Development of High-Temperature Position Sensors for Control of Actuators in Aerospace Systems

Position sensors for precision control of actuators operated at a high temperature are needed in aerospace systems. However, oxidation of resistive elements and metallization at high temperatures limit the high-temperature applications of conventional position sensors. In this paper, new designs of discrete-type position sensors for high-temperature applications are proposed and their performances are evaluated both at room temperature and at high temperatures. In the design of the high-temperature position sensors, resistive elements made of MoSi
₂
and multi-layered metallization consisting of TiN, Ti, and Pt that can withstand high temperatures were formed on a Si substrate using MEMS technologies. In order to evaluate the performance of the high-temperature position sensors, linearity, hysteresis, resolution, and repeatability at room temperature and high temperatures up to 300
^o
C were measured.