An application report: Protective thin film layers for high temperature sensor technology

Many groups of engineers and researchers worldwide are involved in the application-oriented development of sensors. These efforts are often triggered by industrial applications and their extraordinary requirements in durability and reliability. Typical products are highly specialized sensors e.g. for temperature which are exposed to high physical and chemical stresses like in cutting or forming processes. One promising approach of space resolved or surface sensitive measurements is the use of thin film sensors. A key factor for the successful use is an insulating wear resistance layer on top of the sensor. In this report a well-known hard layer made from aluminum oxide was optimized under mechanical and electrical aspects.