Sequential approach to numerical optimization of the LTCC ceramic pressure sensor

Abstract

Low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology is one of the traditionally used ceramic technologies for manufacturing ceramic components and multilayer thick-film circuits. LTCC technology offers also evolving capabilities and opportunities of the flexible design for different ceramic micro-electro-mechanical systems (CMEMS). A ceramic pressure sensor is one of those and consists of a ceramic diaphragm on which four thick-film resistors are deposited by screen-printing. Each thick-film resistor acts as a strain gauge that is capable of converting a strain into an electrical signal. The working principle is piezoresistivity - the property of resistor materials to change their resistivity under strain conditions. The main goal was to design a reliable numerical model of the sensor and afterwards perform numerical optimisation in reference to a number of variables, which influence the sensor sensitivity and variability. The paper focuses on the sequential approach to the optimisation of the traditional pressure sensor based on LTCC technology in reference to a number of variables as: geometry, material properties, etc. including such final recorded responses as optimal sensitivity and robustness, which requires the trade off approach.