Development and characterization of fluidic based dome-shaped pressure sensor using spiral microchannel

This paper is about the development of fluidic-based dome-shaped pressure sensor using spiral microchannel. The proposed pressure sensor consists of a dome-shaped structure, spiral shaped microchannel and coplanar electrode. Mechanical analysis of the dome-shaped membrane is carried out by using finite element analysis in terms of deflection and Mises Stress. A sensor with a 3.2 mm dome membrane radius, and 1.3 mm in dome thickness had been selected from the simulation and fabricated using soft lithography process. Polydimethylsiloxane is selected as a membrane due to its high elasticity compared to other polymers. Propylene carbonate electrolyte is for its high dielectric constant that gives good performance in terms of sensor sensitivity and its high boiling point which improves the longevity of the liquid inside the microchannel. Based on the experimental results, the operating frequency and sensitivity of the sensor were ideally observed at 4.4 kHz and 0.9376 pF/kPa, respectively. The effects of temperature, and lifetime were then recorded and discussed in this paper.