Crosstalk‐Free, High‐Resolution Pressure Sensor Arrays Enabled by High‐Throughput Laser Manufacturing

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) 2022-05, Vol.34 (21), p.e2200517-n/a
• Main Authors: Li, Yihao, Long, Junyu, Chen, Yun, Huang, Yan, Zhao, Ni
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arrays; Crosstalk; crosstalk‐free; Humans; Interconnections; Laser ablation; laser manufacturing; Lasers; Manufacturing; Organs; Pattern recognition; pressure sensor array; Pressure sensors; Sensor arrays; Sensors; serpentine interconnect; Skin; Spatial resolution; Wearable Electronic Devices
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202200517

Simultaneously achieving high spatial resolution and low crosstalk interference has been a fundamental challenge for flexible pressure sensor arrays. Here the authors present a high‐resolution flexible pressure sensor array fabricated through a two‐step laser manufacturing process, where individual sensing pixels and their interconnects are sequentially defined by laser‐induced graphenization and ablation to minimize crosstalk interferences. The geometry of the interconnects is optimized through theoretical modeling and experimental validation. Characterization results show that the new device design induces a remarkable reduction of the crosstalk coefficient, from −8.21 to −43.63 dB, of the 0.7 mm‐resolution sensor arrays, and the crosstalk suppression is particularly beneficial for application scenarios involving pressure sensing on soft surfaces (e.g., human skin and organs). Applications of the sensor array in tactile pattern recognition and minimally‐invasive cancer surgery are demonstrated. A high‐resolution flexible pressure sensor array with individual sensing pixels and their interconnects is sequentially defined by laser‐induced graphenization and ablation to minimize crosstalk interferences. The new geometry of the interconnects induces a remarkable reduction of the crosstalk coefficient and enables a record high resolution of the sensor array.