MAKING IMPRINTED THIN-FILM ELECTRONIC SENSOR STRUCTURE

摘要

A method of making an imprinted electronic sensor structure on a substrate for sensing an environmental factor includes coating, imprinting, and curing a curable layer on the substrate to form a plurality of spatially separated micro-channels extending from the layer surface into the cured layer. First and second layers are located in each micro-channel to form a multi-layer micro-wire. Either the first layer is a cured electrical conductor forming a conductive layer located only within the micro-channel and the second layer is a reactive layer or the first layer is a reactive layer and the second layer is a cured electrical conductor forming a conductive layer located only within the micro-channel. The reactive layer is exposed to the environmental factor and at least a portion of the reactive layer responds to the environmental factor.

主权项

1. A method of making an imprinted electronic sensor structure on a substrate for sensing an environmental factor, comprising:
coating a curable layer on the substrate, imprinting the curable layer to form micro-channels in the curable layer, and curing the curable layer to form a plurality of spatially separated micro-channels extending from the layer surface into the cured layer; locating a first layer in the micro-channels, and locating a second layer at least partly over the first layer to form a multi-layer micro-wire in each micro-channel, wherein either: the step of locating a first layer in the micro-channels includes forming a cured electrical conductor as a conductive layer located only within the micro-channel and the step of locating a second layer at least partly over the first layer includes providing a second layer that is a reactive layer; or the step of locating a first layer in the micro-channels includes providing the first layer as a reactive layer and forming a cured electrical conductor as a conductive layer located only within the micro-channel; and exposing the reactive layer to the environmental factor and so that at least a portion of the reactive layer responds to the environmental factor.