• • • SENSORS • • •
FROM FABRICATION TO INTEGRATION: A WORKFLOW FOR DEPLOYING
NANOSCALE SENSORS
From a lab curiosity to mass deployment
BY DR. KONSTANTIN KLOPPSTECH, CTO, DIGID
P
atented printed electronics technology enables sensors to be down to the nm range, promising a revolution in temperature and force sensing for surgical equipment, humanoid robots, biosensing and many other applications.
Developers can submit their mechanical parts or CAD files and digid will provide engineering support including FEM simulation and integration. The drive toward miniaturisation in electrical engineering has long hit a wall: the smaller the sensors, the harder it is to integrate. While the industry has clamoured for sensing capabilities that can fit inside smaller devices than before, the reality of wiring and mounting sensors the size of a bacterium has been a roadblock for hardware developers.
A pioneer in printed nanosensors, digid is renowned for producing what is believed to be the world’s smallest printed force and temperature sensors, measuring down to the nanometre scale. The company is now rolling out a comprehensive end-to-end engineering service designed to make nanoscale sensing as plug-and-play as possible.
The core technology used at digid is a patented printed electronics fabrication method that allows sensors to be deposited on silicon, metal, polymer and other materials. With a roadmap forecasting sizes down to 10nm and the ability to print arrays of any size, the potential applications are vast. However, potential is meaningless without integration. “When customers approach us, their concern is rarely the sensor’s performance, but rather how to physically connect to something that is invisible to the naked eye”, explains Dr. Konstantin Kloppstech, Chief Technology Officer at digid. To address this, hardware developers can submit mechanical parts of CAD files, and digid handles the entire integration process, from Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation and sensor deposition, to signal routing and final assembly. The design process happens in close collaboration with the customer and is now further enhanced by digid’s collaboration with Ansys, leveraging industry-leading simulation tools to optimise sensor placement and performance before manufacturing begins.
Digid wraps its sensors in mature, reliable connection methods. One example of this is depositing thin-film electrodes directly onto the customer’s mechanical part and wire-bonded to a flex PCB. The flexible circuit is then terminated with standard connectors, allowing designers to interface with the sensors conventionally.
24 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING •MARCH 2026
Solving Moravec’s Paradox One of the most promising sectors for this technology is physical AI and humanoid robotics. Moravec’s paradox highlights that, while robots can perform complex computational tasks, they struggle with simple motor skills in part because robot hands lack the thousands of nerve endings of a human finger.
Standard sensors are often too bulky for robotic hands, altering the profile of grip. digid’s sensors, which are negligible in mass, can be deposited directly onto a physical interface. This enables precise force feedback in spaces where conventional sensors cannot fit, improving yield and production quality.
The technology is equally transformative for thermal applications. Standard temperature probes often suffer from thermal lag or bulk. digid embeds sensors directly onto the surface of microchips, power components and battery cells, enabling instantaneous, highly accurate temperature monitoring in environments where conventional thermocouples cannot fit.
Beyond their size, the printed sensors offer advantages for electrical engineers focused on measurement accuracy:
• Negligible self-heating or distortion effects on sensor readings
• Highly linear measurement outputs • No compensation required for drift or other non-linearities
https://www.digid.com/contact
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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