Metal-Elastomer Surface Deformation Control on Super-Compressible Strain Transducer Arrays

This paper reports the metal-elastomer surface deformation control strategy of a strain transducer array capable of measuring compressive strains up to 60%. Pairs of multi-finger electrodes separated by different inter-digit gap distances are forced into contact by induced surface creasing deformation at different strains. Test structures have been developed to explore and optimize the electrode-elastomer hybrid surface deformation. The deformation is due to large compressive strains in the “x-direction” but stretching caused by the Poisson effect can also take place in the “y-direction”.