Conductive polymer composite sensors have shown great potential in identifying gaseous analytes. To more thoroughly understand the physical and chemical mechanism of this type of sensors, a model was developed by combining two sub-models: a conductivity model and a thermodynamic model, which gives a relationship between the vapor concentration of analyte(s) and the change of the sensor signals. In this work, 64 chemiresistors representing eight different carbon concentrations (8–60 vol.% carbon) were constructed by depositing thin films of a carbon black–polyisobutylene composite onto concentric spiral platinum electrodes on a silicon chip. The responses of the sensors were measured in dry air and at various vapor pressures of toluene and trichloroethylene. Three parameters in the conductivity model were determined by fitting the experimental data. It was shown that by applying this model, the sensor responses can be predicted if the vapor pressure is known; furthermore the vapor concentration can be estimated based on the sensor responses. This model will guide the improvement of the design and fabrication of conductive polymer composite sensors for detecting and identifying organic vapors. A novel method was developed to optimize the selection of polymeric materials to be used within a chemiresistor array for anticipated samples without performing preliminary experiments. It is based on the theoretical predicted responses of chemiresistors and the criterion of minimizing the mean square error (MSE) of the chemiresistor array. After the number of chemiresistors to be used in an array and the anticipated sample chemistry are determined, the MSE values of all combinations of the candidate chemiresistors are calculated. The combination which has the minimum MSE value is the best choice. This can become computationally intensive for selection of polymers for large arrays from candidates in a large database. The number of combinations can be reduced by using the branch and bound method to save computation time. This method is suitable for samples at low concentrations where thermodynamic multi-component interactions are linear. To help users apply this polymer selection method for the sensors, a website including 10 solvents and 10 polymers was developed. Users can specify a target sample and obtain the best set of polymers for a sensor array to detect the sample. The activities of trichloroethylene and toluene in polyisobutylene were measured at very low concentrations. The activities for toluene are consistent with published values at higher concentrations. The values for trichloroethylene are a new contribution to the literature.

Water soluble conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs), which fall under the category of conductive polymers, possess numerous advantages over other conductive materials for the fabrication of electronic devices. Namely, the processing of water soluble conjugated polyelectrolytes into thin film electronic devices is much less costly as compared to the processing of inorganic materials. Moreover, the handling of conjugated polyelectrolytes can be performed in a much more environmentally friendly manner than in the processing of other conjugated polymers because conjugated polyelectrolytes are water soluble, whereas other polymers will only dissolve in toxic organic solvents. The processing of electronic devices containing inorganic constituents such as copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), is much more expensive and poses much greater environmental risks because toxic metals may be released into landfills or waterways upon cell disposal.75 Because conjugated polyelectrolytes enjoy an assortment of advantages over other materials for the manufacturing of thin film electronic devices, there is globally vested interest in the researching of their properties. Despite the fact that CPEs can serve as efficient electron transport mediums, devices such as organic solar cells cannot realize their highest efficiencies unless the morphology of CPEs is precisely controlled. Charged surfactants can electrostatically and ionically interact with CPEs, and when introduced in specific concentrations, molar ratios, and temperature ranges, will aid in a ‘coil to rod’ transition of the CPE, wherein polymer chains undergo intramolecular transitions to obtain rigid-rod morphologies. The kinetics and thermodynamics of the ‘coil to rod’ transition are heavily dependent upon the type(s) of charged surfactant complexed with the CPE (i.e. on the surfactant architecture). By performing UV/Vis Spectroscopy and Fluorometry on dilute polymer/surfactant solutions, Polarized Optical Microscopy (POM) and Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS) on high concentration polymer/surfactant solutions, and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) on solid-state polymer/surfactant samples, the role of various surfactant architectures on the kinetics and thermodynamics of the ‘coil to rod’ transition was studied. The liquid crystalline physical properties and the extent of solid state crystallinity were also investigated. Through an analysis of the data obtained from these various techniques, it was found that the ‘coil to rod’ transition is progressively favored when the alkyl chain length of a single tailed surfactant is sequentially increased, and that as the concentration of double-tailed surfactant increases, the ‘coil to rod’ transition is negated.

