Abstract
The growing demand for intelligent equipment has greatly inspired the development of flexible devices. Thus, disparate flexible multifunctional devices, including pressure sensitive flexible/stretchable displays, have drawn worldwide research attention. Electrodes maintaining conductivity and mechanical strength against deformations are indispensable components in all prospective applications. In this work, a flexible pressure mapping sensor array is developed based on patterned Ag-nanofibers (Ag-NFs) electrode through electrospinning and lithography. The metallic Ag layer is sputtered onto the electrospinning polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) NFs. A uniform and super conductive electrode layer with outstanding mechanical performance is thus formed after dissolving PVA. Followed by the traditional lithography method, a patterned electrode array (4 × 4 sensors) is obtained. Based on the newly developed triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology, a flexible pressure-mapping sensor with excellent stability towards bending deformations is further demonstrated. Moreover, a letter “Z” is successfully visualized by this pressure sensor array, encouraging more human–machine interactive implementations, such as multi-functional tactile screens.
Highlights
Flexible devices, such as flexible displays, flexible sensors, and flexible optoelectronic devices, are vital important for future intelligent electronic systems [1]
The proposed pressure mapping sensor array was mainly based on the patterned Ag NFs electrode on a flexible substrate
Ag NFs based device works in single electrode mode and each square electrode acts as an individual sensor
Summary
Flexible devices, such as flexible displays, flexible sensors, and flexible optoelectronic devices, are vital important for future intelligent electronic systems [1]. Recent studies have reported various solutions on flexible/stretchable electrodes, including traditional carbon-based electrodes [2,3,4,5,6], indium tin oxide (ITO) films [7], ionic conductors [8], and conducting polymers [9,10]. The limited flexibility of ITO electrodes and carbonbased electrodes, instability of ionic conductors, and the low conductivity of conducting polymers largely hinder their implementations. Conductive metallic nanofibers (NFs) have drawn great attention to act as electrodes of flexible and stretchable electronics since firstly proposed [11]. They exhibit excellent performance in both mechanical property and conductivity [12].
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