Quantum Tunneling Composite

RAJASAKTHIKUMAR R
18MD34
 What is QTC
 QTC in brief
 Advantages of using QTC
 Future prospects
 What is QTC??
QTC (Quantum tunneling composite) is a flexible
polymer that exhibits extraordinary electrical
properties. In its normal state it is a perfect insulator,
but when compressed or elongated it becomes a
more or less perfect conductor and able to pass
very high currents.

Electron microscope image of QTC

This reduces the distance and energy needed for the
electron charge
 Quantum Tunneling Composite is a new class
of electrically conductive material
 QTC Material is a patented technology
developed in the UK by Peratech Limited
based on original discoveries by David and
Chris Lussey, the company's founders.
 First produced in 1996.
 While in an unstressed state the QTC Material
is a near-perfect insulator; with any form of
deformation the material starts to conduct
 QTC usually comes in the form of pills or sheet
 QTC pills are magnetic too. Nothing like having
some magnets laying around on the table while you
work.
 The sheets are composed of one layer of QTC, one
layer of a conductive material, and a third layer of a
plastic insulator.
 While QTC sheets switch quickly between high and
low resistances, QTC pills are pressure sensitive
variable resistors.
ADVANTAGES Of QTC
 QTC material is a pressure/force sensing material.
 Can be formed or molded into virtually any size,
thickness or shape.
 Simple and reliable to use.
 Durable - it has no moving parts to wear out.
 Mechanically strong.
 Can be made to withstand extreme temperatures
limits.
 Versatile, both electrically and physically
e.g. Its range and sensitivity can be
altered.
 Intrinsically safe - the material is a
contactless switch, ideal for spark free
operation.
 Can be directly interfaced to standard
electronic and electrical devices
 Can be customized for customer
requirements, applications and products.
Future Prospects
 Mobile Applications
 Touch screen LCD’s
 Embedded fabric controls used in
automobiles
 Smart-Tex
 Medical equipments
 Speed control in simple machines
 Touch sensor
 Scrolling
 Writing
 Drawing
 Cheap detector
 Easy X-Y position detection
 Operating mirrors, doors and windows
 Gesture, stroke, swipe and pressure sensing
 Easy control of devices
 Pressure controlled conductive surface
 Switching
 Can be used to implement circuitries on it
QTC in Robotics

used as durable finger pads in prosthetic /

robotic hands which allow the amount of
pressure being applied to be controlled.
Quantum Tunneling Composite (QTC) Based Tactile
Sensor Array For Dynamic Pressure Distribution
Measurement:

In this paper a novel sensor structure design that can be

used to exploit the conductance change in QTC pills to
measure pressure acting upon it is presented. The given
design for a single tactile element is extended into a collection
of tactile elements (tactels) to be extended as a larger tactile
sensor array.

A tactile sensor can

be defined as “a device or system that can measure a given
property of an object or contact event through physical contact
between the sensor and the object.”
When the QTC pill is compressed beyond a certain stage, it
will behave as a perfect conductor and after that stage QTC
cannot be used as a force sensor. Since QTC is an elastic
material, with a little effort QTC can be compressed to a stage
where it will become a conductor. Hence in order to use QTC
as a force sensor its compression should be limited to the
required range. Also when QTC is deformed it will take a
considerable time to come back to the initial position and this
will reduce the response frequency of the sensor. Considering
above deficiencies of QTC a sensing mechanism is proposed to
overcome above mentioned scenarios
A button is bonded to the QTC pill.
Beams are connected to the button and the free end of these
beams will be fixed to a rigid frame. When a force is applied on
the button head the beams will bend and limit the compression
of the QTC pill using an overload stop.
Due to the stiffness of the deformed beams the whole mechanism
will come back to the initial state when applied force is
detached. Hence drawback is overcome.
The basic arrangement to sense force using a QTC pill. Here QTC pill is placed on
two electrodes and connected to a circuit along with a resistor with a known fixed
resistance R. When there is no force acting on QTC its resistance remains >10 ^8 Ω
negligible. Initially with a slight compression on QTC its resistance value will reduce
at a higher rate and when it is compressed further, the rate of decrease in resistance
will also reduce.
QTC has two major drawbacks in the form of acting as a complete
conductor after a certain level of compression and delay in
returning to original shape after applied pressure is removed.
These drawbacks are overcome by the proposed sensor
structure. The properties of the QTC material in sensing the
applied force/pressure are further improved by the design of the
sensor array structure. This novel sensor design will allow for
effective use of QTC pills to build simple and cheap pressure
sensors. A fabrication process for the sensor structure is
proposed based on rapid prototyping.