Performance enhancement of sensors through surface processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10926523-B2
Application number	US-201816012500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2018
Priority date	Jun 19, 2018
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

Techniques for modifying surfaces of electrodes are provided. An electrode surface can be processed by applying an abrasive material or chemical solution to or against the surface to modify the surface to reduce the amount of roughness on, and/or alter the shape of, the surface. The shape of the surface can be altered by rounding or doming the surface. During surface processing, flexible or compressible support material can be applied to the back of an abrasive material, such as sandpaper, to desirably distribute pressure from the support material to the sandpaper and/or mold the shape of the sandpaper to facilitate maintaining desirable contact by the sandpaper on electrode surfaces. With regard to a flexible circuit board on which electrodes are formed, a vacuum chuck component or a temporary abrasive can be used to hold the circuit board in a flat and stationary position during surface processing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
forming an electrode; and
modifying a surface of the electrode to reduce an amount of roughness of the surface of the electrode and alter a shape of the surface, wherein the amount of roughness is based at least in part on a number or a size of protrusions on the surface of the electrode, and wherein the altering of the shape of the surface of the electrode comprises altering the shape of the surface of the electrode from a flat or substantially flat shape to a rounded shape, comprising rounding an edge portion of the surface, on at least a first side of the surface and a second side of the surface that is perpendicular to the first side of the surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the altering of the shape of the surface from the flat or substantially flat shape to the rounded shape comprises polishing or etching the surface to remove a portion of a material of the surface of the electrode to round the surface into a domed shape that has a center portion of the surface that is higher in height than edge portions of the surface that are lower in height relative to the center portion, wherein the surface spans from the higher center portion of the surface in the rounded shape to the edge portions of the surface that are lower in height, and wherein the edge portions comprise the edge portion.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modifying the surface of the electrode further comprises modifying the surface of the electrode to form at least one of striations or a defined pattern in or on the surface of the electrode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is usable in a sensor, wherein the modifying of the surface of the electrode facilitates enhancing an interfacing between the surface of the electrode and a conductive layer of the sensor that is configurable to be in contact with or proximity to the surface of the electrode, and wherein the sensor senses at least one of an amount of pressure impacting the sensor, an amount of force being applied to the sensor, or a contact with the sensor.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
analyzing the amount of the roughness of the surface of the electrode or the alteration of the shape of the surface;
based at least in part on a result of the analyzing, determining whether the amount of the roughness of the surface or the alteration of the shape of the surface satisfies defined surface processing criteria that indicates a defined suitable amount of reduction of the roughness of the surface or a defined suitable alteration of the shape of the surface; and
at least one of:
in response to determining that the amount of the roughness of the surface or the alteration of the shape of the surface satisfies the defined surface processing criteria, discontinuing the modifying of the surface of the electrode, or
in response to determining that the amount of the roughness of the surface or the alteration of the shape of the surface does not satisfy the defined surface processing criteria, continuing performing the modifying of the surface of the electrode until the defined surface processing criteria is determined to be satisfied.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
applying an abrasive material to the surface of the electrode or a chemical solution to the surface of the electrode to facilitate the modifying of the surface of the electrode, wherein a chemical process is employed to facilitate the applying of the chemical solution to the surface.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the abrasive material is part of a group of abrasive materials comprising a sandpaper, an abrasive paste, a diamond paste, and an abrasive polishing cloth.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the chemical process comprises at least one of a chemical etching process or a chemical polishing process.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
controlling the modifying of the surface of the electrode based at least in part on at least one of an amount of pressure applied to the surface by the abrasive material, a type of the abrasive material applied to the surface, an amount of time the abrasive material is applied to the surface, or a region on the surface to which the abrasive material is applied.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein a sandpaper comprises an abrasive side that contains the abrasive material comprises and a non-abrasive side that is on an opposite side of the abrasive side, and wherein the method further comprises:
applying at least one of a polymer material or a foam material to the non-abrasive side of the sandpaper to facilitate controlling at least one of an amount of pressure of the abrasive material on the surface, a distribution of the pressure of the abrasive material on the surface, or a molding of the abrasive material in relation to the surface, during application of the abrasive material to the surface of the electrode, wherein the at least one of the polymer material or the foam material is at least one of flexible or compressible.

11. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
controlling the modifying of the surface of the electrode based at least in part on at least one of a type of the chemical solution or an amount of time the chemical solution is applied to the surface.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
during the modifying of the surface of the electrode, retaining a circuit board, comprising a set of electrodes including the electrode, in a flat and stationary position on a flat surface.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
applying a vacuum pressure to the circuit board to facilitate the retaining of the circuit board in the flat and stationary position on the flat surface.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
applying a temporary adhesive to at least one of the flat surface or a bottom surface of the circuit board to facilitate the retaining of the circuit board in the flat and stationary position on the flat surface, wherein the electrode is formed on a top surface of the circuit board.

15. A device, comprising:
a sensor component comprising:
an electrode component formed of a conductive material and comprising a surface; and
a conductor component configured to interface with the surface of the electrode component to facilitate sensing of a condition by the sensor component, wherein the surface of the electrode component is modified to reduce an amount of roughness of the surface of the electrode component and change a shape of the surface, wherein the change to the shape of the surface of the electrode component comprises a rounding of the surface, including a rounding of an edge portion of the surface, on at least a first side of the surface and a second side of the surface that is adjacent to the first side of the surface, wherein the amount of roughness is based at least in part on a number or a size of protrusions on the surface of the electrode component, and wherein the modification of the surface of the electrode component enhances the interfacing between the surface of the electrode component and the conductor component.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the rounding of the surface, including the rounding of the edge portion of the surface, comprises the surface of the electrode component being rounded in a form of a domed shape that has a center portion of the surface that is higher in height than edge portions of the surface that are lower in height relative to the center portion, wherein the surface spans from the higher height of the center portion of the surface in a rounded manner to the edge portio

Assignees

• Sensel Inc

Inventors

• Isaacson Scott Gregory
• Rosenberg Ilya Daniel
• Oberg Stephanie Jeanne
• Miller Brogan Carl

Classifications

• C23F1/20

  for etching aluminium or alloys thereof · CPC title

• B32B38/10

  Removing layers, or parts of layers, mechanically or chemically · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• H05K2201/10151

  Sensor · CPC title

• H05K3/26

  Cleaning or polishing of the conductive pattern · CPC title