Ion implantation of titania nanotubes is a highly versatile approach for tailoring structural and electrical properties. While recently self-organized nanoscale compositional patterning has been reported, the atomistic foundations and impact on electronic structure are not established at this point. To study these aspects, ab initio molecular dynamic simulations based on atomic compositions in C implanted titania nanotubes according to elastic recoil detection analysis are employed. Consistent with experimental data, carbon accumulates in chainlike precipitates, which are favorable for enhancing conductivity, as revealed by density-functional theory electronic ground states calculations are demonstrated.

No description available.

The purpose of the thesis was to create a data glove that can translate ASL by reading the finger- and hand movements. Furthermore, the applicability of conductive fabric as stretch sensors was explored. To read the hand gestures stretch sensors constructed from conductive fabric were attached to each finger of the glove to distinguish how much they were bent. The hand movements were registered using a 3-axis accelerometer which was mounted on the glove. The sensor values were read by an Arduino Nano 33 IoT mounted to the wrist of the glove which processed the readings and translated them into the corresponding sign. The microcontroller would then wirelessly transmit the result to another device through Bluetooth Low Energy. The glove was able to correctly translate all the signs of the ASL alphabet with an average accuracy of 93%. It was found that signs with small differences in hand gestures such as S and T were harder to distinguish between which would result in an accuracy of 70% for these specific signs. / Syftet med uppsatsen var att skapa en datahandske som kan översätta ASL genom att läsa av finger- och handrörelser. Vidare undersöktes om ledande tyg kan användas som sträcksensorer. För att läsa av handgesterna fästes ledande tyg på varje finger på handsken för att urskilja hur mycket de böjdes. Handrörelserna registrerades med en 3-axlig accelerometer som var monterad på handsken. Sensorvärdena lästes av en Arduino Nano 33 IoT monterad på handleden som översatte till de motsvarande tecknen. Mikrokontrollern överförde sedan resultatet trådlöst till en annan enhet via Bluetooth Low Energy. Handsken kunde korrekt översätta alla tecken på ASL-alfabetet med en genomsnittlig exakthet på 93%. Det visade sig att tecken med små skillnader i handgester som S och T var svårare att skilja mellan vilket resulterade i en noggrannhet på 70% för dessa specifika tecken.

O objetivo deste estudo foi o desenvolvimento de compósitos poliméricos flexíveis e altamente condutores elétricos preparados por moldagem por compressão e por fabricação de filamentos fundidos (FFF) para possíveis aplicações como materiais piezoresistivos ou piezoelétricos para sensores de compressão. Compósitos baseados em misturas de poli(fluoreto de vinilideno)/poliuretano termoplástico (PVDF/TPU) como matriz e contendo várias frações de negro de fumo-polipirrol (CB-PPy) como aditivo condutor foram preparados. Diversas técnicas de caracterização foram realizadas para avaliar as propriedades mecânicas, térmicas, químicas e elétricas, morfologia e printabilidade dos materiais investigados. Primeiro, blendas de PVDF/TPU com diferentes composições foram produzidas por mistura por fusão seguida de moldagem por compressão. Os resultados mostraram que a flexibilidade desejada para os materiais foi melhorada com a adição de TPU aos compósitos de PVDF. As imagens SEM evidenciaram a obtenção de uma blenda co-contínua com 50/50 vol% de PVDF/TPU. As blendas compostas de PVDF/TPU 38/62 vol% e a blenda co-contínua de PVDF/TPU 50/50 vol% foram selecionadas como matrizes para a preparação de compósitos moldados por compressão e impressos em 3D a fim de alcançar uma ótima combinação entre condutividade, propriedades mecânicas e printabilidade. Várias