# US 8,783,948 B2 · Flexible temperature sensor and sensor array > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,783,948 B2 - Document ID: US8783948B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/142,843 - Filed: 2010-11-09 - Published: 2012-10-18 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2010-06-29 - Assignees: Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur - Applicants: Siddhartha Panda; Hakeem Abrar Ahmed - Inventors: Siddhartha Panda; Hakeem Abrar Ahmed - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8783948B2 ## CPC - G01K 7/00: Measuring temperature based on the use of electric or magnetic elements directly sensitive to heat (giving results other than momentary value of temperature G01K3/00) {; Power supply therefor, e.g. using thermoelectric elements} - G01K 1/143: for measuring surface temperatures - G01K 7/18: the element being a linear resistance, e.g. platinum resistance thermometer (G01K7/26 takes precedence) - Y10T 29/49085: Thermally variable - Y10T 29/49155: Manufacturing circuit on or in base - G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Techniques described herein generally relate to methods of manufacturing devices and systems including devices including a substrate with a surface, a conductive polymer film arranged on the surface of the substrate, wherein the conductive polymer film has one or more temperature reactive characteristics, and a pair of electrodes coupled to the polymer film, wherein the pair of electrodes are configured to communicate electrical signals to the conductive polymer film effective to measure the one or more temperature reactive characteristics. The conductive polymer film may be arranged on the surface of the substrate such that a thickness and dopant ratio of the conductive polymer film on the substrate is configurable. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device comprising: a substrate including a surface; a conductive polymer film arranged on the surface of the substrate, wherein the conductive polymer film has a resistance that changes with temperature, and wherein the conductive polymer has a thickness in a range from about 10 nm to about 150 nm; a pair of electrodes coupled to the polymer film, wherein the pair of electrodes are configured to communicate electrical signals to the conductive polymer film effective to measure the resistance; and a meter operatively coupled to the conductive polymer film and configured to measure the resistance of the conductive polymer film wherein the device is configured as a temperature sensor with a substantially linear temperature sensitivity over a temperature range of about 25° C. to about 80° C. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the conductive polymer film on the substrate is less than about 80 nm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive polymer of the conductive polymer film is doped with a dopant. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3, wherein a ratio of the conductive polymer to the dopant is in a range of about 0.3 to about 1. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is flexible. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate and polyimide substrate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive polymer film comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, poly(p-phenylene), poly(p-phenylenevinylene), poly(2,5-thienylenevinylene) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene). ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3, wherein the dopant is selected from the group consisting of camphor sulfonic acid (CSA) and dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA), 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPSA), hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive polymer film is deposited on the substrate using a technique selected from the group consisting of spin coating technique, polymer printing technique, spray coating technique and dip coating technique. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured as a temperature sensor with a tunable sensitivity range of about 3 Ω/° C. to about 130 Ω/° C. ### Claim 11 A method for manufacturing a device, the method comprising: providing a substrate; depositing a conductive polymer film on the substrate, wherein the conductive polymer film has a resistance that changes with temperature and wherein depositing further comprises: controlling a thickness of the conductive polymer film on the substrate, wherein controlling the thickness comprises configuring the thickness to be in a range from about 10 nm to about 150 nm; and selecting a ratio of the conductive polymer to a dopant used therewith; coupling a pair of electrodes to the conductive polymer film, wherein the pair of electrodes are configured to communicate electrical signals to the conductive polymer film; and operatively coupling a meter to the conductive polymer via the pair of electrodes, wherein the meter is configured to measure the resistance of the conductive polymer film wherein the device is configured as a temperature sensor with a sensitivity within the range of about 3 Ω/° C. to about 130 Ω/° C. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device manufacturing method of claim 11, wherein depositing the conductive polymer film on the substrate comprises using a technique selected from the group consisting of spin coating the polymer film on the substrate, printing the polymer film on the substrate, spray coating the polymer film on the substrate, and dip coating the polymer film on the substrate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The device manufacturing method of claim 11, wherein the substrate is flexible. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The device manufacturing method of claim 11, wherein providing the substrate comprises selecting the substrate from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate and polyimide substrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The device manufacturing method of claim 11, wherein depositing the conductive polymer on the substrate further comprises selecting the conductive polymer from the group consisting of polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, poly(p-phenylene), poly(p-phenylenevinylene), poly(2,5-thienylenevinylene), and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene). ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The device manufacturing method of claim 11, wherein depositing the conductive polymer on the substrate further comprises selecting the dopant from the group consisting of camphor sulfonic acid (CSA) and dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA), 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPSA), hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The device manufacturing method of claim 11, wherein controlling the thickness of the conductive polymer film on the substrate comprises configuring the thickness to be less than about 80 nm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The device manufacturing method of claim 11, wherein selecting the ratio of the conductive polymer to the dopant comprises selecting the ratio in a range of about 0.3 to about 1. ### Claim 19 A system comprising: an object; and a sensing device arranged to operatively contact the object for sensing a thermal state of the object, the sensing device comprising: a substrate including a surface; a conductive polymer film arranged on the surface of the substrate, wherein the conductive polymer film has a resistance that changes with temperature, and wherein the conductive polymer has a thickness in a range from about 10 nm to about 150 nm; a pair of electrodes coupled to the polymer film, wherein the pair of electrodes are configured to communicate electrical signals to the conductive polymer film; and a meter operatively coupled to the conductive polymer film via the pair of electrodes and configured to measure the resistance of the conductive polymer film such that the thermal state of the object is determined wherein the device is configured as a temperature sensor with a substantially linear temperature sensitivity over a temperature range of about 25° C. to about 80° C., and wherein the device is configured as a temperature sensor with a sensitivity within the range of about 3 Ω/° C. to about 130 Ω/° C. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, further comprising a controller operatively coupled to the meter, wherein the controller is configured to receive data from the meter, and adjust a characteristic of the object in accordance with the received data, wherein the received data is related to the measured resistance of the conductive polymer film. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the conductive polymer film on the substrate is less than about 60 nm. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the resistance of the conductive polymer film increases with temperature. ### Claim 23 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, where the sensitivity of the device is greater than about 20 Ω/° C.