The market for pressure sensors has continued to develop positively in recent years and is expected to continue to grow rapidly in the future. In the newly launched MinerVa research project, scientists at the CiS Research Institute are working on the design and construction of a sensor measurement system for monitoring the pressure of vacuum-carrying processes. The focus is on developing a media-resistant, high-temperature capable, miniaturized and cost-efficient MEMS Pirani sensor with a maximum operating temperature of 300°C and a measuring range of 1E-05 mbar to 1 mbar (fine and high vacuum). The sensor measuring system is to be constructed as a sandwich and applied to a heatable ceramic substrate. Various challenges need to be overcome in the implementation of the research idea. The harsh environmental conditions such as temperatures and chemicals used can lead to relatively short lifetimes for the sensors used. The project opens up the opportunity to develop a compact and resistant sensor element at economical manufacturing costs.
There are many possible applications, for example in the production of thin functional layers using physical vapor deposition (PVD). The widely used process takes place in the specified pressure range and requires a great deal of effort to carry out process control in the immediate vicinity of the vacuum process or even process monitoring at various locations in the process chamber.
The research and development work described is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) in the research project “MEMS Pirani Sensor for Fine and High Vacuum” (MinerVa).
Funding code: 49MF230007