quantidades de negro de fumo-polipirrol, de 0 a 15%, foram adicionadas às blendas selecionadas para aumentar a condutividade elétrica dos compósitos e possivelmente atuar como agente nucleante para a fase cristalina do PVDF a fim de aumentar sua resposta piezoelétrica. A adição de CB-PPy aumentou a condutividade elétrica de todos os compósitos. No entanto, a condutividade elétrica dos compósitos baseados em blendas co-contínuas PVDF/TPU 50/50 vol% foi maior do que as encontradas para os compósitos de PVDF/TPU 38/62 vol% com mesma concentração de aditivo. De fato, o limiar de percolação elétrico dos compósitos com blenda co-contínua foi de 2%, enquanto o limiar de percolação elétrico dos compósitos compostos da blenda não contínua foi de 5%. Com relação às propriedades mecânicas, a incorporação do aditivo condutor nas blendas resultou em materiais mais rígidos com maior módulo de elasticidade, menor alongamento na ruptura e maior módulo de armazenamento. O módulo de armazenamento (G') e a viscosidade complexa (η*) dos compósitos aumentaram com a adição de CB-PPy. O limiar de percolação reológico foi de 3% para PVDF/TPU/CB-PPy 38/62 vol% e 1% para PVDF/TPU/CB-PPy 50/50 vol%, indicando que uma quantidade maior de carga poderia comprometer a processabilidade dos compósitos. A adição de CB-PPy também resultou na redução dos valores de Tg e Tm dos compósitos devido à redução da mobilidade das cadeias poliméricas. Com base na condutividade elétrica e no comportamento mecânico dos compósitos, três composições diferentes foram selecionadas para a extrusão de filamentos para serem posteriormente utilizados no processo de impressão 3D. No geral, as peças impressas em 3D apresentaram propriedades mecânicas e elétricas inferiores devido à presença de vazios, defeitos e camadas sobrepostas que podem dificultar o fluxo de elétrons. Os valores de condutividade elétrica dos compósitos impressos em 3D de PVDF/TPU/CB-PPy 38/62 vol% contendo 5% e 6% de CB-PPy são de uma a sete ordens de grandeza menores do que os encontrados para os compósitos com a mesma composição moldados por compressão. Mesmo que o valor da condutividade elétrica para o compósito PVDF/TPU 38/62 vol% com 6% de CB-PPy moldado por compressão foi de 1,94x10-1 S•m-1, o compósito impresso em 3D com a mesma composição mostrou um valor muito baixo de condutividade elétrica de 6,01x10-8 S•m-1. Por outro lado, o compósito co-contínuo de PVDF/TPU 50/50 vol% com 10% de aditivo impresso em 3D apresentou um alto valor de condutividade elétrica de 4,14×100 S•m-1 mesmo após o processo de impressão. Além disso, as respostas piezoresistivas dos compósitos foram investigadas. Para os compósitos PVDF/TPU/CB-PPy 38/62 vol%, as amostras moldadas por compressão e impressas em 3D com 5% e 6% de CB-PPy exibiram boa resposta piezoresistiva. No entanto, apenas os compósitos com 6% de aditivo apresentaram valores elevados de sensibilidade e gauge factor, atuação em ampla faixa de pressão e respostas piezoresistivas reprodutíveis durante a aplicação de 100 ciclos de compressão/descompressão para ambos os métodos de fabricação. Por outro lado, para os compósitos co-contínuos de PVDF/TPU/CB-PPy apenas a amostra moldada por compressão com 5% de CB-PPy apresentou respostas piezorresistivas boas e reprodutíveis. A cristalinidade e o teor de fase β do PVDF foram investigados para os compósitos. Embora o grau de cristalinidade das amostras tenha diminuído com a adição de CB-PPy, a porcentagem de fase β no PVDF aumentou. O coeficiente piezoelétrico d33 das amostras aumentou com a porcentagem de fase β. A adição de 6% ou mais de CB-PPy foi necessária para aumentar significativamente o coeficiente piezoelétrico (d33) dos compósitos. O conteúdo de fase β e as respostas piezoelétricas do PVDF foram menores para as amostras preparadas por FFF. Por fim, como pesquisa colateral, a eficiência de blindagem contra interferência eletromagnética (EMI-SE) foi medida para todos os compósitos. Compósitos com maior condutividade