Polymers as microsensors: Fabrication of Electrically Conducting Interpenetrating Polymer Networks for Temperature Sensors

Abstract:
We report on a novel approach to the fabrication of electrically conductive polymer micro sensors, combining direct ultraviolet (UV) laser lithography with an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN). From a combination of Novolak and Terthiophene doped with Copper(II) perchlorate, we manufactured electrically conductive microscopic paths on a glass substrate using a micro pattern generator. We then assessed the structures’ impedances at frequencies from 0 to 100 kHz for differently dimensioned cross sections. To evaluate their use as a thermistor, we furthermore investigated the temper-ature dependence of the impedance in a range of 20 to 100 °C. We suggest such polymers and our approach may be of interest for the fabrication of temperature micro sensors and other applications, particularly when only a limited number of highly specialized sensors is required, e.g. in fire safety infrastructure.