Screen-printed inductive silver ink strain sensor on stretchable TPU substrate

TitleScreen-printed inductive silver ink strain sensor on stretchable TPU substrate
Publication TypeConference Paper
Year of Publication2020
AuthorsSmith, C. S., K. Sondhi, B. Y. Jimenez, H. Z. Fan, T. Nishida, and D. P. Arnold
Conference Name2020 IEEE 70th Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC)
Conference LocationVirtual
Abstract

This work describes the design, fabrication, and characterization of screen-printed inductive silver ink strain sensors on stretchable thermoplastic polyurethane substrates. These sensors are made by screen-printing a flat wire inductor made from conductive silver ink onto a stretchable substrate. Stretching these structures results in an increase in their inductance, revealing a relationship between applied strain and measured inductance. Resulting devices show an initial inductance of 51 nH and a linear sensitivity of ~1.7 between 0% and 13% strain, which makes them suitable for applications where high strains are expected such as human health monitoring. Further, these sensors can be batch fabricated with screen-printing, making them an economical choice.