Printed Circuit-Based Thermoelectric Sensor Film for Temperature Distribution Measurements

Augmented measurements of temperature distributions and the movement of heat are possible with multichannel, bendable temperature sensor films. In this paper, a method for manufacturing a laterally configured thermoelectric thermal distribution sensor structure based on printed circuit technology is presented. The proposed device incorporates an array of inplane single-pair thermocouples into a flexible substrate. The design and prototype manufacturing process of the sensor are detailed. The results of preliminary characterization tests show that the developed sensor can be used to roughly map changes in in-plane thermal fields.