Adaption of Functional Ceramic Materials for the Laser Sintering Process in Integrated Sensor Applications

The ceramic thick film technology allows the buildup of miniaturized and robust integrated multilayer circuits and sensors by means of sequential screen printing and firing of different functional materials. However, the manufacturing of integrated electronics does not succeed if the components are temperature sensitive or too large for the process in a sintering furnace. At present, large components like wind power rotors, axles, or roller bearings are monitored by vulnerable hybrid sensor systems. To implement the advantages of integrated devices, such as the direct surface contact and the high thermomechanical stability, functional ceramic-based materials are adapted or newly developed to accommodate the requirements of laser sintering techniques of printed sensor layers on structural components. In a first approach, first screen-printed thick films on steel components are investigated. The defect-free densification of functional layers crucially depends on the particular material composition and adapted laser treatment. A first generation of functional layers is presented, comprising insulating, conductive, and resistive electrical materials. The films are tested in demonstrator setups and show functional properties comparable with those of the furnace sintering technology. Herein, future aspects of material optimization and the adaption to specific application requirements are discussed.