High temperature measurement set-up for the electro-mechanical characterization of robust thin film systems

Due to economic and environmental requirements there is a strong need both to increase the efficiency and to monitor the actual status of gas turbines, rocket engines and deep drilling systems. For these applications, micromachined pressure sensors based on a robust substrate material (e.g. sapphire) as well as strain gauges made of platinum for long-term stable operation are regarded as most promising to withstand harsh environments such as high temperature levels, aggressive media and/or high pressure loads. For pre-evaluation purposes, a novel, custom-built measurement set-up is presented allowing the determination of electro-mechanical thin film properties up to 850 degrees C. Key components of the measurement set-up are the one-sided clamped beam made of Al2O3 ceramics which is deflected by a quartz rod and a high precision encoder-controlled dc motor to drive the quartz rod. The specific arrangement of the infrared halogen heaters in combination with the gold coated quartz half shells ensures a high degree of temperature homogeneity along the beam axis. When exposed to tensile as well as compressive load conditions, the corresponding gauge factor values of 1 mu m thick platinum thin films show a good comparison at room temperature and in the temperature range from 600 up to 850 degrees C where the effects originating from grain boundaries or from the film surfaces are negligible. Between 150 and 600 degrees C, however, a strong deviation in the gauge factor determination depending on the mechanical load condition is observed, which is attributed to the gliding of adjacent grains.