Fully Flexible Large-Area MEMS-Based Triaxial Force Sensor Array Compatible With Flat Panel Display Manufacturing

Fully Flexible Large-Area MEMS-Based Triaxial Force Sensor Array Compatible With Flat Panel Display Manufacturing | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Fully Flexible Large-Area MEMS-Based Triaxial Force Sensor Array Compatible With Flat Panel Display Manufacturing Gianluca Massimino, Samer Houri, Alexey Podkovskiy, Veronique Rochus, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6115094/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This work describes the first fully flexible capacitive Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) based Large-Area (LA) triaxial force sensor array, compatible with the Flat Panel Display (FPD) production. Thus, it is obtained by means of standard surface micromachining, unlike the state-of-the-art flexible sensors, which are based on ad-hoc fabrication processes, that limit their large scale manufacturing, area covering feature and flexibility. The triaxial force sensor (referred to as pixel) response is characterized in the mechanical and electrical domain. The effect of the fabrication induced residual stresses as well as the applied external pressure and shear load are measured. The 3D Finite Element Method (FEM) model correctly captures the initial deflection due to the residual stresses. It properly simulates the pressure and shear behavior taking into account the contact between the embedded MEMS and the substrate. It represents a valuable tool to provide design guidelines for the MEMS optimization. Referring to 29 x 29 array with 1 cm2 footprint, each independent capacitor is characterized by an initial capacitance equal to 640 pF. The obtained pressure and shear sensitivities are respectively 1.934 pF/kPa and 2.859 pF/kPa. These result in 11 and 41 times greater than the state-of-the-art capacitive triaxial force sensors’ ones. The presented work describes a novel technology for highly sensitive flexible triaxial force sensors compatible with LA FPD cost-effective batch production. Physical sciences/Engineering/Electrical and electronic engineering Physical sciences/Nanoscience and technology Large-Area Flexible Triaxial Force Sensor MEMS Flat Panel Display Full Text Additional Declarations There is no conflict of interest Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: revise 24 Apr, 2025 Review # 1 received at journal 22 Apr, 2025 Review # 2 received at journal 03 Apr, 2025 Reviewer # 2 agreed at journal 01 Apr, 2025 Reviewer # 1 agreed at journal 01 Apr, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 27 Mar, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 27 Feb, 2025 First submitted to journal 27 Feb, 2025 Unknown event 26 Feb, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 26 Feb, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6115094","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":434704366,"identity":"84e65efc-240d-4f40-94e3-c7aad6503487","order_by":0,"name":"Gianluca Massimino","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABFklEQVRIie2PsWrDMBCGrwjsRXMxqNSvcFlsMsQZ+xoyhmaRoZPp0EEQ8GTIqwQCmU0FyZJ2NmSoIdC5JlA8lFLFIYUUxXMHfSDQ3fFx9wNYLP8Rol/9WyFQ3SrL479H4eeKw/sVOFM6KEKf4t+R9zrOIx+u1a5pH5Y3oVs0z9VjBKErjcpAOSHGeTKQ7D5gFLd0WLzMldgkMCxKszKFwIvz8koyHhDQClbpXKV5CVjxC4r7eVDGkk32Tdspolbpt1beanMWQrstsWQCPXpUQKXysMUcHwnNPP6aJDkTWZcFNytUYpXoUObD/Nl66X1k0WjGJoum/dqOcT3d7cVTdBu65vh4ajt/J9R8lt4iL00sFovFcuIHo1he8zNqApQAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0512-1659","institution":"Imec","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Gianluca","middleName":"","lastName":"Massimino","suffix":""},{"id":434704367,"identity":"b8c8fe1a-3b6a-4ecb-86d6-75cb1ab79178","order_by":1,"name":"Samer Houri","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Imec","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Samer","middleName":"","lastName":"Houri","suffix":""},{"id":434704368,"identity":"be18471e-8b3c-4471-a9b9-237a793cbd0d","order_by":2,"name":"Alexey Podkovskiy","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Imec","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Alexey","middleName":"","lastName":"Podkovskiy","suffix":""},{"id":434704369,"identity":"eba43897-7830-451b-946a-4d34a033cc8c","order_by":3,"name":"Veronique Rochus","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Imec","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Veronique","middleName":"","lastName":"Rochus","suffix":""},{"id":434704370,"identity":"7b32f241-177a-41b3-a021-1900254cd78f","order_by":4,"name":"Jan Genoe","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4019-5979","institution":"IMEC","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jan","middleName":"","lastName":"Genoe","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-02-26 17:05:32","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6115094/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6115094/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":79817932,"identity":"cec87652-6662-4809-82da-f1812dcba3d8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-03 08:11:35","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1039602,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Article File","description":"","filename":"NatureMNN3AFS.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6115094/v1_covered_27aa32b4-2219-4637-be6e-c6c7432441de.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"There is no conflict of interest","formattedTitle":"Fully Flexible Large-Area MEMS-Based Triaxial Force Sensor Array Compatible With Flat Panel Display Manufacturing","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"microsystems-and-nanoengineering","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"micronano","sideBox":"Learn more about [Microsystems \u0026 Nanoengineering](http://www.nature.com/micronano/)","snPcode":"41378","submissionUrl":"https://mts-micronano.nature.com/","title":"Microsystems \u0026 Nanoengineering","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"Nature AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Large-Area, Flexible, Triaxial Force Sensor, MEMS, Flat Panel Display","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6115094/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6115094/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"This work describes the first fully flexible capacitive Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) based Large-Area (LA) triaxial force sensor array, compatible with the Flat Panel Display (FPD) production. Thus, it is obtained by means of standard surface micromachining, unlike the state-of-the-art flexible sensors, which are based on ad-hoc fabrication processes, that limit their large scale manufacturing, area covering feature and flexibility.\r\nThe triaxial force sensor (referred to as pixel) response is characterized in the mechanical and electrical domain. The effect of the fabrication induced residual stresses as well as the applied external pressure and shear load are measured. The 3D Finite Element Method (FEM) model correctly captures the initial deflection\r\ndue to the residual stresses. It properly simulates the pressure and shear behavior taking into account the contact between the embedded MEMS and the substrate. It represents a valuable tool to provide design guidelines for the MEMS optimization.\r\nReferring to 29 x 29 array with 1 cm2 footprint, each independent capacitor is characterized by an initial capacitance equal to 640 pF. The obtained pressure and shear sensitivities are respectively 1.934 pF/kPa and 2.859 pF/kPa. 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