elétrica apresentaram melhor blindagem da radiação eletromagnética. Além disso, os compósitos baseados na blenda co-contínua apresentaram maior eficiência de blindagem contra EMI do que os compósitos de PVDF/TPU 38/62 vol%. O principal mecanismo de blindagem foi a absorção para todos os compósitos. As amostras preparadas por FFF apresentaram respostas de EMI-SE menores quando comparadas às amostras moldadas por compressão. / The aim of this study was the development of flexible and highly electrically conductive polymer composites via compression molding and fused filament fabrication for possible applications as piezoresistive or piezoelectric materials for pressure sensors. Composites based on blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/thermoplastic polyurethane (PVDF/TPU) as matrix and containing various fractions of carbon black-polypyrrole (CB-PPy) as conductive filler were prepared. Several characterization techniques were performed in order to evaluate the mechanical, thermal, chemical and electrical properties, morphology and printability of the investigated materials. First, PVDF/TPU blends with different compositions were prepared by melt compounding followed by compression molding. The results showed that the flexibility aimed for the final materials was improved with the addition of TPU to PVDF composites. SEM images evidenced the achievement of a co-continuous blend comprising 50/50 vol% of PVDF/TPU. The blends composed of PVDF/TPU 38/62 vol% and the co-continuous blend of PVDF/TPU 50/50 vol% were selected as matrices for the preparation of compression molded and 3D printed composites in order to achieve an optimal compromise between electrical conductivity, mechanical properties and printability. Various amounts of carbon black-polypyrrole, from 0 up to 15%, were added to the selected blends in order to rise the electrical conductivity of the composites and to possible act as nucleating filler for the β crystalline phase of PVDF in order to increase its piezoelectric response. The addition of CB-PPy increased the electrical conductivity of all composites. However, the electrical conductivity of composites based on PVDF/TPU 50/50 vol% co-continuous blends was higher than those found for PVDF/TPU 38/62 vol% composites at the same filler content. Indeed, the electrical percolation threshold of the conductive co-continuous composite blends was 2%, while the electrical percolation threshold of the composites with the nonco-continuous composite blends was 5%. With respect to the mechanical properties, the incorporation of the filler into the blends leaded to more rigid materials with higher elastic modulus, lower elongation at break and higher storage modulus. The storage modulus (G’) and complex viscosity (η*) of the composites increased with the addition of CB-PPy. The rheological percolation threshold was found to be 3% for PVDF/TPU/CB-PPy 38/62 vol% and 1% for PVDF/TPU/CB-PPy 50/50 vol%, indicating that higher amount of filler could compromise the processability of the composites. The addition of CB-PPy also resulted in a reduction on the Tg and Tm values of the composites due to the reduction of the mobility of the polymeric chains. Based on the electrical conductivity and mechanical behavior of the composites, three different compositions were selected for the extrusion of filaments to be used in a 3D printing process. Overall, the 3D printed parts presented lower mechanical and electrical properties because of the presence of voids, defects and overlapping layers that can hinder the flow of electrons. The electrical conductivity values of PVDF/TPU/CB-PPy 38/62 vol% composites containing 5% and 6 wt% of CB-PPy 3D printed samples are one to seven orders of magnitude lower than those found for compression molded composites with the same composition. Even if the electrical conductivity value for PVDF/TPU 38/62 vol% compression molded composite with 6% of CB-PPy was as high as 1.94x10-1 S•m-1, the 