Microfabrication and characterization of spray-coated single-wall carbon nanotube film strain gauges

Abstract

We present the design, fabrication, and characterization results of single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) film strain gauges for potential applications as highly sensitive strain, weight, or pressure sensors on the macro-scale. A batch microfabrication process was developed for practical device construction and packaging using spray-coated SWCNTs and a conventional semiconductor process. The prototype was characterized using a commercial metal foil gauge with tensile and compressive testing on a binocular load cell. Our test results demonstrated that the proposed SWCNT film gauges have a linear relationship between resistance changes and externally applied strain. The gauge factor ranged from 7.0 to 16.4 for four different micro-grid configurations, indicating that the maximum strain sensitivity of the prototype was approximately eight times greater than that of commercial gauges.