Subtractive manufacturing of polymer-derived ceramic composite thick film sensor based on ultrafast laser etching

• Published in: Ceramics international 2024-08, Vol.50 (16), p.28318-28326
• Main Authors: Tang, Lantian, Xu, Lida, Zhou, Xiong, Qian, Xianwei, Wu, Muhan, Wang, Lingyun, Wu, Chao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Heat flux sensor; High-temperature sensing; Polymer-derived ceramic; Ultrafast laser etching
• ISSN: 0272-8842; 1873-3956
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2024.05.133

Polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) are increasingly recognized as promising materials for high-temperature thin/thick film sensors (HTTFSs). However, a large linewidth and poor dimensional accuracy have severely restricted the practical application of PDCs HTTFSs. Our study employed a picosecond laser to precisely pattern the polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) thick film while applying no obvious damage to the interface between ceramic and substrate. Through parameters optimization, the laser-affected area was minimized to 6 μm wide, and a minimum feature size of about 30 μm was achieved. Furthermore, 7 rounds of high-temperature tests of the patterned film revealed good temperature-resistance repeatability within a temperature range of up to 800 °C. To demonstrate practical application potential, we successfully fabricated a heat flux sensor, and it exhibited a sensitivity of 1.32 mV/(kW/m2), a response time of 600 ms, and excellent repeatability over a range of 0–75.4 kW/m2. In summary, this paper proposes a novel approach toward miniaturizing the linewidth of the polymer-derived ceramics thick film sensor, showing significant potential for precise measurements in extreme environments. [Display omitted]