3D printed composite with same composition showed a very low electrical conductivity of 6.01x10-8 S•m-1. On the other hand, the 3D printed co-continuous composite PVDF/TPU 50/50 vol% with 10% of filler displayed a high value of electrical conductivity of 4.14×100 S•m-1 even after the printing process. Moreover, the piezoresistive responses of the composites were investigated. For PVDF/TPU/CB-PPy 38/62 vol% composites, the compression molded and 3D printed samples with 5% and 6% of CB-PPy exhibited good piezoresistive response. However, only the composites with 6% displayed high sensitivity and gauge factor values, large pressure range and reproducible piezoresistive responses under 100 cycles for both methods. On the other hand, for PVDF/TPU/CB-PPy co-continuous composites only the compression molded sample with 5% of CB-PPy presented good and reproducible piezoresistive responses. The crystallinity and β phase content of PVDF were investigated for the composites. Althought the degree of crystallinity of the samples decreased with the addition of CB-PPy, the percentage of β phase in PVDF was increased. The piezoelectric coefficient d33 of the samples increased with the percentage of β phase. The addition of 6% or more of CB-PPy was necessary to increase significatively the piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of the composites. The β phase content and piezoelectric responses of PVDF were lower for samples prepared by FFF. Finally, as a collateral research, the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI-SE) were measured for all composites. Composites with higher electrical conductivity showed better shielding of the electromagnetic radiation. In addition, composites based on the co-continuous blend displayed higher EMI shielding efficiency than 38/62 vol% composites. The main mechanism of shielding was absorption for all composites. Specimens prepared by FFF displayed diminished EMI-SE responses when compared to compression molded samples. / Lo scopo di questo studio è lo sviluppo di compositi polimerici flessibili e ad elevata conducibilità elettrica tramite stampaggio a compressione e manifattura additiva (fused filament fabrication) per possibili applicazioni come materiali piezoresistivi o piezoelettrici in sensori di pressione. In particolare, sono stati preparati compositi a base di miscele di poli(vinilidene fluoruro)/poliuretano termoplastico (PVDF/TPU) come matrice e contenenti varie frazioni di nerofumo-polipirrolo (CB-PPy) come riempitivo conduttivo. Sono state utilizzate diverse tecniche di caratterizzazione al fine di valutare le proprietà meccaniche, termiche, chimiche ed elettriche, la morfologia e la stampabilità dei materiali ottenuti. In primo luogo, miscele PVDF/TPU con diverse composizioni sono state preparate mediante mescolatura allo stato fuso seguita da stampaggio a compressione. I risultati hanno mostrato che la flessibilità del PVDF viene notevolemente migliorata dall’aggiunta di TPU. Le immagini SEM hanno evidenziato il raggiungimento di una miscela co-continua per una composizione 50/50% in volume di PVDF/TPU. Le miscele composte da PVDF/TPU 38/62 vol% e la miscela co-continua di PVDF/TPU 50/50 vol% sono state selezionate come matrici per la preparazione di compositi per stampaggio a compressione e manifattura additiva al fine di ottenere un compromesso ottimale tra conducibilità, proprietà meccaniche e stampabilità. Alle miscele selezionate sono state aggiunte varie quantità di nerofumo-polipirrolo, dallo 0 al 15%, per aumentare la conducibilità elettrica dei compositi ed eventualmente fungere da additivo nucleante per la fase β cristallina del PVDF al fine di aumentarne la risposta piezoelettrica. L'aggiunta di CB-PPy ha aumentato la conduttività elettrica di tutti i compositi. Tuttavia, la conduttività elettrica dei compositi basati su miscele co-continue di PVDF/TPU 50/50% in volume era superiore a quella trovata per compositi PVDF/TPU 38/62% in volume con lo stesso