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MORGaN topic
Harsh environments applications
In general for electronic sensors and devices, conditions that cannot be met by
Si may be called harsh. As electronics becomes ubiquitous the demands from
industry require operation in increasingly harsh environments, for instance:
extreme heat, high pressure, large electric fields or contact with chemically
aggressive substances.
Application area for sensors include:
- Aerospace
- Down-hole (oil well)
- Power generation
- Automotive
Moreover, high power electronics generates internal harsh environments as a consequence of high power dissipation under high current flow at high bias.
Devices and sensors designed to operate in such environments need new semiconductor materials which are stable, especially at high temperature, and have substrate and package combinations that enable rapid heat extraction or capability to withstand high temperature. Chemical inertness is also an advantage, especially if one wants to monitor highly corrosive chemical agents. For example, Si MOSFET operation is restricted to 450°C due to its low energy band gap.
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| Finite element analysis
modeling and microscope images of MEMS cantilever structures which may be
used in sensor devices in harsh environment applications (e.g. as
part of a pressure or temperature sensor). (NB The deflection is exaggerated in the FEM model.) |
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