This article presents recent advancements in the development of flexible piezoresistive strain sensors based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs)–polymer composites, with particular attention to their electromechanical properties. Various fabrication approaches and material preparation CNTs–polymer composites improved performance are introduced. Moreover, working principle terms tunneling effect disconne...

In an attempt to improve the functionality of a prosthetic hand device, a new fingertip has been developed that incorporates sensors to measure temperature and grip force, and to detect the onset of object slip from the hand. The sensors have been implemented using thick film printing technology and exploit the piezoresistive characteristics of commercially available screen printing resistive p...

A pressure sensor with a 200 μm diaphragm using silicon nanowires (SiNWs) as a piezoresistive sensing element is developed and optimized. The SiNWs are embedded in a multilayered diaphragm structure comprising silicon nitride (SiNx) and silicon oxide (SiO2). Optimizations were performed on both SiNWs and the diaphragm structure. The diaphragm with a 1.2 μm SiNx layer is considered to be an opti...

Using a single maskless postprocessing step we have developed an accelerometer in a standard commercial CMOS process capable of a sensitive axis parallel or perpendicular to the die surface. Our postprocess is realized using xenon difluoride (XeF2) as a bulk etchant. The combination of this etchant and the standard CMOS process allows realization of cantilevers with piezoresistive sensors in al...

A compact and low-power cantilever-based sensor array has been developed and used to detect various vapor analytes. This device employs sorptive polymers that are deposited onto piezoresistive cantilevers. We have successfully detected several organic vapors, representing a breadth of chemical properties and over a range of concentrations. Comparisons of the polymer/vapor partition coefficient ...

A piezoresistive pressure sensor with a chip area of 2 mm 4 mm has been fabricated by a standard CMOS process with additional MEMS postprocess. The structure layers follow the design rules of the CMOS 0.8 m DPDM (Double-Polysilicon-Double-Metal) multiple-project-wafer foundry service provided by the Chip Implementation Center, Taiwan. We used a finite element method software ANSYS to analyze th...

Atraumatic, well-directed, and efficient tooth movement is interrelated with the therapeutic application of adequately dimensioned forces and moments in all three dimensions. The lack of appropriate monitoring tools inspired the development of an orthodontic bracket with an integrated microelectronic chip equipped with multiple piezoresistive stress sensors. Such a 'smart bracket' was construct...