State-of-the-art developments and applications such as electromobility and the “Internet of Things” – which address not only technical but also ecological aspects – are inconceivable without sensors.
We succeeded in developing a worldwide unique, printable and ultra-thin magnetic field sensor without an angle dependency, whereby a multitude of new areas of application can be opened up.
The core of the innovative technology is the nm-precise deposition of metallic multilayers in combination with printing technologies. This makes possible creating a new types of sensors.
Technology
The Helmholtz Innovation Lab “FlexiSens” focuses on the development and application of a flexible and printable magnetic field sensors (Hall effect and magneto-resistive effects). We have developed novel high-performance magnetic field sensors on ultra-thin flexible substrates that have a high mechanical adaptability. Due to their extremely thin and unconventional mechanical properties, flexible and printed sensors can be used not only on various flat, but also curved objects. Our technology enables new fields of application of magnetic field sensors and the realization of printed magnetic field sensors.
Flexible magnetic field sensors
Printable magnetic field sensors
Fluidic analytic platform
- Flexible sensors are on polymeric substrates with a thickness from 1 µm to 100 µm
- Sensors can be processed on a sample area up to 12” wafer size
- Fully customized sensor layout
- Sensors mechanically bendable below 1 mm bending radii
- Stable electrical properties upon mechanical deformations
- Different rigid and flexible substrates (paper, ceramic, silicon, textile, polymers)
- Substrate thickness from 6 µm
- Tunable sensitivity to magnetic field in the range from 0.5 mT to 200 mT
- Temperature sensor stability up to 90 °C
- Sensors mechanically bendable below 1 mm bending radii
- Fully customized sensor layout
- Non-invasive droplet detection in small tubes (diameter of 500 μm and smaller)
- Monitoring droplets, rapid screening of various substances
- Optical, magnetic and impedance detection of different analytes
- Not invasive flow monitoring and flow adjustment via feedback system
- Stand-alone detection system
Technology Offer
- Flexible and printable sensors
- Magnetosensitive powder
- Magnetosensitive paste
- Large area optical lithography and depositions
- Structural and magnetic characterization
- Cooperation and scientific projects
Team
© HZDR / A. Wirsig
© HZDR / A. Wirsig
© I. Moench
© M. Grobosch
© J. Schuett
© T. Voitsekhivska
© R. Illing
Devices
Magnetron sputtering device
- 3 magnetron sputtering systems
- Deposition at up to 950 degC
- Sample size up to 300 mm wafer
- Magnetic and oxidic thin layers with a thickness of 1 nm up to 1 µm
- Monolayer and multilayer systems with sub-nm accuracy
Wire bonder
- Wedge wedge with 17 µm Al wire
- Ball wedge with 25 µm gold wire
- Adjustable transducer frequency with up to 140 kHz
- Rigid and flexible sample substrates
- Manual and semi-automatic bonding process with deformation control
Mili- and microfluidic setup
- Non-invasive droplet detection in small tubes (diameter of 500 μm and smaller)
- Monitoring droplets, rapid screening of various substances
- Optical, magnetic and impedance detection of different analytes
Confocal Microskope
- Vertical measurement uncertainty: 1-10 nm
- 3D surface orphology
Scanning electron microscope
- Resolution <14 nm
- Samples up to 10 cm x 10 cm
Direct Laser Writer
- Up to 2 µm resolution
- 405 nm laser
- Samples up to 25cm x 25cm