SBIR Phase I: Nanotube-Based Electronic Pressure Sensor

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is aimed at developing carbon nanotube electromechanical pressure sensors. The characteristics of nanotube pressure sensors will include superior sensitivity, higher thermal stability and wider sensing ranges than conventional silicon-based pressure sensors. The project could lead to the first nanotechnology-based physical sensor products and enable a new generation of nano- electromechanical systems (NEMS) that convert mechanical effects into electrical signals. The research will combine chemistry for synthesis of materials and microfabrication. The main task of this Phase I research is to demonstrate the feasibility of nanotube pressure sensor by determining the device's gauge factor, linearity, and the temperature dependence of nanotubes. Phase II will focus on device stability, repeatability, reproducibility and scalability. The development of a new generation of sensing devices with wide industrial applications will provide benefit in many areas. Products with improved performance characteristics and the spread of emerging nanotechnology into other industrial applications and improved pressure sensors at a lower price will directly provide increased public and industrial (automotive, healthcare, etc.) safety. The success of the program will benefit the nanotechnology area in general, making nanotechnology one-step closer to important real-world applications.