The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) said on the 24th that it has developed technology to produce large-area electronic skin without a clean room, a semiconductor clean-process facility.
Electronic skin is a thin, flexible sensor that detects pressure and touch like human skin, and is considered a core technology needed to implement precise tactile functions in intelligent robots.
Until now, flexible electronic sensors had to go through semiconductor manufacturing-based processes such as mask processing, vacuum deposition, and etching, making costly clean room equipment virtually essential. As a result, the production process was complex and the expense burden was high.
In particular, to apply tactile sensors over large surfaces such as on a Humanoid Robot with a human-like appearance, there was the challenge of securing both process stability and reliability.
To solve these problems, the researchers developed a maskless process technology that directly implements sensors at required locations using only ultraviolet (UV) lasers and a 3D printer. Because production is possible without separate mask processing, they significantly reduced process steps and greatly lowered dependence on clean rooms, they noted.
A feature of this technology is that sensors can be fabricated in place as a single continuous process without splitting processes or transferring separately. It can also be applied to complex shapes with curved or uneven surfaces, expanding its range of use.
Kim Hye-jin, a principal researcher at ETRI, said, "This technology is a key technology that significantly lowers the entry barrier for producing large-area flexible sensors while advancing the potential to implement robot-human interaction technology by a step," adding, "It can be applied to intelligent robots and Wearable Device in the future."