Printed Carbon Nanotubes-Based Flexible Resistive Humidity Sensor

A resistive flexible humidity sensor based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was designed and fabricated. Screen and gravure printing processes were used for monolithically fabricating the humidity sensor containing interdigitated electrodes (IDE), a sensing layer and a meandering conductive heater. An average thickness and surface roughness of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.99~\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.23~\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, respectively, was registered for the printed MWCNTs sensing layer. The capability of the printed sensor, with heater, was investigated by subjecting it to relative humidity (RH) ranging from 10% to 90%. The response demonstrated an overall resistance change of 55% when the sensor was subjected to 90% RH, when compared to 10% RH. A maximum hysteresis of 5.1%, at 70% RH, was calculated for the resistive response of the sensor. The printed sensors can be bend with radius of curvature of 1.5 inch with literally no effect.

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