Fabrication of Micro Ceramic Thin-Film Type Pressure Sensors for High-Temperature Applications and Its Characteristics

고온용 마이크로 세라믹 박막형 압력센서의 제작과 그 특성

This paper describes on the fabrication and characteristics of micro ceramic thin-film type pressure sensors based on Ta-N strain-gauges for high-temperature applications. The Ta-N thin-film strain-gauges are deposited onto thermally oxidized Si diaphragms by RF sputtering in an argon-nitrogen atmosphere($N_2$ gas ratio: 8 %, annealing condition: $900^{\circ}C$, 1 hr.), Patterned on a wheatstone bridge configuration, and use as pressure sensing elements with a high stability and a high gauge factor. The sensitivity is $1.097{\sim}1.21mV/V.kgf/cm^2$ in the temperature range of $25{\sim}200^{\circ}C$ and the maximum non-linearity is 0.43 %FS. The fabricated pressure sensor presents a lower TCR, non-linearity than existing Si piezoresistive pressure sensors. The fabricated micro ceramic thin-film type pressure sensor is expected to be usefully applied as pressure and load sensors that is operable under high-temperature environments.