A Review on Carbon nanotube-Based electromechanical sensors

Sensors are important components in an overwhelming wealth of systems for industrial and consumer applications. Further system miniaturization will demand for continuous down-scaling of sensor functions in such systems most likely towards Nano scale. Then new sensor device concepts will emerge to improve performance. sensitivity, or to utilize unique functional properties of Nano scale structures. This paper presents concepts and demonstrators of Nano electromechanical sensors based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs). First, fabrication techniques and methods for the integration of SWNTs in micro or Nano systems are presented. second, demonstrators of suspended SWNT-based cantilever structures and a membrane-based nanotube pressure sensor are introduced and evaluated. Electromechanical measurements on these test devices prove SWNTs as exceptional piezo resistive electromechanical transducers with gauge factors far above the values of state-of-the-art strain gauges.