title: A Magnetoresistive Tactile Sensor for Harsh Environment Applications.
abstract: A magnetoresistive tactile sensor is reported, which is capable of working in high temperatures up to 140 °C. Hair-like bioinspired structures, known as cilia, made out of permanent magnetic nanocomposite material on top of spin-valve giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensors are used for tactile sensing at high temperatures. The magnetic nanocomposite, consisting of iron nanowires incorporated into the polymer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), is very flexible, biocompatible, has high remanence, and is also resilient to antagonistic sensing ambient. When the cilia come in contact with a surface, they deflect in compliance with the surface topology. This yields a change of the GMR sensor signal, enabling the detection of extremely fine features. The spin-valve is covered with a passivation layer, which enables adequate performance in spite of harsh environmental conditions, as demonstrated in this paper for high temperature.
authors.affiliation: Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division (CEMSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia. ahmed.fadhel@kaust.edu.sa.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alfadhel
authors.affiliation: Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division (CEMSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia. mohammedasadullah.khan@kaust.edu.sa.
authors.forename: Mohammed Asadullah
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: INESC-Microsystems and Nanotechnologies (INESC-MN), Rua Alves Redol, 9, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal. scardoso@inesc-mn.pt.|Instituto Superior Técnico IST, Physics Department, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon 1049-001, Portugal. scardoso@inesc-mn.pt.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: INESC-Microsystems and Nanotechnologies (INESC-MN), Rua Alves Redol, 9, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal. dleitao@inesc-mn.pt.|Instituto Superior Técnico IST, Physics Department, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon 1049-001, Portugal. dleitao@inesc-mn.pt.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leitao
authors.affiliation: Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division (CEMSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia. jurgen.kosel@kaust.edu.sa.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kosel
keywords: cilia; giant magnetoresistance; harsh environment; high temperature; magnetic nanocomposite; nanowires; spin-valve; tactile sensor