Flexible Thermoelectric BiSbTe/Carbon Paper/BiSbTe Sandwiches for Bimode Temperature-Pressure Sensors

Bimode temperature-pressure sensors hold significant promise in personal health monitoring, wearables and robotic signal detection. Traditional bimode sensors typically combine two independent sensors, leading to fabrication complexity. This study develops a bimode temperature-pressure sensor by using a facile electrodeposition method to create sandwiched BiSbTe/Carbon Paper/BiSbTe thin films and stacking them to a vertical structure. It demonstrates high sensitivity for temperature sensing, capable of detecting temperature difference as low as 1 K, and a rapid response time of 0.92 s due to a vertical structure. Utilizing its thermoelectric mechanism, the sensor achieves self-powered sensing for finger touch and respiration states. Furthermore, its island-like contact surface ensures high sensitivity with an extremely fast response time of 0.17 s, by rapidly changing contact resistance under pressure, allowing it to detect various human behaviors, including body movements and micro-expressions. Beyond its sensing capabilities, the film excels in flexibility, electromagnetic interference shielding, and stability, presenting significant potential for integration into self-powered electronic skin systems for health monitoring, wearables, artificial intelligence, and other electronic skin applications.