Pressure sensors based on suspended graphene membranes

A novel pressure sensor based on a suspended graphene membrane is proposed. The sensing mechanism is explained based on tight binding calculations of strain-induced changes in the band structure. A CMOS compatible fabrication process is proposed and used to fabricate prototypes. Electrical measurement data demonstrates the feasibility of the approach, which has the advantage of not requiring a separate strain gauge, i.e. the strain gauge is integral part of the pressure sensor membrane. Hence, graphene membrane based pressure sensors can in principle be scaled quite aggressively in size. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.