Thin film sensors on 3D freeforms suitable for mechatronic systems - 3DSense

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Günter Bräuer; Professor Dr. Andreas Dietzel
• Subject Area: Microsystems ; Coating and Surface Technology
• Term: from 2016 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 283737812

Novel mechatronic systems to be used in the fields of robotics, medical instruments, intelligent production and test equipment can be realized if sensors are available that can be placed on 3D shapes with the broadest design freedom. However, on the one hand the placement of miniaturized sensors that can be densely packed as sensor arrays by heterogeneous integration methods like manual or semi-automated assembly is not very accurate and reproducible. On the other hand, methods for 3D coating with thin film sensor material and for micro structuring 3D shapes are lacking. It is therefore goal of this project to investigate and develop a new type of flexible skins for conformal application as key element of novel mechatronic systems. These skins comprise integrated highly sensitive piezoresistive diamond-like-carbon sensors on 3D convertor structure arrays. For the success of this project supplementing research elements along the knowledge value chain from thin film materials over micro structures and sensors to demonstrators will be addressed by the participating institutions. Substrates with 3D-shaped mechanical converter structures in polymer and metal foils have to be designed. Conformal coating with 3D sensor thin films by plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) and novel reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) will be investigated. Since lithographic techniques are limited to planar processing and fail to provide good definition of the micro structures of the extremely resistant diamond-like-carbon films, femtosecond laser processes shall be developed and applied for the 3D micro structuring of the sensor elements. The usefulness of these techniques will be demonstrated first by incorporating these novel sensors in a planar membrane pressure sensor. In a second step the sensors shall be incorporated also into a 3D smart skin sensor array. It shall be capable to sense, measure, and localize any contact with an external body. The project will benefit from the unique combination of expertise, including coatings and thin films (IOT-Institut für Oberflächentechnik at TU Braunschweig) and micro structuring and micro systems (IMT-Institut für Mikrotechnik at TU Braunschweig). The project can further benefit from previous experiences of joint research of the two applicants in the field of 2D sensor Systems.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants