Flexible Piezoelectric Sensor Enhanced by Ordered Piezoelectric Composite Material for Three-Dimensional Force Detection

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2024 Nov 21. doi: 10.1021/acsami.4c16628. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

With the rapid development of intelligent devices, the demand for high-performance flexible sensors with three-dimensional force perception capabilities has become increasingly prominent. In this study, we utilized dielectrophoresis regulation to achieve an ordered arrangement of lead zirconate titanate particles in piezoelectric composite films, enhancing the pressure sensitivity by approximately 4.06 times compared to randomly distributed composite films. Furthermore, an additional bump structure was constructed to convert three-dimensional forces into different compression states on the sensing units of the film, enabling effective decoupling of three-dimensional forces. Experimental results demonstrated that the three-dimensional piezoelectric force sensor exhibited sensitivity values of 0.2524, 0.1702, and 0.1946 V/N in three directions within the range of 1-9 N. Additionally, the sensor possesses significant advantages such as rapid response (4 ms), good repeatability, and simple manufacturing. These characteristics offer a viable strategy for self-powered wearable devices and human-machine interactions in intelligent devices.

Keywords: dielectrophoresis; flexible; ordered piezoelectric composite film; piezoelectric sensor; three-dimensional force perception.