Inexpensive sensors for high temperatures and harsh environments
The development of Silicon Carbide (SiC) wafers of large area and high quality are considered ideal for microelectronical and biomedical applications at high temperatures and in harsh environments. Until now, such wafers have been expensive to produce and additionally, they display low mobility. Answering this need the FLASiC project focused on realising a new process to produce epitaxial and bulk Cubic SiC (3C-SiC) on Si or substrates. This advanced technology allowed the development of low cost sensors and devices working at high temperatures and in harsh environments. Based on the new SiC wafers produced, demonstrators such as gas sensor prototypes, liquid property monitoring devices and biomedical needles were developed. As an example, with the aid of the new flow monitoring system, leakage in the bleed air system may be easily detected. The bleed air system hinders in-flight freezing of the leading wing edges by hot air (300°C) transportation from the engines along the leading wing edges within the wings' interior. The novel high temperature system offers reliable monitoring of the stable flow along the tube system and easy detection and localisation of leaks. Aiming at propellant analysis, a miniaturised liquid property monitoring device can measure density and viscosity of chemically aggressive media in aeronautical applications. For this purpose, special housing was fabricated allowing only the sensitive area of the 3C-SiC sensor chip to be environmentally exposed, while protecting the rest of the device. Moreover, the modular design or the system facilitates the replacement and modification of the different components. The advanced SiC technology is expected to significantly contribute to providing European industries with a competitive edge in the international market.