Flexible temperature sensor and sensor array

Abstract

Techniques described herein generally relate to methods of manufacturing devices and systems including devices including a substrate with a surface, a conductive polymer film arranged on the surface of the substrate, wherein the conductive polymer film has one or more temperature reactive characteristics, and a pair of electrodes coupled to the polymer film, wherein the pair of electrodes are configured to communicate electrical signals to the conductive polymer film effective to measure the one or more temperature reactive characteristics. The conductive polymer film may be arranged on the surface of the substrate such that a thickness and dopant ratio of the conductive polymer film on the substrate is configurable.

1 . A device comprising:
 a substrate including a surface;   a conductive polymer film arranged on the surface of the substrate, wherein the conductive polymer film has one or more temperature reactive characteristics; and   a pair of electrodes coupled to the polymer film, wherein the pair of electrodes are configured to communicate electrical signals to the conductive polymer film effective to measure the one or more of the temperature reactive characteristics.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the conductive polymer film on the substrate is configurable from about 10 nm to about 150 nm. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein a conductive polymer of the conductive polymer film is doped with a dopant. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein a ratio of the conductive polymer to the dopant is about 0.3, about 0.5, or about 1. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is flexible. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate and polyimide substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, poly(p-phenylene), poly(p-phenylenevinylene), poly(2,5-thienylenevinylene) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene). 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the dopant is selected from the group consisting of camphor sulfonic acid (CSA) and dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA), 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPSA), hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive polymer film is deposited on the substrate using a technique selected from the group consisting of spin coating technique, polymer printing technique, spray coating technique and dip coating technique. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is configured as a temperature sensor with a tunable sensitivity range of about 3Ω/° C. to about 130Ω/° C. 
     
     
         11 . A method for manufacturing a device, the method comprising:
 providing a substrate;   depositing a conductive polymer film on the substrate, wherein the conductive polymer film has one or more temperature reactive characteristics and wherein depositing further comprises:
 controlling a thickness of the conductive polymer film on the substrate; and 
 selecting a ratio of the conductive polymer to a dopant used therewith; and 
   connecting a pair of electrodes to the conductive polymer film, wherein the pair of electrodes are configured to communicate electrical signals to the conductive polymer film effective to measure the one or more of the temperature reactive characteristics.   
     
     
         12 . The device manufacturing method of  claim 11 , wherein depositing the conductive polymer film on the substrate comprises using a technique selected from the group consisting of spin coating the polymer film on the substrate, printing the polymer film on the substrate, spray coating the polymer film on the substrate, and dip coating the polymer film on the substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The device manufacturing method of  claim 11 , wherein the substrate is flexible. 
     
     
         14 . The device manufacturing method of  claim 11 , wherein providing the substrate comprises selecting the substrate from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate and polyimide substrate. 
     
     
         15 . The device manufacturing method of  claim 11 , wherein depositing the conductive polymer on the substrate further comprises selecting the conductive polymer from the group consisting of polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, poly(p-phenylene), poly(p-phenylenevinylene), poly(2,5-thienylenevinylene), and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene). 
     
     
         16 . The device manufacturing method of  claim 11 , wherein depositing the conductive polymer on the substrate further comprises selecting the dopant from the group consisting of camphor sulfonic acid (CSA) and dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA), 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPSA), hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid. 
     
     
         17 . The device manufacturing method of  claim 11 , wherein controlling the thickness of the conductive polymer film on the substrate comprises configuring the thickness from about 10 nm to about 150 nm. 
     
     
         18 . The device manufacturing method of  claim 11 , wherein selecting the ratio of the conductive polymer to the dopant comprises selecting the ratio equal to about 0.3, about 0.5, or about 1. 
     
     
         19 . The device manufacturing method of  claim 11 , wherein the method is used to manufacture a temperature sensor having a configurable sensitivity in the range of about 3Ω/° C. to about 130Ω/° C. 
     
     
         20 . A system comprising:
 an object; and   a sensing device arranged to operatively contact the object for sensing a thermal state of the object, the sensing device comprising:
 a substrate including a surface; 
 a conductive polymer film arranged on the surface of the substrate, wherein the conductive polymer film has one or more temperature reactive characteristics; and 
 a pair of electrodes coupled to the polymer film, wherein the pair of electrodes are configured to communicate electrical signals to the conductive polymer film effective to measure the one or more temperature reactive characteristics, whereby the thermal state of the object is determined. 
   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20  further comprising a controller configured to receive data related to the measured one or more temperature reactive characteristics and adjust a characteristic of the object in accordance with the received data.