Polymer-derived ceramic thin-film temperature sensor

•A thin-film temperature sensor was fabricated based on polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) via direct-writing.•A layer of protective coating made from PDC was applied on the sensor head and improved the repeatability.•The sensitivity and resistance-temperature relationship of SiCN sensor head were investigated. [Display omitted] In-situ monitoring of machines in harsh environment remains challenging due to lack of high-performance sensors. Most of sensors cannot survive over 600 ℃ even with packaging. In this work, an ultra-thin-film temperature sensor was fabricated based on polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) via direct-writing for aerospace applications. The sensitive film with thickness of 10 µm consists of polymer-derived SiCN filled with TiB2, ZrB2 and SiC nano-particles. The resistance-temperature dependence tests of the sensor indicates that the resistance of the PDC thin film decreases monotonically with rising temperature and exhibits good repeatability at temperatures from room temperature to 800 ℃ in the air environment. The fabricated thin-film sensor shows great potential for high temperature applications and the technological routine provides a feasible pathway for structure/function integration in aerospace manufacture.