• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.55-71
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• 2013

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is vital for detecting the onset of damage and for preventing catastrophic failure of civil infrastructure systems. In particular, piezoelectric transducers have the ability to excite and actively interrogate structures (e.g., using surface waves) while measuring their response for sensing and damage detection. In fact, piezoelectric transducers such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) have been used for various laboratory/field tests and possess significant advantages as compared to visual inspection and vibration-based methods, to name a few. However, PZTs are inherently brittle, and PVDF films do not possess high piezoelectricity, thereby limiting each of these devices to certain specific applications. The objective of this study is to design, characterize, and validate piezoelectric nanocomposites consisting of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles assembled in a PVDF copolymer matrix for sensing and SHM applications. These films provide greater mechanical flexibility as compared to PZTs, yet possess enhanced piezoelectricity as compared to pristine PVDF copolymers. This study started with spin coating dispersed ZnO- and PVDF-TrFE-based solutions to fabricate the piezoelectric nanocomposites. The concentration of ZnO nanoparticles was varied from 0 to 20 wt.% (in 5 % increments) to determine their influence on bulk film piezoelectricity. Second, their electric polarization responses were obtained for quantifying thin film remnant polarization, which is directly correlated to piezoelectricity. Based on these results, the films were poled (at 50 $MV-m^{-1}$) to permanently align their electrical domains and to enhance their bulk film piezoelectricity. Then, a series of hammer impact tests were conducted, and the voltage generated by poled ZnO-based thin films was compared to commercially poled PVDF copolymer thin films. The hammer impact tests showed comparable results between the prototype and commercial samples, and increasing ZnO content provided enhanced piezoelectric performance. Lastly, the films were further validated for sensing using different energy levels of hammer impact, different distances between the impact locations and the film electrodes, and cantilever free vibration testing for dynamic strain sensing.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.790-794
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• 2003

This paper describes the fabrication and characteristics of ceramic thin film type pressure sensors based on Ta-N strain gauges for high temperature applications. Ta-N thin-film strain gauges are deposited onto a thermally oxidized Si diaphragm by RF sputtering in an argon-nitrogen atmos[here($N_2$ gas ratio: 8%, annealing condition: 90$0^{\circ}C$, 1 hr.), patterned on a wheatstone bridge configuration, and used as pressure sensing elements with a high stability and a high gauge factor. The sensitivity is 1.097 ～ 1.21 mV/Vㆍkgf/$\textrm{cm}^2$ in the temperature range of 25 ～ 200 $^{\circ}C$ and the maximum non-linearity resistance), non-linearity than existing Si piezoresistive pressure sensors. The fabricated ceramic thin-film type pressure sensor is expected to be usefully applied as pressure and load sensors that os operable under high-temperature.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.51 no.12
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• pp.567-572
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• 2002

In these days, diesel vehicle or power plant emits $NO_X\; and SO_2$ which cause air pollution like acid-rain, ozone layer destroy and optical smoke, therefore there are many kinds of methods considered for removing them such as SCR, catalyst, plasma process, and plasma-catalyst hybrid process. T$TiO_2$ is commonly used as catalyst to remove $NO_X$ gas because it have very excellent chemical characteristic as photo catalyst. In this paper, $NO_X$ sensing characteristic of $TiO_2$ thin film deposited by R.F Magnetron sputtering is investigated. A finger shaped electrode on $Al_2$O$_3$ substrate is designed and $TiO_2$ is deposited on the electrode by the magnetron sputtering deposition system. Chemical composition of the deposited $TiO_2$ thin film is $TiO_{1.9}$ by RBS analysis. When the UV is irradiated on it with flowing air, capacitance of $TiO_2$ thin film increases, however, when NO gas is put into the system with air, it immediately decreases because of photo chemical reaction. and it monotonously decreases with increasing NO concentration.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.173-177
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• 2014

A Rhodamine-based fiber-optic sensor has been developed to detect mercury ions in aqueous environments. The fiber-optic sensor was composed of a mercury-sensing thin film, plastic optical fibers, and a spectrometer. The mercury-sensing thin film with the synthesized Rhodamine derivatives was fabricated with Sol-Gel process. A light emitted by a light source is guided by plastic optical fibers into the thin film in an aqueous solution and a reflected light is analyzed with the spectrometer. The experiment exhibits that an absorbance in the thin film is increased as mercury concentration is increased in the solution and the absorbance by mercury is higher than that by other heavy metals. The fiber-optic sensor exhibits high chromogenic phenomenon of mercury ions among various heavy metals and the correlation between absorbance and mercury concentration in the aqueous environments.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.297-303
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• 2019

A triple-layered $PMMA/Ni_{64}Zr_{36}/PDMS$ hydrogen gas sensor using hydrogen permeable alloy and flexible polymer layers is fabricated through spin coating and DC-magnetron sputtering. PDMS(polydimethylsiloxane) is used as a flexible substrate and PMMA(polymethylmethacrylate) thin film is deposited onto the $Ni_{64}Zr_{36}$ alloy layer to give a high hydrogen-selectivity to the sensor. The measured hydrogen sensing ability and response time of the fabricated sensor at high hydrogen concentration of 99.9 % show a 20 % change in electrical resistance, which is superior to conventional Pd-based hydrogen sensors, which are difficult to use in high hydrogen concentration environments. At a hydrogen concentration of 5 %, the resistance of electricity is about 1.4 %, which is an electrical resistance similar to that of the $Pd_{77}Ag_{23}$ sensor. Despite using low cost $Ni_{64}Zr_{36}$ alloy as the main sensing element, performance similar to that of existing Pd sensors is obtained in a highly concentrated hydrogen atmosphere. By improving the sensitivity of the hydrogen detection through optimization including of the thickness of each layer and the composition of Ni-Zr alloy thin film, the proposed Ni-Zr-based hydrogen sensor can replace Pd-based hydrogen sensors.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.139-155
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• 2011

