This paper investigated the electrical properties of multiwall carbon nanotube reinforced polydimethylsiloxane (CNT-PDMS) strain sensors with copper electrodes on the wet-etched surface. MWCNT-PDMS strain sensors were fabricated according to the wt% of MWCNT. Surfaces on the electrode area were wet-etched with various etching duration and silver epoxy adhesives were spread on the wet-etched surface. Finally, we attached the copper electrodes to the MWCNT-PMDS strain sensors. We checked the electric conductivities by the two-probe method and sensing characteristics under the cyclic loading. We observed the electric conductivity of MWCNT-PDMS strain sensors increased sharply and the scattering of the measured data decreased when the surface of the electrode area was wet-etched. Initial resistances of MWCNT-PDMS strain sensors were inversely proportion to wt% of MWCNT and the etching duration. However, the resistance changing rates under 30% strain increased as wt% of MWCNT and the etching duration increased. Decreasing rate of the electric resistance change after 100 repetitions was smaller when wt% of MWCNT was larger and the etching duration was short. This was due to the low initial resistance of the MWCNT-PMDS strain sensors by the wet-etching.

본 논문에서는 습식 식각으로 제작된 구리 전극을 가진 다중벽 탄소나노튜브 PDMS 복합재료 변형율 센서의 전기적 특성을 고찰하였다. MWCNT의 질량분율에 따라 MWCNT-PDMS 변형율 센서를 제작한 후, 전극 부착 표면을 습식 식각한 후 은-에폭시 전도성 접착제를 이용하여 구리 박판을 부착하였다. 2-프로브 방법으로 변형율 센서의 전기 전도성을 측정한 결과, 초기 저항은 MWCNT 함량과 식각 시간에 반비례하였지만 30% 변형율에 대한 저항 변화율은 MWCNT 함량과 식각 시간에 비례하였다. 100회 반복 하중 시험 후 저항 변형율 감소는 MWCNT 함량이 증가할수록 식각 시간이 짧아질수록 상대적으로 작게 나타났다. 이는 식각에 의해 MWCNT-PDMS 변형율 센서의 초기 저항 감소에 기인한 것으로 판단된다

Keywords: 다중벽 탄소나노튜브(Multiwall carbon nanotube), 폴리디메틸실록산(Polydimethylesyloxane), 변형율 센서(Strain sensor), 습식식각(Wet etching)