Design, Fabrication, and Optimization of a Printed Ag Nanoparticle-Based Flexible Capacitive Sensor for Automotive IVI Bezel Display Applications

• Main Authors: Alkhalefah, H. (Author), Chin, C.S (Author), Karmiris-Obratański, P. (Author), Moiduddin, K. (Author), Palanisamy, S. (Author), Thangaraj, M. (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI 2023
• Subjects: Ag; Automotives; bezel; Bezel; Capacitance; Capacitive sensors; Display application; Electrodes; Fabrication; Flexible displays; Flexible sensor; Optimal sensor; Optimisations; optimization; Optimization approach; printed sensors; Printed sensors; Scattering parameters; Sensing performance; Silver nanoparticles
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher; View in Scopus
• ISBN: 14248220 (ISSN)
• DOI: 10.3390/s23094211

Since printed capacitive sensors provide better sensing performance, they can be used in automotive bezel applications. It is necessary to fabricate such sensors and apply an optimization approach for choosing the optimal sensor pattern. In the present work, an effort was made to formulate interdigitated pattern-printed Silver (Ag) electrode flexible sensors and adopt the Taguchi Grey Relational (TGR)-based optimization approach to enhance the flexible sensor’s panel for enhanced automobile infotainment applications. The optimization technique was performed to derive better design considerations and analyze the influence of the sensor’s parameters on change in capacitance when touched and production cost. The fabricated flexible printed sensors can provide better sensing properties. A design pattern which integrates an overlap of 15 mm, an electrode line width of 0.8 mm, and an electrode gap 0.8 mm can produce a higher change in capacitance and achieve a lower weight. The overlap has a greater influence on sensor performance owing to its optimization of spatial interpolation. © 2023 by the authors.