Parallel Fabrication of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube based Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors

摘要

A major obstacle in the realization of commercially viable single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) based devices is their type and site selective integration. In this work, dielectrophoresis is used in the purely parallel fabrication of extremely small SWNT-based piezoresistive pressure sensors. Superior strain sensitivity to state-of-the-art silicon based piezoresistive pressure sensors is achieved through the highly selective integration of individual small band gap semiconducting (SGS)-SWNTs and precise carbon nanotube placement on the designated membrane edges, ultimately the positions of highest strain. The SWNTs are encapsulated by a protective alumina coating to ensure long-term stability and avoid environmental influences. The scale-up of the introduced robust and reliable fabrication process is straight-forward and provides promising avenues toward successful realization of functional, commercially viable SWNT sensors.