contenuto di riempitivo. Infatti, la soglia di percolazione elettrica delle miscele conduttive era del 2%, mentre la soglia di percolazione elettrica dei compositi con miscele composite non continue era del 5%. Per quanto riguarda le proprietà meccaniche, l'incorporazione del riempitivo nelle mescole ha portato a materiali più rigidi con modulo elastico più elevato, allungamento a rottura inferiore e modulo conservativo più elevato. Il modulo conservativo (G') e la viscosità complessa (η*) dei compositi sono aumentate con l'aggiunta di CB-PPy. La soglia di percolazione reologica è risultata essere del 3% per PVDF/TPU/CB-PPy 38/62 vol% e dell'1% per PVDF/TPU/CB-PPy 50/50 vol%, indicando che una maggiore quantità di riempitivo potrebbe compromettere la processabilità dei compositi. L'aggiunta di CB-PPy ha comportato anche una riduzione dei valori di Tg e Tm dei compositi a causa della riduzione della mobilità delle catene polimeriche. Sulla base della conduttività elettrica e del comportamento meccanico dei compositi, sono state selezionate tre diverse composizioni per l'estrusione di filamenti da utilizzare in un processo di stampa 3D. Nel complesso, le parti stampate in 3D presentavano proprietà meccaniche ed elettriche inferiori a causa della presenza di vuoti, difetti e strati sovrapposti che possono ostacolare il flusso di elettroni. I valori di conducibilità elettrica dei compositi PVDF/TPU/CB-PPy 38/62 vol% contenenti il 5% e il 6% di CB-PPy di campioni stampati in 3D sono da uno a sette ordini di grandezza inferiori a quelli trovati per i compositi stampati a compressione con la stessa composizione. Anche se il valore di conducibilità elettrica per il composito stampato a compressione PVDF/TPU 38/62 vol% con il 6% di CB-PPy era pari a 1,94x10-1 S•m-1, il composito stampato in 3D con la stessa composizione ha mostrato un valore molto basso di conducibilità elettrica, pari a 6,01x10-8 S•m-1. D'altra parte, il composito PVDF/TPU 50/50 vol% stampato in 3D con il 10% di riempitivo ha mostrato un elevato valore di conducibilità elettrica, pari a 4,14 × 100 S•m-1, anche dopo il processo di stampa. Inoltre, sono state studiate le risposte piezoresistive dei compositi. Per i compositi PVDF/TPU/CB-PPy 38/62 vol%, i campioni stampati a compressione e stampati in 3D con il 5% e il 6% di CB-PPy hanno mostrato una buona risposta piezoresistiva. Tuttavia, solo i compositi con il 6% hanno mostrato valori di sensibilità e gauge factor elevati, ampio intervallo di pressione e risposte piezoresistive riproducibili in 100 cicli per entrambi i metodi. D'altra parte, per i compositi co-continui PVDF/TPU/CB-PPy solo il campione stampato a compressione con il 5% di CB-PPy ha presentato risposte piezoresistive adeguate e riproducibili. La cristallinità e il contenuto di fase β del PVDF sono stati studiati per i compositi. Sebbene il grado di cristallinità dei campioni diminuisca con l'aggiunta di CB-PPy, la percentuale di fase β in PVDF risulta aumentata. Il coefficiente piezoelettrico d33 dei campioni aumenta anch’esso con la percentuale di fase β. L'aggiunta del 6% o più di CB-PPy è stata necessaria per aumentare significativamente il coefficiente piezoelettrico (d33) dei compositi. Il contenuto di fase β e le risposte piezoelettriche del PVDF sono inferiori per i campioni ottenuti mediante stampa 3D. Infine, come ricerca collaterale, è stata misurata l'efficacia della schermatura contro le interferenze elettromagnetiche (EMI-SE) per tutti i compositi. I compositi con una maggiore conduttività elettrica hanno mostrato una migliore schermatura della radiazione elettromagnetica. Inoltre, i compositi basati sulla miscela co-continua hanno mostrato un'efficienza di schermatura EMI maggiore rispetto ai compositi a 38/62% in volume. Per tutti i compositi, il principale meccanismo di schermatura è l'assorbimento. I campioni preparati mediante manifattura additiva hanno mostrato risposte EMI-SE inferiori rispetto ai campioni stampati a compressione.

