Abstract

Correct identification and precise quantification of physical parameters and chemical species are becoming increasingly important. These tasks are accomplished by electronic devices called “sensors”. For the last decades, researchers have put great efforts towards the development of more convenient, inexpensive but highly accurate and sensitive sensors by introducing micro/nanoscale structures and materials with versatile functionalities. In this talk, the history and recent trends of sensing technologies are first discussed, with a special emphasis on the MEMS and nanotechnologies. Then, the R&D activities at MINT (Multifunctional and Integrated Nanosystems Technology) Lab, KAIST on the micro/nano-sensors are introduced. In specific, the following topics are discussed: (a) silicon nanowire array sensor for chemical detection, (b) metal oxide nanowire and nanotube sensors for flexible photonic detection, (c) metal-decorated ZnO nanowire array for toxic gas detection, (d) Pd nanotube sensor for flexible H2 detection, (e) nanowire array for biosensing in microfluidic platform, (f) stretchable and wearable human motion sensors based on metallic nanomaterials, and (g) Android-based real-time monitoring and alert systems.