Strain sensing with carbon nanotube devices

Abstract

Abstract Carbon nanotubes have been demonstrated to behave piezoresistively, i.e. to change resistance dramatically upon elastic deformation. This effect can be utilized for strain sensing, pressure sensing and for nano electromechanical transducers in microsystems. Here we report on a bottom‐up method for integrating carbon nanotube bundles into such microsystems based on ac‐dielectrophoresis. In contrast to previous publications there are many carbon nanotubes contacted at once. At the cost of sensitivity of the sensing element the manufacturing is simplified. We demonstrate the functionality of our approach with a macroscopic strain gauge. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)