDMS film could rapidly recover to its initial state. Compared with previously reported sensors, our iontronic pressure sensor exhibits comparable or even higher sensitivity and broader linear sensing range than PDMS-based pressure sensors, 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 and other polymer-based pressure sensors 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ( Figure 4 F). It is worth noting that most of the reported pressure sensors exhibit multistep sensitivity across the whole sensing range, indicating nonlinear sensing behavior within the sensing range.…”

Flexible Multimodal Sensors Based on Fibrous Porous Networks of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and Polydimethylsiloxane for Sensing and Distinguishing Vertical and Shear Force

“…As an important part of them, mechanical sensors have been widely used in electronic skin, motion monitoring, smart medical care, and human-computer interaction of intelligent robots by virtue of their ability to convert mechanical signals (such as pressure and friction) into electrical signals. − In order to adapt to different application scenarios, a variety of pressure sensors have been proposed and fabricated. Generally, according to different sensing mechanisms, pressure sensors can be classified as piezoresistive, − capacitive, − piezoelectric, , and triboelectric , types. Among them, the piezoresistive pressure sensor has the characteristics of formidable sensing ability, low power consumption, a wide detection range, and a simple manufacturing process .…”