Exploring the nonlinear piezoresistive effect of 4H-SiC and developing MEMS pressure sensors for extreme environments

Chen Wu; Xudong Fang; Qiang Kang; Ziyan Fang; Junxia Wu; Hongtao He; Dong Zhang; Libo Zhao; Bian Tian; Ryutaro Maeda; Zhuangde Jiang

doi:10.1038/s41378-023-00496-1

Exploring the nonlinear piezoresistive effect of 4H-SiC and developing MEMS pressure sensors for extreme environments

Microsyst Nanoeng. 2023 Apr 3:9:41. doi: 10.1038/s41378-023-00496-1. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Chen Wu^{1

2}, Xudong Fang^{1

2

3

4}, Qiang Kang^{1

2}, Ziyan Fang^{1

2}, Junxia Wu^{1

2}, Hongtao He⁵, Dong Zhang^{1

2}, Libo Zhao^{1

2

3

4}, Bian Tian^{1

2

3

4}, Ryutaro Maeda^{1

2}, Zhuangde Jiang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, International Joint Laboratory for Micro/Nano Manufacturing and Measurement Technologies, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049 China.
² School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049 China.
³ Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing, Yantai, 265503 China.
⁴ Xi'an Jiaotong University (Yantai) Research Institute for Intelligent Sensing Technology and System, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
⁵ HeBei Semiconductor Research Institute, Shijiazhuang, 050051 China.

Abstract

Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) pressure sensors based on silicon are widely used and offer the benefits of miniaturization and high precision. However, they cannot easily withstand high temperatures exceeding 150 °C because of intrinsic material limits. Herein, we proposed and executed a systematic and full-process study of SiC-based MEMS pressure sensors that operate stably from -50 to 300 °C. First, to explore the nonlinear piezoresistive effect, the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) values of 4H-SiC piezoresistors were obtained from -50 to 500 °C. A conductivity variation model based on scattering theory was established to reveal the nonlinear variation mechanism. Then, a piezoresistive pressure sensor based on 4H-SiC was designed and fabricated. The sensor shows good output sensitivity (3.38 mV/V/MPa), accuracy (0.56% FS) and low temperature coefficient of sensitivity (TCS) (-0.067% FS/°C) in the range of -50 to 300 °C. In addition, the survivability of the sensor chip in extreme environments was demonstrated by its anti-corrosion capability in H₂SO₄ and NaOH solutions and its radiation tolerance under 5 W X-rays. Accordingly, the sensor developed in this work has high potential to measure pressure in high-temperature and extreme environments such as are faced in geothermal energy extraction, deep well drilling, aeroengines and gas turbines.

Keywords: Electrical and electronic engineering; Sensors.