Spincoat-fabricated multilayer PDMS-phosphor composites for thermometry

Phosphor thermometry offers unique advantages over traditional forms of temperature sensing. Polymer-encapsulated phosphor powders provide versatility and flexibility not achievable when using the thermographic phosphors in powder form. By encapsulating the powder in a polymeric sleeve custom devices with unique properties can be created. Here, the authors report on the design, synthesis, and characterization of the first multilayer thermographic phosphor structure. A thin layer of neat PDMS, Sylgard 184, was sandwiched between two layers of La2O2S:Eu phosphor-doped PDMS. The thicknesses ranged from 0.15 to 4 mm depending on spin speed. The temperature dependent luminescence of the structure was characterized from -40 degrees C to 75 degrees C, in a low humidity environmental chamber. Results show suitability for thermometry in this range. In addition, for design guidance, quantitative values for thermal conductivity and stress/strain characteristics versus phosphor loading percentage and temperature were measured. Thermal conductivities ranged from 0.15 W mK(-1) for the Sylgard 184 to a value between 0.3 and 0.4 W mK(-1) for pure phosphor powder for temperatures from -55 degrees C to 195 degrees C. Tensile properties for a strain of up to 1 revealed differences between the different phosphor loadings and phosphor batches. Young's modulus for the spincoat layered materials was between 1.2 and 1.4 N mm(-2) and 0.8 for drop casted samples.