Smarta textilier och e-textilier har, sedan de först började forskas på, haft ett potentiellt användningsområde inom sjukvården, för att användas inom långtidsövervakning av sjuka. Det största hindret som har upptäckts är, förutom att det finns vissa svårigheter med stabiliteten på signalerna från textilierna och att signalerna kan störas av brus, är att de har varit svåra att tvätta. De elektriskt ledande materialen har antagits förstörda av värmen, kemikalierna och det mekaniska arbetet från tvätten. Den här studien fokuserar på hur ledningsbanorna reagerar över lag på tvätt, och om det finns något samband mellan de olika mätmetoderna. Denna rapport testar två olika bindningar för att tillverka en stickad elektrisk ledningsbana, där en ledningsbana ligger exponerad och en ligger isolerad i bakgrundstyget. Flera olika bredder på ledningsbanan tillverkas för att undersöka om det finns någon skillnad mellan dem. Genom att testa resistansen på ledningsbanan, kontaktimpedansen mellan hud och elektrod, och böjstyvheten på fibrerna från det ledande garnet med hjälp av en FAVIMAT+ från TexTechno innan någon tvätt hade utförts, och sedan var femte tvätt upp till 30 tvättar, kan förändringen följas över en längre tid. Med de resultat som samlades in utfördes en ANOVA för varje mätmetod. Sedan utfördes flera korrelationstester, däribland SpearmanRho tester och även ett program för att anpassa en kurva till mätvärdena användes. De resultat som studien kom fram till pekar på att det inte finns något samband mellan ökningen av resistans och ökningen av kontaktimpedans. Resultaten från böjstyvheten var för brusiga för att några slutsatser skulle kunna dras. Det visar sig även att en bredare ledningsbana, och den bindning som isolerade ledningsbanan presterade bättre och hade en mindre ökning över tid än vad de smalare och exponerade ledningsbanorna hade. / Smart textiles and e-textiles have since they first started being researched had a potential to be used in the medical field to monitor sick people over a longer time. The biggest obstacle for the implementation of the smart textiles, except for the difficulty in getting a stable and clean signal, is the conductive yarns inability to handle being washed. The conductive yarn is thought to lose its conductivity due to the heat, chemicals and mechanical work it is exposed to during the wash. The focus of this study is how the conductive tracks react to washing, and if there is any correlation between the different methods of measuring. This report will test two different patterns for creating a knitted conductive track, one where the track will be exposed on the surface of the fabric, and one where it will be isolated between layers of the fabric. Different widths of the track will be tested to see if there is any difference between them. By measuring the resistance of the conductive track, the contact impedance between the skin and electrode and the bending stiffness of the fibers of the conductive yarn before any washes had been carried out, and then after every fifth wash, up to 30 washes, it was possible to track the changes over a longer period. With the results that were collected, an ANOVA was carried out for each of the testing methods. Thereafter several correlation tests were carried out, among others a SpearmanRho and a program that tried to fit a curve to the data points. The results that the study concluded were that there was no correlation between the increase in resistance and the increase of the contact impedance. The results from the bending stiffness were too inconclusive for any conclusions to be made. It also showed that a wider track and the pattern that isolated the track performed better than the thinner tracks and the pattern that exposed the track. The wider isolated track had lower increase of resistance over time that the thin exposed tracks had.

Wearable technology has attracted global attention in the last decade and the market is experiencing an unprecedented growth. Wearable devices are designed to be low-profile, light-weight and integrated seamlessly into daily life. Comfort is one of the most important requirements for wearable devices. Fabric based antennas are soft, flexible and can be integrated into clothing. State of the art textile manufacturing techniques such as embroidery, combined with advanced conductive textile materials can be used to fabricate flexible fabric based on-body antennas. In this thesis, the feasibility of using computerised embroidery in the fabrication of wearable, flexible yet functional fabric based antennas have been examined. The fabric based antennas are embroidered using conductive threads. The most suitable materials for fabricating embroidered antennas have been identified. The embroidered fabric based antenna systems including transmission lines and low-profile detachable connectors have been fabricated and their RF performances have been tested. The optimal manufacturing parameters related to embroidery such as stitch direction, spacing and length have been examined. The repeatability of embroidered antennas, cost estimation, and complexity of manufacturing process have been clearly presented. The results can be used to inform and provide guidelines for the development of representative products that can be mass manufactured. A new simulation approach has been introduced to analyse the anisotropic properties of embroidered conductive threads. Simulations and measurements indicate that the performances of embroidered antennas are affected by the anisotropic surface current due to the embroidered stitches. Exploiting the current direction, a novel non-uniform meshed patch antenna has been designed. Representative results show that the non-uniform meshed structure can significantly reduce more than 75% of the usage of conductive materials for the microstrip antennas with negligible effect on the antenna performance.

