Nanowire Sensor Fabrication for Wearable IoT Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sensor technologies for wearable and mobile devices face challenges in miniaturization and integration of gas, temperature, and humidity sensors due to limited space, requiring innovative methods to combine multiple sensing functions in a single fabrication process while maintaining high sensitivity and low power consumption.
Innovation Solution
The method involves forming nanowire sensing regions on a substrate with sensing electrodes, using a shared sensing material layer for humidity, temperature, and gas sensors, and applying a dielectric layer to cover and expose specific nanowire regions for enhanced sensitivity, with optional hydrophilic material layers for improved humidity sensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If multiple sensors (gas, temperature, humidity) are integrated on a single substrate, then device volume is reduced and integration is improved, but manufacturing complexity and fabrication process difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines gas sensing, temperature sensing, and humidity sensing functions into a single integrated sensor device fabricated on one substrate. Multiple sensing regions are formed simultaneously through a unified fabrication process that deposits sensing materials and forms electrodes that serve multiple sensing functions, thereby reducing overall device volume while managing fabrication complexity through process integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor device employs a multi-functional design where a single substrate hosts multiple types of sensors (gas, temperature, humidity) with shared structural elements. The sensing electrodes and sensing material layers are configured to perform multiple sensing functions simultaneously, allowing one device to replace multiple separate sensors and reduce system complexity.
2Area of moving object
If sensor size is miniaturized for wearable devices, then space requirements are reduced, but sensitivity and measurement precision may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by creating distinct sensing regions with optimized material compositions and structures tailored to specific sensing functions (gas, temperature, humidity) within the miniaturized device. Each sensing region is locally optimized for its specific function while maintaining compact overall dimensions, allowing high sensitivity in small areas through localized material properties and sensing zone configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a sensor device is provided. In the method, sensing electrodes are formed on a substrate, a sensing material layer is formed on the sensing electrodes. The sensing material layer is etched to form a first nanowire sensing region, a second nanowire sensing region and a third nanowire sensing region respectively between every two sensing electrodes of the sensing electrodes. A dielectric layer is formed to cover the first nanowire sensing region, the second nanowire sensing region and the third nanowire sensing region, and the first nanowire sensing region and the third nanowire sensing region are exposed.