Surface Micromachined Capacitive Tactile Image Sensor

摘要

An overview of the various available sensing principles for tactile images andthe strategies for the fabrication of these structures are presented in chapter 1, starting from the earliest elastomer-based structures and concluding with recently-presented silicon-based structures with on-chip instrumentation. In chapter 2, some principal aspects in the mechanical functioning of the sensor structure are discussed. Chapter 2 also discusses the realization of the tactile image sensor with on-chip transistors, with the focus on the technological feasibilities. Chapter 3 presents the available principles for the read-out of a sensor capacitance to detect the stretching of silicon diaphragms under mechnaical pressures. Other circuit elements which are required to interface a digital processor are described, and chapter 3 closes with a series of simulation and measurement results to examine the agreement with the theoretical models.