The Impact of Housing on the Characteristics of Ceramic Pressure Sensors--An Issue of Design for Manufacturability.

Marina Santo Zarnik,Darko Belavic,Franc Novak

doi:10.3390/s151229866

Marina Santo Zarnik, Darko Belavic + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/s151229866

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Abstract

An exploratory study of the impact of housing on the characteristics of a low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) pressure sensor is presented. The ceramic sensor structure is sealed in a plastic housing. This may have non-negligible effect on the final characteristics and should be considered in the early design phase. The manufacturability issue mainly concerning the selection of available housing and the most appropriate materials was considered with respect to different requirements for low and high pressure ranges of operation. Numerical predictions showed the trends and helped reveal the critical design parameters. Proper selection of the adhesive material remains an essential issue. Curing of the epoxy adhesive may introduce non-negligible residual stresses, which considerably influence the sensor’s characteristics.

Highlights

The integration of a sensor into a housing requires close collaboration of design engineers and manufacturing engineers in order to rationalize both the product and production
The review of the product life cycle of a pressure sensor mounted in a plastic housing exposed the need to carefully evaluate the impact of packaging on sensor characteristics
It was manufactured through the use of low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) materials and technology [3,4,5,6]

Summary

Introduction

The integration of a sensor into a housing requires close collaboration of design engineers and manufacturing engineers in order to rationalize both the product and production. Ceramic pressure sensors (CPSs) are commonly used for measurements of the pressure of various fluids and they often operate in harsh environments For such applications it is necessary to protect the functional thick-film structures and the readout electronics from direct contact with the pressure media. The sensor considered in this paper is a differential pressure sensor designed for wet/wet applications It was manufactured through the use of low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) materials and technology [3,4,5,6]. In our previous studies the LTCC-based sensor was tested and proved to be appropriate for use in humid environments and even in Twheatseerns[o1r1,c1o2n]s.ideAreldthionutghhis LpTapCeCr isteachdnifofelroegnytiailnphreesrseunrtelysensusoprpdoerstigsndedenfsoer wpeatc/wkaegt ing, the applications It was manufactured through the use of low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC). Numerical predictions were used to show the trends and help explain the effects of the individual material/process parameters

Envisioned Problems

Finite Element Modelling

Medium- and High-Pressure Sensors

Findings

Conclusions