Measuring small normal pressures is essential to accurately evaluate external stimuli in curvilinear and dynamic surfaces such as natural tissues. Usually, sensitive and spatially accurate pressure sensors are achieved through conformal contact with the surface; however, this also makes them sensitive to mechanical deformation (bending). Indeed, when a soft object is pressed by another soft object, the normal pressure cannot be measured independently from the mechanical stress. Here, we show a pressure sensor that measures only the normal pressure, even under extreme bending conditions. To reduce the bending sensitivity, we use composite nanofibres of carbon nanotubes and graphene. Our simulations show that these fibres change their relative alignment to accommodate bending deformation, thus reducing the strain in individual fibres. Pressure sensitivity is maintained down to a bending radius of 80 μm. To test the suitability of our sensor for soft robotics and medical applications, we fabricated an integrated sensor matrix that is only 2 μm thick. We show real-time (response time of ∼20 ms), large-area, normal pressure monitoring under different, complex bending conditions.
Large-bandwidth, low-operation-voltage, and uniform organic amplifiers are fabricated on ultrathin foils. By the integration of short-channel OTFTs and AlOx capacitors, organic amplifiers with a bandwidth of 25 kHz are realized, demonstrating the highest gain-bandwidth product (GBWP) reported to date. Owing to material and process advancements, closed-loop architectures operate at frequencies of several kilohertz with an area smaller than 30 mm(2) .
Vacuum ultraviolet irradiation is used as a tool to systematically study the morphology, growth, and performance of small-molecule organic field-effect transistors. The surface energy can be carefully and precisely tuned by varying the dose of irradiation, allowing for the systematic study of the growth of an emerging organic semiconductor. This technique helps to methodically control the morphology and performance of organic semiconductors.
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