Fabrication of Inkjet-Printed Carbon Nanotube for Enhanced Mechanical and Strain-Sensing Performance

Abstract

This paper presents fabrication of inkjet-printed carbon nanotube film on flexible substrate for wearable electronics applications. The density of CNT films is optimized by droplet spacing (DS) and multiple passes to provide the best strain behavior. It is found that low-density carbon nanotubes have fewer conductive pathways resulting in less change and low GF under applied strain. Conversely, high-density carbon nanotubes have more conductive paths, and they are not easily broken under strain, resulting in poor strain-sensing ability. The inkjet printing process can adjust uniformity and density of CNT film through DS and multiple passes to optimize its strain characteristics. The highest GF of 3.36 was obtained under strain ranging from 71 to 3128 με when CNT printed by DS of 23 μm and 20 passes. The relative change in resistance under various strains, ranging from 71 to 3128 με, had a stable peak value for each 20 strain/release cycle which proved its repeatability and stability. Furthermore, inkjet-printed CNT sensors monitored human movement of various joints and distinguished bending angle demonstrating its potentially practical application in wearable electronics.