Ultra‐thin smart electronic skin based on hybrid system‐in‐foil concept combining three flexible electronics technologies. Issue 6 (1st March 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Elsobky, M.; Mahsereci, Y.; Yu, Z.; Richter, H.; Burghartz, J. N.; Keck, J.; Klauk, H.; Zschieschang, U.
• Is Part Of: Electronics letters. Volume 54:Issue 6(2018)
• Page Start: 338
• Page End: 340
• Publication Date: 2018-03-01
• Subjects: flexible electronics -- intelligent sensors -- grippers -- bending -- sensor arrays -- strain gauges -- readout electronics -- thin film transistors -- organic field effect transistors -- polymer films; ultra‐thin smart electronic skin -- hybrid system‐in‐foil concept -- flexible electronics technologies -- fabrication processes -- mechanical flexibility -- thin‐form factor -- large area scaling feasibility -- irregular surface adaptability -- robotic gripper -- uniaxial bending -- printed strain gauge array -- organic thin‐film transistor -- ultra‐thin silicon readout chip -- polymeric foil -- silver‐ink printed strain gauges -- relative resistance sensitivity -- organic TFT multiplexer -- three‐stage shift register -- analogue switches -- system control -- strain gauge readout -- analogue‐to‐digital conversion -- serial communication -- size 20 mum -- frequency 100 Hz -- voltage 3 V; Electronics -- Periodicals; 621.381
• DOI: 10.1049/el.2017.4682
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-5194

Abstract

Abstract : Flexible electronics combined with new materials and fabrication processes offer unique characteristics such as mechanical flexibility, thin‐form factor, large area scaling feasibility, and adaptability to irregular surfaces. In this work, a smart electronic skin adopting the hybrid system‐in‐foil concept is designed to monitor the uniaxial bending of a robotic gripper. The newly designed smart skin contains an array of printed strain gauges, organic thin‐film transistor (TFT) addressing circuits and a 20 μm ultra‐thin silicon readout chip, all integrated on the same polymeric foil. The silver‐ink printed strain gauges achieve a relative resistance sensitivity Δ R / R of 2% and a gauge factor of 2. In addition, the organic TFT multiplexer containing a three‐stage shift register and analogue switches operate at a frequency of 100 Hz and a supply voltage of 3 V. The ultra‐thin silicon chip provides the functions of system control, strain gauge readout, analogue‐to‐digital conversion and serial communication.