In smart textiles, electrical conductivity is often required for several functions, especially contacting (electroding) and interconnecting. This thesis explores electrically conductive textile surfaces made by combining conventional textile coating methods with the intrinsically conductive polymer complex poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). PEDOT:PSS was used in textile coating formulations including polymer binder, ethylene glycol (EG) and rheology modifier. Shear viscometry was used to identify suitable viscosities of the formulations for each coating method. The coating methods were knife coating, pad coating and screen printing. The first part of the work studied the influence of composition of the coating formulation, the amount of coating and the film formation process on the surface resistivity and the surface appearance of knife-coated textiles. The electrical resistivity was largely affected by the amount of PEDOT:PSS in the coating and indicated percolation behaviour within the system. Addition of a high-boiling solvent, i.e. EG, decreased the surface resistivity with more than four orders of magnitude. Studies of tear strength and bending rigidity showed that textiles coated with formulations containing larger amounts of PEDOT:PSS and EG were softer, more ductile and stronger than those coated with formulations containing more binder. The coated textiles were found to be durable to abrasion and cyclic strain, as well as quite resilient to the harsh treatment of shear flexing. Washing increased the surface resistivity, but the samples remained conductive after five wash cycles. The second part of the work focused on using the coatings to transfer the voltage signal from piezoelectric textile fibres; the coatings were first applied using pad coating as the outer electrode on a woven sensor and then as screen-printed interconnections in a sensing glove based on stretchy, warp-knitted fabric. Sensor data from the glove was successfully used as input to a microcontroller running a robot gripper. These applications showed the viability of the concept and that the coatings could be made very flexible and integrated into the textile garment without substantial loss of the textile characteristics. The industrial feasibility of the approach was also verified through the variations of coating methods.

The foundation of vacuum nanoelectronics was laid as early as in 1961 when Kenneth Shoulders proposed the development of vertical field-emission micro-triodes. After years of conspicuous stagnancy in the field much interest has reemerged for the vacuum nanoelectronics in recent years. Electron field emission under high electric field from conventional and exotic nanoemitters, which have now been made possible with the use of modern day technology, has been the driving force behind this renewal of interest in vacuum nanoelectronics. In the research reported in this thesis self-assembled silicon nanostructures were studied as a potential source of field emission for vacuum nanoelectronic device applications. Whiskerlike protruding silicon nanostructures were grown on untreated n- and p-type silicon surfaces using electron-beam annealing under high vacuum. The electrical transport characteristics of the silicon nanostructures were investigated using conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM). Higher electrical conductivities for the nanostructured surface compared to that for the surrounding planar silicon substrate region were observed. Non-ideal diode behaviour with high ideality factors were reported for the individual nanostructure-AFM tip Schottky nanocontacts. This demonstration, indicative of the presence of a significant field emission component in the analysed current transport phenomena was also detailed. Field emission from these nanostructures was demonstrated qualitatively in a lift-mode interleave C-AFM study. A technique to fabricate integrated field emission diodes using silicon nanostructures in a CMOS process technology was developed. The process incorporated the nanostructure growth phase at the closing steps in the process flow. Turn-on voltages as low as ~ 0.6 V were reported for these devices, which make them good candidates for incorporation into standard CMOS circuit applications. Reproducible I V characteristics exhibited by these fabricated devices were further studied and field emission parameters were extracted. A new consistent and reliable method to extract field emission parameters such as effective barrier height, field conversion factor, and total emitting area at the onset of the field emission regime was developed and is reported herein. The developed parameter extraction method used a unified electron emission approach in the transition region of the device operation. The existence of an electron-supply limited current saturation region at very high electric field was also confirmed. Both the C-AFM and the device characterization studies were modelled and simulated using the finite element method in COMSOL Multiphysics. The experimental results – the field developed at various operating environments – are explained in relation to these finite element analyses. Field enhancements at the atomically sharp nanostructure apexes as suggested in the experimental studies were confirmed. The nanostructure tip radius effect and sensitivity to small nanostructure height variation were investigated and mathematical relations for the nanostructure regime of our interest were established. A technique to optimize the cathode-opening area was also demonstrated. Suggestions related to further research on field emission from silicon nanostructures, optimization of the field emission device fabrication process, and fabrication of field emission triodes are elaborated in the final chapter of this thesis. The experimental, modelling, and simulation works of this thesis indicate that silicon field emission devices could be integrated into the existing CMOS process technology. This integration would offer goods from both the worlds of vacuum and solid-sate nanoelectronics – fast ballistic electron transport, temperature insensitivity, radiation hardness, high packing density, mature technological backing, and economies of scale among other features.