Piezoelectric Thin-Film Based Flexible Sensing Device, Method For Fabrication Thereof And Method For Operating The Same

A method for fabricating a sensing device, said method comprising:

• providing a flexible substrate,
• providing a first metallization layer, said first metallization layer forming at least a source region and at least a drain region,
• providing a piezoelectric thin film layer, said piezoelectric thin film layer providing a channel region permitting passage of charge carriers between said source region and said drain region,
• providing a second metallization layer, said second metallization layer forming at least a gate electrode,
• providing an insulating layer, said insulating layer disposed intermediate said second metallization layer and said piezoelectric thin film layer,
• wherein said gate electrode facilitates regulation of a flow of charge carriers through said piezoelectric thin film layer, and wherein said flow of charge carriers is modulated in response to a strain in said piezoelectric thin film layer.

A method for operating a thin-film transistor based sensing device, said sensing device comprising a flexible substrate, a first metallization layer forming at least a source region and at least a drain region, a piezoelectric thin film layer providing a channel region permitting passage of charge carriers between said source region and said drain region, a second metallization layer forming at least a gate electrode, an insulating layer disposed intermediate said second metallization layer and said piezoelectric thin film layer, said method comprising:

• providing a biasing voltage across said source and said drain regions,
• providing a control voltage to the gate electrode for regulating a flow of charge carriers between said source and said drain regions through said piezoelectric thin film layer,
• determining modulation of said flow of charge carriers in response to a strain in said piezoelectric thin film layer, and
• determining an applied force provided to said sensing device based on a correlation between said applied force and resulting modulation of said flow of charge carriers.