https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20080020443 2019-04-14T11:40:29+00:00Z (12) United States Patent (io) Patent No.: US 7,357,035 B2 Liu et al. (45) Date of Patent: Apr. 15,2008 SENSOR CHIP AND APPARATUS FOR 5,037,515 A 8/1991 Tsai et al. TACTILE AND/OR FLOW SENSING 5,412,994 A * 5/1995 Cook et al. ................... 73/756 5,872,320 A * 2/1999 Kamentser et al. .... 73/862.044 Inventors: Chang Liu, Champaign, IL (US); Jack 6,151,771 A * 11/2000 Tzengetal. ............... 29/610.1 Chen, Urbana, IL (US); Jonathan 6,304,840 B1 * 10/2001 Vance et al. .................. 703/21 6,825,539 B2 * 11/2004 Tai et al. .................... 257/417 Engel, Champaign, IL (US) 2002/0049080 A1 4/2002 Thompson 2002/0060631 A1 5/2002 Runge et al. Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, Urbana, IL (US) OTHER PUBLICATIONS Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this Ayers, J., Zavracky, P.M., McGmener, N., Massa, D., Voms, V., Mukherjee, R., Currie, S., 1998, “A Modular Behavioral-Based patent is extended or adjusted under 35 Architecture for Biomimetic Autonomous Underwater Robots,” U.S.C. 154(b) by 208 days. Proc. Autonomous Vehicles in Mine Countermeasures Symp., Naval Postgraduate School, CD ROM, http://www.cix.plym.ac.uk/ Appl. No. 10/861,096 cis/InsectRobotics/Biomimetics.htmp,p . 1-18, Barnes, T.G., Truong, T.Q., Lu, X., McGmer, E., Adams, G.G., Filed: Jun. 4, 2004 “Design, Analysis, Fabrication, And Testing of a MEMS Flow Sensor,” 1999 ASME International Congress and Exposition on Prior Publication Data MEMS, vol. 1, 1999, pp. 355-361. Beebe, D.J., Hsieh, AS., Denton, D.D., and Radwin, R.G., “A US 200510021247 A1 Jan. 27, 2005 Silicon force Sensor for Robotics and Medicine,” Sensors and Actuators, A 50, 1995, pp. 55-65. Related U.S. Application Data (Continued) Provisional application No. 601476,672, filed on Jun. 6. 2003. Primary Examiner-Jewel Thompson (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firmdreer, Bums & Crain, Ltd. Int. C1. GOlB 7/16 (2006.01) (57) ABSTRACT U.S. C1. ........................................................ 73/756 A sensor chip, comprising a flexible, polymer-based sub- Field of Classification Search .................. 731756, strate, and at least one microfabricated sensor disposed on 731720, 719, 721; 703121; 2571417; 291610.1 the substrate and including a conductive element. The at See application file for complete search history. least one sensor comprises at least one of a tactile sensor and References Cited a flow sensor. 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Based MEMS Applications,” Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, vol. 13, May 2003, pp. 628-633. * cited by examiner CONTACT FORCE AND GOLD THERMAL FLUX MEASURED HARDNESS HEATER SENSOR h) 0 0 00 m 3 CD 2 CI ,, 0 h) o\ FIG. d rn 4 Uw VI 4 U 0 w VI w h, U.S. Patent Apr. 15,2008 Sheet 2 of 26 US 7,357,035 B2 FIG. 2 U.S. Patent Apr. 15,2008 Sheet 3 of 26 US 7,357,035 B2 42 46 NiCr STRAIN GAUGE I REFERENCE BULK MEASURED HARDNESS HARDNESS SENSOR MEMBRANE SENSOR / .J 20 45 FIG. 3A 43 OBJECT AND FIG. 3B U.S. Patent Apr. 15,2008 Sheet 4 of 26 US 7,357,035 B2 0.5 I 1 I 0.45 T A 0.4 0.35 - 0.3 Lrn 0.25 E u 0.2 0.15 0.1 1 0.05 O I I I I I I I I I I 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Hardness(Shore A) FIG. 4 U.S. Patent Apr. 15,2008 Sheet 5 of 26 US 7,357,035 B2 Ni THERMORESISTOR POLYIMIDE SUBSTRATE 18 12 FIG. 5 U.S. P: Ltent Apr. 15,2008 Sheet 6 of 26 US 7,357,035 B2 1200 : 1000 800 600 400 200 0 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000 Thermal Conductivity (WlmK) FIG. 6 U.S. P: Ltent Apr. 15,2008 Sheet 7 of 26 US 7,357,035 B2 2500 2000 1500 h E Q Q v 1000 500 .$** alp% 4 0 0 I I I I I 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Curvature (Ilm) FIG. 7