Silicon Carbide (SiC) Sensors are appealing for harsh environment MEMS applications, specifically because of their stability in corrosive environments and their ability to withstand high temperatures. The long range goal of this project is to develop a robust process to bond SiC sensors to various metal components in a way that will avoid disrupting high-precision measurements of strain, acceleration, pressure, and temperature in high-temperature, high-pressure, corrosive environments. Traditional bonding methods such as soldering, brazing, and welding are not suitable for joining SiC with metals due to melting point restrictions and induced thermal stresses. The bond pursued in this work is specifically designed to mitigate thermal strains and permit for bonding temperatures lower than final operating temperature.
Project end date: 01/28/14