Publications

Computational and Experimental Characterization of Aluminum Nitride-Silicon Carbide Thin Film Composites for High Temperature Sensor Applications

Habermehl, Scott D.; Clews, Peggy J.; Summers, Sasha S.; Choi, Sukwon C.

A number of important energy and defense-related applications would benefit from sensors capable of withstanding extreme temperatures (>300degC). Examples include sensors for automobile engines, gas turbines, nuclear and coal power plants, and petroleum and geothermal well drilling. Military applications, such as hypersonic flight research, would also benefit from sensors capable of 1000deg C. Silicon carbide (SiC) has long been recognized as a promising material for harsh environment sensors and electronics. Yet today, many advanced SiC MEMS are limited to lower temperatures because they are made from SiC films deposited on silicon wafers. Other limitations arise from sensor transduction by measuring changes in capacitance or resistance, which require biasing or modulation schemes that can withstand elevated temperatures. We circumvented these issues by developing sensing structures directly on SiC wafers using SiC and aluminum nitride (A1N), a high temperature capable piezoelectric material, thin films.