Fabrication and Normal/Shear Stress Responses of Tactile Sensors of Polymer/Si Cantilevers Embedded in PDMS and Urethane Gel Elastomers

Abstract

Cantilever-type tactile sensors of silicon-polymer beam structures were fabricated by surface micromachining and covering with elastomers. Two kinds of elastomers with different Young's modulus PDMS and urethane gel have been used to control deflection of the cantilevers and adjust the sensitivity cantilever-type tactile sensors. The resistance change of the sensor with PDMS has linear dependence on normal and shear stresses, but that of the sensor with urethane gel is nonliner to normal and shear stresses. However, the sensitivity of urethane gel type sensor is about 30 times larger than PDMS type sensor.