Laser-Assisted Printed Flexible Sensors: A Review

Abstract

This paper provides a substantial review of some of the significant research done on the fabrication and implementation of laser-assisted printed flexible sensors. In recent times, using laser cutting to develop printed flexible sensors has become a popular technique due to advantages such as the low cost of production, easy sample preparation, the ability to process a range of raw materials, and its usability for different functionalities. Different kinds of laser cutters are now available that work on samples very precisely via the available laser parameters. Thus, laser-cutting techniques provide huge scope for the development of prototypes with a varied range of sizes and dimensions. Meanwhile, researchers have been constantly working on the types of materials that can be processed, individually or in conjugation with one another, to form samples for laser-ablation. Some of the laser-printed techniques that are commonly considered for fabricating flexible sensors, which are discussed in this paper, include nanocomposite-based, laser-ablated, and 3D-printing. The developed sensors have been used for a range of applications, such as electrochemical and strain-sensing purposes. The challenges faced by the current printed flexible sensors, along with a market survey, are also outlined in this paper.