High Sensitivity and Broad Range Flexible Pressure Sensor Using Multilayered Porous PDMS/AgNP Sponge

Abstract Flexible pressure sensors attract wide attentions in recent years for their significant applications in wearable electronics and health monitoring. It is strongly desired that a pressure sensor possesses both low detection limit and wide measuring capability, covering a broad pressure range from Pa to hundred kPa, to meet diverse demands in different applications. This paper proposes a novel flexible pressure sensor based on thermosensation, using a multilayered and graded‐porosity polydimethylsiloxane/silver nanoparticle sponge as piezo‐thermic transduction. The sensor exhibits a high sensitivity, a low detection limit of 4.1 Pa, and a wide measuring range up to 200 kPa, which leads to a high range‐to‐limit ratio of about 50 000. The pressure sensor is monolithically integrated with a temperature sensor and dissolves temperature‐compensation. The unique combination of properties makes it feasible to monitor various human signals from subtle wrist pulse to finger tapping pressure and foot stepping pressure by a single device, which shows competent capabilities for multifarious applications in wearable electronics and health monitoring.