Rapid Printing of High-Temperature Polymer-Derived Ceramic Composite Thin-Film Thermistor with Laser Pyrolysis

Polymer-derived ceramic (PDC)-based high-temperature thin-film sensors (HTTFSs) exhibit promising applications in the condition monitoring of critical components in aerospace. However, fabricating PDC-based HTTFS integrated with high-efficiency, high-temperature anti-oxidation, and customized patterns remains challenging. In this work, we introduce a rapid and flexible selecting laser pyrolysis combined with a direct ink writing process to print double-layer high-temperature antioxidant PDC composite thin-film thermistors under ambient conditions. The sensitive layer (SL) was directly written on an insulating substrate with excellent conductivity by laser-induced graphitization. Then, the antioxidant layer (AOL) was written on the surface of the SL to realize the integrated manufacturing of double-functional layers. Through characterization analysis, it was shown that B₂O₃ and SiO₂ glass phases generated by the PDC composite AOL could effectively prevent oxygen intrusion. Therefore, the fabricated PDC composite thermistors exhibited a negative temperature coefficient in the temperature range from 100 to 1100 °C and high repeatability below 800 °C. Meanwhile, it has excellent high-temperature stability at 800 °C with a resistance change of only 2.4% in 2 h. Furthermore, the high-temperature electrical behavior of the thermistor was analyzed. The temperature dependence of the conductivity for this thermistor has shown an agreement with the Mott's variable range hopping mechanism. Additionally, the thermistor was fabricated on the surface of an aero-engine blade to verify its feasibility below 800 °C, showing the great potential of this work for state sensing on the surface of high-temperature components, especially for customized requirements.