Polymeric thin-film assemblies whose bulk electrical conductivity and mechanical performance have been enhanced by single-walled carbon nanotubes are proposed for measuring strain and corrosion activity in metallic structural systems. Similar to the dermatological system found in animals, the proposed self-sensing thin-film assembly supports spatial strain and pH sensing via localized changes in electrical conductivity. Specifically, electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is used to create detailed mappings of film conductivity over its complete surface area using electrical measurements taken at the film boundary. While EIT is a powerful means of mapping the sensing skin's spatial response, it requires a data acquisition system capable of taking electrical impedance measurements on a large number of electrodes. A low-cost wireless impedance analyzer is proposed to fully automate EIT data acquisition. The key attribute of the device is a flexible sinusoidal waveform generator capable of generating regulated current signals with frequencies from near-DC to 20 MHz. Furthermore, a multiplexed sensing interface offers 32 addressable channels from which voltage measurements can be made. A wireless interface is included to eliminate the cumbersome wiring often required for data acquisition in a structure. The functionality of the wireless impedance analyzer is illustrated on an experimental setup with the system used for automated acquisition of electrical impedance measurements taken on the boundary of a bio-inspired sensing skin recently proposed for structural health monitoring.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.32 no.A
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• pp.29-33
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• 2012

We demonstrated the viability of fully microfabricating SWCNT(single-wall carbon nanotube) film strain sensors for force and weight sensing. Our spray-deposited SWCNT film strain sensors showed good linearity over a range from 0 to 400 microstrain, and much higher sensitivity compared to commercial metal foil-type gauges. The number of grids and the thickness of the SWCNT film were found to have a significant effect on the strain sensing properties of the SWCNT film gauges. A strain sensing methode for the CNT-based strain gauges was also investigated using a binocular type beam load cells. Preliminary results indicate that the microfabrication method shown here is promising for developing a commercial strain gauge using a spray-coated SWCNT thin film. In the near future, various studies will be performed to further enhance the properties of the spray-coated SWCNT film strain sensors.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.325-329
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• 2009

Titanium dioxide thin films were fabricated as hydrogen sensors and its sensing properties were tested. The titanium was deposited on a $SiO_2$/Si substrate by the DC magnetron sputtering method and was oxidized at an optimized temperature of $850^{\circ}C$ in air. The titanium film originally had smooth surface morphology, but the film agglomerated to nano-size grains when the temperature reached oxidation temperature where it formed titanium oxide with a rutile structure. The oxide thin film formed by grains of tens of nanometers size also showed many short cracks and voids between the grains. The response to 1% hydrogen gas was ${\sim}2{\times}10^6$ at the optimum sensing temperature of $200^{\circ}C$, and ${\sim}10^3$ at room temperature. This extremely high sensitivity of the thin film to hydrogen was due partly to the porous structure of the nano-sized sensing particles. Other sensor properties were also examined.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.414-419
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• 2017

The optical characteristics of cresol red, phenol red, and neutral red immobilized in the thin film were investigated with absorbance measurement in order to find a sensing part of a fiber-optic pH sensor. Sol-Gel method with tetramethyl orthosilicate as a precursor was used to immobilize the pH indicators in the thin film. The absorbance spectra were measured when pH indicators were immobilized in the film and were dissolved in the buffer solution. Experimental results showed that the absorbance spectra could be changed when the pH indicator is immobilized in the thin film. As compared with other pH indicators, the neutral red exhibited similar absorbance spectra regardless of physical conditions and was sensitive over whole pH range between 4 and 11. In addition, the absorbance ratio of base peak to acid peak tended to increase in proportion to the increase in pH. Experimental results indicate that the neutral red is a good pH indicator for fabrication of a sensing part of the fiber-optic pH sensor.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics D
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• v.35D no.4
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• pp.93-100
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• 1998

Pyoelectric infrared detectors based on La-modified PbTiO3 (PLT) thin films have been fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering and micromachining technology. The detectors form Pb$_{1-x}$ La$_{x}$Ti$_{1-x}$ O$_{3}$ (x=0.05) thin film ferroelectric capacitors epitaxially grown by RF magnetron sputtering on Pt/MgO (100) substrate. The sputtered PLT thin film exhibits highly c-axis oriented crystal struture that no poling trealization for sensing applications is required. This is an essential factor to increase the yield for realization of an infrared image sensor. Micromachining technology is used to lower the thermal mass of the detector by giving maximum sensor efficiency. Polyimide is coated on top of the sensing elements to support the fragile structure and the backside of the MgO substrate is selectively eteched to reduce the heat loss. The sensing element exhibited a very high detectivity D* of 8.5*10$^{8}$ cm..root.Hz/W at room temperature and it is about 100 times higher than the case of micromachining technology is not used. a sensing system that detects the position as well as the existence of a human body is realized using the array sensor.sor.