Microstructure Optimization of Flexible Sensors for Enhanced Performance: A Finite Element Analysis

Flexible pressure sensors are crucial for fields such as wearable devices and human-computer interaction. Nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes are often used as sensing layers. Introducing microstructures on the sensor surface can further improve performance, but this usually leads to nonlinear response. This study employed the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) method to investigate two typical microstructures (cuboid and pyramid). The results show that adjusting the spacing and aspect ratio of the microstructure can affect the sensitivity, but has a limited effect on the linearity. To overcome this limitation, this paper proposes an optimized design scheme that combines elastomers with different Young's moduli through a stacking and nesting strategy. These designs achieve high linearity (R² = 0.99) while maintaining sensitivity variations within 5%, providing a practical pathway for developing nanomaterial-based flexible sensors with balanced sensitivity and linearity.