Flexible platinum nanoparticle strain sensors

Using a modified magnetron sputtering technique, platinum nanoparticles having a mean diameter of 4-6 nm have been deposited on flexible polyimide substrates. The polyimide substrates have been previously patterned with gold interdigitated electrodes having an inter-finger distance of 10 μm using conventional photo lithography and the e-gun evaporation of gold. By controlling the nanoparticle deposition time, platinum nanoparticle sensors of varying sensitivity can be produced. As a result a flexible cost effective alternative to silicon strain sensors is hereby presented.