Article In: orcid

A magnetoresistive tactile sensor for harsh environment applications

Sensors

Susana Isabel Pinheiro Cardoso de Freitas — 2016 — MDPI AG

Key information

Authors:

Susana Isabel Pinheiro Cardoso de Freitas (Susana Isabel Pinheiro Cardoso de Freitas)

Published in

05/07/2016

Abstract

A magnetoresistive tactile sensor is reported, which is capable of working in high temperatures up to 140 °C. Hair-like bioinspired structures, known as cilia, made out of permanent magnetic nanocomposite material on top of spin-valve giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensors are used for tactile sensing at high temperatures. The magnetic nanocomposite, consisting of iron nanowires incorporated into the polymer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), is very flexible, biocompatible, has high remanence, and is also resilient to antagonistic sensing ambient. When the cilia come in contact with a surface, they deflect in compliance with the surface topology. This yields a change of the GMR sensor signal, enabling the detection of extremely fine features. The spin-valve is covered with a passivation layer, which enables adequate performance in spite of harsh environmental conditions, as demonstrated in this paper for high temperature.

Publication details

Authors in the community:

Publication version

VoR - Version of Record

Publisher

MDPI AG

Link to the publisher's version

https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/16/5/650

Title of the publication container

Sensors

First page or article number

650

Volume

16

Issue

5

ISSN

1424-8220

DOI

10.3390/s16050650

Fields of Science and Technology (FOS)

physical-sciences - Physical sciences

Keywords

  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Biochemistry
  • Instrumentation
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Analytical Chemistry

Publication language (ISO code)

eng - English

Rights type:

Open access