High sensitive/wide dynamic range, field emission pressure sensor based on fully embedded CNTs

Abstract

The formation of high sensitivity-wide dynamic range field emission pressure sensors based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is reported. In this work, CNTs are grown inside an array of micromachined holes in order to ensure a high sensitivity and a wide dynamic range by allowing anode-cathode proximity while preventing anode-cathode direct contact simultaneously. External pressure is applied to a Si-based flexible anode, which results in consequent variations in emission current, due to electric field changes. Microcavities in this structure have been formed by a Si deep vertical etching process, while the CNTs have been grown by direct current plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. Also, it is demonstrated that a similar fabrication process can be applied to implement a device with an electrically controllable emission current. A high sensitivity of 1.5-13.7 μA kPa^-1 (with V_{anode/cathode} < 100 V) within a dynamic range from around 0.1 to 1 GPa, is measured in this experiment.