Fabrication, Performance, Characterization and Experimental Calibration of Embedded Thin-Film Sensor for Tool Cutting...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Thin-film strain sensors are crucial for force measurement due to their compact size, rapid response, and high accuracy.
• The performance of these sensors heavily relies on the thin-film materials and fabrication processes employed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and optimize the preparation process parameters for thin-film strain sensors.
• To investigate the influence of transition layers and Ni-Cr alloy layer parameters on sensor properties.
• To accurately measure cutting forces using the developed thin-film strain sensor.

Main Methods:

• Optimization of process parameters for transition, insulating, and Ni-Cr alloy layers.
• Atomic force microscopy (AFM) to observe surface microstructure of insulating layers.
• Analysis of elastic modulus, nanohardness, and resistance strain coefficient of the Ni-Cr layer.
• Static calibration to establish the relationship between strain and output voltage.

Main Results:

• A transition layer (Al2O3 or Si3N4) between the substrate and insulating layer enhances adhesion and flatness.
• Optimized process parameters improve the elastic modulus, nanohardness, and strain sensitivity of the Ni-Cr resistance layer.
• Static calibration demonstrated a linear relationship between strain and output voltage for the sensor.

Conclusions:

• The optimized thin-film strain sensor accurately detects strain from cutting tools.
• The sensor effectively converts mechanical strain into a linear electrical signal for precise cutting force measurement.
• This research contributes to advancements in high-accuracy force sensing technologies.