Flexible and Wearable Sensors, 4th Edition

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "A:Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2026 | Viewed by 4071

Special Issue Editors

Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
Interests: flexible sensor; flexible and wearable electronics; 3D printing
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Guest Editor
National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, School of Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), Shanghai 200240, China
Interests: flexible electronics; MEMS; flexible sensor; packaging
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Guest Editor
Department of Instrumental and Electrical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
Interests: electrostatic spinning-based flexible microsystems integration; flexible electronics
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Guest Editor
Lanzhou Institute of Physics, China Academy of Space Technology, Lanzhou 730000, China
Interests: flexible functional film; flexible electronics; 3D printing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to their favorable flexibility and adaptability, flexible and wearable electronics have exhibited enormous potential in broad applications in human–machine interaction, robotics, and healthcare monitoring. Consequently, they have become one of the most attractive and rapidly growing areas of novel interdisciplinary research. As the core components of flexible electronics, the excellent flexibility sensing performance of flexible and wearable sensors are important in guaranteeing the efficacy of flexible wearable electronics. Accordingly, this Special Issue seeks to showcase research papers, short communications, and review articles that focus on the following:

(1) Novel structural designs, material fabrication, signal processing, and modeling of flexible and wearable sensors based on all kinds of mechanisms;

(2) MEMS technique processes in wearable and flexible sensors and simulation processes in theoretical modeling;

(3) Multiple application scenarios in multivariable flexible and wearable sensor systems.

Dr. Libo Gao
Prof. Dr. Zhuoqing Yang
Prof. Dr. Gaofeng Zheng
Dr. Haiyan Zhang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • flexible sensors
  • electronic skin
  • flexible electronics
  • wearable electronics
  • MEMS wearable applications

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 3098 KB  
Article
A High-Accuracy Solid/Liquid Composite Packaging Method for Implantable Pressure Sensors
by Bo Wang, Yubiao Zhang, Yuning Huang, Zhonghua Li, Senran Jiang, Fuji Wang, Qiang Liu and Xing Yang
Micromachines 2026, 17(2), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17020162 - 27 Jan 2026
Viewed by 895
Abstract
This study addresses the critical packaging requirements of implantable pressure sensors concerning measurement accuracy and environmental stability. We propose a solid/liquid composite packaging technique based on Parylene-C and silicone oil. Utilizing liquid silicone oil as an intermediate medium, this method effectively decouples solid/solid [...] Read more.
This study addresses the critical packaging requirements of implantable pressure sensors concerning measurement accuracy and environmental stability. We propose a solid/liquid composite packaging technique based on Parylene-C and silicone oil. Utilizing liquid silicone oil as an intermediate medium, this method effectively decouples solid/solid interface shear forces, thereby mitigating measurement errors caused by mechanical coupling. Furthermore, the superior hydrophobic properties of silicone oil and its defect-filling capability are employed to slow the infiltration rate of water molecules at the interface, ensuring long-term stability. The influence of the solid/liquid composite layer on the mechanical properties of the sensor’s sensitive element was analyzed through finite element simulation. The experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of this approach: after adding a liquid silicone oil layer between the Parylene coating and the sensitive element, the sensor’s accuracy improved to 0.5 mmHg within the pressure range encountered in clinical human applications. In simulated bodily fluids, it demonstrated exceptional long-term stability, with drift values consistently below 2 mmHg over a 30-day period. This research provides a feasible and straightforward solution for the packaging design of high-performance implantable pressure sensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flexible and Wearable Sensors, 4th Edition)
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12 pages, 4245 KB  
Article
The Influence of Mask Modification on Microneedle Strength in Deep X-Ray Lithography
by Jie Wang, Yigui Li and Lin Du
Micromachines 2026, 17(1), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17010136 - 22 Jan 2026
Viewed by 222
Abstract
Hollow microneedle arrays of different shapes were prepared for blood collection and precise drug delivery. This microneedle array was investigated using shape modification and hole position optimization, and different approaches to increase the strength of the microneedles and hole alignment were analyzed. Firstly, [...] Read more.
Hollow microneedle arrays of different shapes were prepared for blood collection and precise drug delivery. This microneedle array was investigated using shape modification and hole position optimization, and different approaches to increase the strength of the microneedles and hole alignment were analyzed. Firstly, solid-tip microneedles were prepared using deep X-ray lithography, and an approach to increase the strength of microneedles by modifying the shape of the photomask was examined. Secondly, photomasks with holes in different positions were designed, and the exposure was aligned at different hole positions. Finally, the maximum stress and minimum displacement were analyzed using ANSYS 10.0 simulation software, while the proof-of-strength properties were accomplished by inserting microneedles into a polyimide film. The experimental results show that the modification of the shape of the photomask can increase the strength of the microneedles and compensate for the shortcomings generated by the moving exposure. Placing the holes away from the center of the tip can increase the flow rate of the microneedles. A horizontal offset of 30 μm and a vertical offset of 50 μm from the center of the microneedle tip were determined to be the best positions for aligning the holes. This meets the requirements for microneedle strength and sharpness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flexible and Wearable Sensors, 4th Edition)
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11 pages, 1944 KB  
Article
Dual-Mode Flexible Pressure Sensor Based on Ionic Electronic and Piezoelectric Coupling Mechanism Enables Dynamic and Static Full-Domain Stress Response
by Yue Ouyang, Shunqiang Huang, Zekai Huang, Shengyu Wu, Xin Wang, Sheng Chen, Haiyan Zhang, Zhuoqing Yang, Mengran Liu and Libo Gao
Micromachines 2025, 16(9), 1018; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16091018 - 3 Sep 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1955
Abstract
Flexible pressure sensors have shown promise applications in scenarios such as robotic tactile sensing due to their excellent sensitivity and linearity. However, the realization of flexible pressure sensors with both static and dynamic response capabilities still face significant challenges due to the properties [...] Read more.
Flexible pressure sensors have shown promise applications in scenarios such as robotic tactile sensing due to their excellent sensitivity and linearity. However, the realization of flexible pressure sensors with both static and dynamic response capabilities still face significant challenges due to the properties of the sensing materials themselves. In this study, we propose a flexible pressure sensor that integrates piezoelectric and ionic capacitance mechanisms for full-domain response detection of dynamic and static forces: a “sandwich” sensing structure is constructed by printing a mixture of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) onto the surface of the upper and lower electrodes, and sandwiching a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) thin film between the electrodes. The device exhibits a sensitivity of 0.13 kPa−1 in the pressure range of 0–150 kPa. The sensor has a rapid dynamic response (response time 19 ms/12 ms) with a sensitivity of 0.49 mV kPa−1 based on the piezoelectric mechanism and a linearity of 0.9981 based on the ionic capacitance mechanism. The device maintains good response stability under the ball impact test, further validating its potential application in static/dynamic composite force monitoring scenarios. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flexible and Wearable Sensors, 4th Edition)
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