High performance flexible PVDF film pressure sensor fabricated by femtosecond laser

• Published in: Optics and laser technology 2023-10, Vol.165, p.109524, Article 109524
• Main Authors: Du, Hongchen, Zhang, Nian, Xiong, Baoxing, Zhang, Xiang, Yuan, Xiao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Femtosecond laser direct writing; Flexible pressure sensors; Hot embossing; Micro-nano structure; Polyvinylidene fluoride film
• ISSN: 0030-3992
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optlastec.2023.109524

•The PVDF film pressure sensors with periodic circular truncated cone structures are fabricated using the femtosecond laser direct writing and hot embossing.•The effect of the period and diameter on the sensitivity of the sensors is studied numerically and experimentally, which is about 10.9 times that of the structureless sensors. Flexible pressure sensors have shown great potential for applications in detection and medical fields due to their unique piezoelectricity and high sensitivity. In this paper, micro-nano-perforated structures with different periods and diameters are fabricated on the polyester (PET) films by femtosecond laser direct writing (FsLDW), and then the perforated structures are embossed on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) films to form sensors with circular truncated cone (CTC) structures. The effect of period and diameter on the sensitivity of the sensor is studied numerically and experimentally. The results show that the high sensitivity of 8.98 mV/KPa can be achieved in a PVDF film pressure sensor with a period of 50 μm and a diameter of 30 μm, which is about 10.9 times that of the structureless sensor. This work not only provide a fast fabricated method for the pressure sensor based on the femtosecond laser and hot embossing, but also has potential applications in the detection of the micro-signals.