Planar polymer-optical sensor networks for 2D strain measurement

本课题研究在薄聚合物薄膜上实现大面积平面光学传感器网络，用于分布式二维测量。例如，应变-更一般的形状变形-将被检查。这种传感器网络是聚合物电子或基于光纤的传感器网络的有前途的替代品，并且在多路复用以及资源和成本效率方面具有优势。为了实现这一目标，CRC/TRR 123 - PlanOS（二氧化碳项目）中展示的基于平面光学聚合物的应变传感器的概念需要进一步发展为第一个完全集成的传感器网络，用于测量二维应变和由应变产生的量。这需要将所有相关元件（如光源、探测器、耦合器和波导）集成到一个具有高光学功能的组合传感器结构中。最终目标是展示几乎全聚合物传感器网络在薄箔利用纯光学原理的敏感和特定的分布式传感。需要解决两个新的和根本不同的科学挑战：(i)一方面，需要对传感器概念进行研究，包括可实现的灵敏度、集成密度、可重复性、所涉及的所有过程的兼容性（热压印、博士叶片、层压和溅射）和交叉灵敏度。需要实现流程链，以确保所创建的功能结构不会被后续步骤破坏。此外，与更高的集成密度和校准概念的实施相关的日益增加的复杂性需要解决，并且需要通过适当的系统设计或保护涂层检测和补偿额外的数量，例如湿度和温度。（ii）另一方面，平面光学传感器网络的实现对信号的产生、分析和恢复提出了挑战。由于聚合物基元件的精度通常不如玻璃基元件精确，因此需要研究信号产生和传输所需的所有元件的信号模型和验证，以及全尺寸网络的设计和实施。这需要研究功能传感器方面和信号产生的理论模型，以确定光功能和网络性能之间的相互依存关系。科学上的挑战，即实现集成的主要基于聚合物的传感器网络，鲁棒的数据提取，生产过程的再现性和兼容性以及环境影响的量化和补偿以及可实现的灵敏度和特异性将由Roth教授（实现聚合物光学传感器ar射线）和Ostermann教授（网络概念和技术以及数据提取和恢复）小组处理，他们展示了所需的互补专业知识。

This project investigates the realization of large-area planar-optical sensor networks in thin polymer foils for distributed 2D measurement. Exemplarily, strain - more general shape deformation - will be examined. Such sensor networks are a promising alternative to polymer-electronic or fiber-based sensor networks and offer advantages with regard to multiplexing as well as resource and cost efficiency. To achieve this goal, the concepts for planar-optical polymer-based strain sensors demonstrated within the CRC/TRR 123 – PlanOS (project C02) need to be further developed to the first fully integrated sensor network for measurement of strain and quantities derived from strain in 2D. This requires the integration of all relevant elements such as light sources, detectors, couplers and waveguides into a combined sensor structure equipped with high optical functionality. The ultimate goal is to demonstrate almost full-polymer sensor networks in thin foils which exploit purely optical principles for sensitive and specific distributed sensing. Two new and fundamentally different scientific challenges need to be solved: (i) On one side, re-search on the sensor concepts is required with regard to achievable sensitivity, integration density, reproducibility, compatibility of all processes involved (hot embossing, doctor blading, lamination, and sputtering) and cross-sensitivity. A process chain needs to be realized which ensures that func-tional structures created are not compromised by subsequent steps. Also, the increasing complexity associated with the higher integration density and the implementation of calibration concepts are to be addressed and require the detection and compensation of additional quantities such as humidity and temperature through suitable system design or protective coatings. (ii) On the other side, the realization of planar-optical sensor networks represents a challenge for signal generation, analysis and recovery. As the precision of polymer-based elements is usually not as accurate as that of their glass counterparts the signal model and validation of all elements required for signal generation and transmission as well as design and implementation of full-scale networks need to be investigated. This requires a study of both functional sensor aspects and theoretical models for signal generation to identify the interdependence between the optical functionality and the network performance.The scientific challenges, i.e. the realization of integrated mostly polymer-based sensor networks, the robust data extraction, the reproducibility and compatibility of production processes as well as the quantification and compensation of environmental influences and the achievable sensitivity and specificity will be addressed by the groups of Prof. Roth (realization of polymer-optical sensor ar-rays) and Prof. Ostermann (network concepts and technologies as well as data extraction and re-covery) exhibiting the complementary expertise required.