Thin Diamond Film on Silicon Substrates for Pressure Sensor Fabrication

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Sensor Technology
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• Conventional pressure sensors often suffer from electromagnetic interference.
• Silicon-based membranes are susceptible to harsh conditions.
• Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) diamond offers superior material properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a novel pressure sensor utilizing diamond-on-silicon membranes.
• To investigate the performance of a Fabry-Pérot interferometer-based sensing element.
• To leverage the unique properties of CVD diamond for enhanced sensor capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of diamond-on-silicon membranes via chemical vapor deposition and selective etching.
• Integration of a low-finesse Fabry-Pérot interferometer with a single-mode fiber.
• Optoelectronic measurement of cavity length for pressure transduction.

Main Results:

• Characterization of the diamond-on-silicon pressure sensor up to 16.5 MPa at room temperature.
• Demonstration of the feasibility of the diamond-on-Si membrane structure for pressure sensing.
• Successful operation without electromagnetic interference issues.

Conclusions:

• The developed diamond-on-silicon pressure sensor is a viable alternative to conventional technologies.
• CVD diamond's properties enable robust and reliable pressure transduction.
• The sensor system overcomes limitations of piezoelectric sensors in noisy environments.