Pressure sensor, manufacturing method thereof, and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10921200-B2
Application number	US-201816086137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2018
Priority date	Jun 28, 2017
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A pressure sensor, a method for manufacturing the pressure sensor, and an electronic device are provided. The pressure sensor includes an electroluminescent device and a resistor layer. The resistor layer and one electrode of the electroluminescent device are connected to two electrodes of a power source respectively to form a loop. The pressure sensor is capable of converting a deformation amount caused by a pressure into a brightness change of the electroluminescent device, and determining a size of the pressure in accordance with the brightness change.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pressure sensor, comprising:
an electroluminescent device, comprising a first electrode, a second electrode and an electroluminescent layer arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode;
a resistor layer arranged at a side of the second electrode distal to the electroluminescent layer, and configured to be deformed in a such manner as to change a resistance of the resistor layer when a pressure is applied to the resistor layer, wherein the first electrode and the resistor layer are connected to two electrodes of a power source respectively to form a loop;
at least one photoelectric sensor configured to acquire a parameter related to a brightness change of the electroluminescent device;
a detection unit connected to the photoelectric sensor and configured to determine a size of the pressure in accordance with the parameter related to the brightness change of the electroluminescent device; and
an elastic restoration layer arranged at a side of the resistor layer distal to the first electrode or arranged at another side of the resistor layer proximate to the first electrode,
wherein the elastic restoration layer is made of an elastic material, and configured to be restored from deformation when the pressure applied to the resistor layer is removed, to restore the deformed resistor layer to its initial state.

2. The pressure sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising a support layer,
wherein the resistor layer comprises a first conductive structure arranged on the elastic restoration layer, and a second conductive structure arranged on the support layer; and
the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure are arranged between the support layer and the elastic restoration layer, wherein when the resistor layer is deformed due to the pressure, a contact area between the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure changes, to change the resistance of the resistor layer.

3. The pressure sensor according to claim 2 , further comprising a flexible substrate,
wherein the first conductive structure comprises a plurality of first protrusions arranged on a first surface of the elastic restoration layer distal to the flexible substrate;
the second conductive structure comprises a plurality of second protrusions, wherein the plurality of second protrusions is arranged on a second surface of the second electrode proximate to the flexible substrate, and the second surface is opposite to the first surface; or the plurality of second protrusions is arranged on a third surface of the support layer proximate to the flexible substrate, and the third surface is opposite to the first surface; and
the plurality of first protrusions and the plurality of second protrusions are arranged in a staggered manner, and when the resistor layer is deformed due to the pressure, a contact area between the first protrusion and the corresponding second protrusion increases, to reduce the resistance of the resistor layer.

4. The pressure sensor according to claim 3 , wherein
the support layer is formed integrally with the second electrode, and the second electrode is made of an electrically conductive polymer; and
the first protrusions and the second protrusions are each a metallic nanorod or a carbon nanotube, and the metallic nanorod is a vertical nanorod made of platinum or silver.

5. The pressure sensor according to claim 3 , wherein the resistor layer further comprises:
a first semiconductive film covering a portion of the elastic restoration layer between adjacent ones of the first protrusions; and
a second semiconductive film covering a portion of the second electrode between adjacent ones of the second protrusions or a portion of the support layer between adjacent ones of the second protrusions.

6. The pressure sensor according to claim 5 , wherein
the first semiconductive film and the second semiconductive film are each made of graphene.

7. The pressure sensor according to claim 3 , wherein
the elastic restoration layer is arranged on the flexible substrate, and the resistor layer is arranged at a surface of the elastic restoration layer distal to the flexible substrate.

8. The pressure sensor according to claim 7 , wherein
an orthogonal projection of each of the first protrusions onto the flexible substrate is spaced apart from or incompletely overlaps an orthogonal projection of a respective one of the second protrusions onto the flexible substrate, and the respective second protrusion is adjacent to the first protrusion.

9. The pressure sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the resistor layer comprises: a first conductive structure arranged on the elastic restoration layer, and a second conductive structure arranged on the second electrode; and
the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure are arranged between the second electrode and the elastic restoration layer, wherein when the resistor layer is deformed due to the pressure, a contact area between the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure changes, to change the resistance of the resistor layer.

10. A method for manufacturing the pressure sensor according to claim 1 , comprising:
forming the electroluminescent device, comprising forming the first electrode, the second electrode, and the electroluminescent layer between the first electrode and the second electrode;
forming the resistor layer, the first electrode and the resistor layer being connected to two electrodes of a power source respectively to form a loop;
forming the photoelectric sensor, the photoelectric sensor being configured to acquire a parameter related to a brightness change of the electroluminescent device; and
providing the detection unit, the detection unit being connected to the photoelectric sensor and configured to determine a size of the pressure in accordance with the parameter related to the brightness change of the electroluminescent device.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprises:
forming an elastic restoration layer at a side of the resistor layer distal to the first electrode or at another side of the resistor layer proximate to the first electrode,
wherein the elastic restoration layer is made of an elastic material, and the elastic restoration layer is restored from deformation when the pressure applied to the resistor layer is removed, to restore the deformed resistor layer to its initial state.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
providing a support layer,
wherein the forming the resistor layer comprises: forming a first conductive structure on the elastic restoration layer, and forming a second conductive layer on the support layer, wherein the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure are arranged between the support layer and the elastic restoration layer, and when the resistor layer is deformed due to the pressure, a contact area between the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure changes, to change the resistance of the resistor layer.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein
the forming the first conductive structure comprises: forming a plurality of first protrusions; and
the forming the second conductive structure comprises: forming a plurality of second protrusions,
wherein each of the first protrusions is arranged at a respective position corresponding to a region between the second protrusions, each of the second protrusions is arranged at a respective position corresponding to a region between the first protrusions, and when the resistor layer is deformed due to the pressure, a pos

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd
• Hefei Xinsheng Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Peng Rui
• Wang Qinghe
• Jia Wenbin
• Ye Zhijie
• Fan Zhaokang

Classifications

• G01L11/02

  by optical means · CPC title

• G01L1/2287 Primary

  constructional details of the strain gauges (adjustable resistors H01C10/00) · CPC title

• G01L1/22 Primary

  using resistance strain gauges · CPC title

• G01L1/24 Primary

  by measuring variations of optical properties of material when it is stressed, e.g. by photoelastic stress analysis {using infrared, visible light, ultraviolet} · CPC title