Sensor component

• US 6,543,102 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2000
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Borgwarner BERU Systems GmbH (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sensotherm Temperatursensorik GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Zitzmann, Heinrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Easthom, Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US09/647,255
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 338/25, 338/309, 338/22.R, 338/225.D, 338/314, 338/275, 338/256, 338/203, 296/12
• US Class Current: 338/25
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/6845 Micromachined devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/692 Thin-film arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/183 characterised by the use of the resistive element
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73104 the bump connector being embedded into the layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49085 Thermally variable

Abstract

A sensor component comprises a ceramic support (12) with a metal film (14) applied thereto. At least one connecting wire (16) is electrically connected to the metal film (14) in a contact area (18). A fixing glaze (20) is applied to the metal film (14) and the at least one connecting wire (16) in the contact area (18). The ceramic support (12) has at least one recess (24) in the area of the fixing glaze (20).

Claims

1. A sensor component comprising

a planar ceramic support having a surface;

a metal film applied to said ceramic support, the metal film having two connection ends on the surface;

two connecting wires electrically connected to the metal film at a respective connection end in a contact area, and the two connection wires being positioned on top of the respective connection ends to achieve the electrical connection; and

a non-conductive fixing glaze applied to the ceramic support, the metal film and the at least one connecting wire in the contact area;

wherein the ceramic support has at least one recess in the contact area, the recess extending from the surface of the support into the support, the recess being filled with a glass composition or the non-conductive fixing glaze so that the mechanical interlocking between the fixing glaze and the ceramic support is improved by said at least one recess.

2. The sensor component according to claim 1, wherein the at least one recess is filled with a glass composition which is fixedly connected both to the ceramic support and to the non-conductive fixing glaze.

3. The sensor component according to claim 1, comprising a glass passivation layer which is applied on top of the metal film outside of the contact area.

4. The sensor component according to claim 1, wherein the metal film has a comblike structure in which ceramic support areas are exposed, the exposed ceramic support areas being fixedly connected to the non-conductive fixing glaze.

5. The sensor component according to claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the at least one connecting wire widens within the non-conductive fixing glaze in the connecting wire direction facing the ceramic support.

6. The sensor component according to claim 1, wherein the metal film consists of platinum or nickel.

7. The sensor component according to claim 1, wherein the ceramic-support material consists of an A1203 ceramic material or an MgTiO3 ceramic material.

8. A method of producing a sensor component comprising the steps of:

applying a metal film to a surface of a planar ceramic support, the metal film having two connection ends;

providing at least one recess in said ceramic support, the recess extending from the surface of the support into the support;

positioning two connecting wires on top of a respective connection end of the metal film thereby electrically connecting the two connecting wires with the metal film at the respective connection end in a contact area;

filling the recess with a non-conductive fixing glaze composition or a glass composition;

applying the non-conductive fixing glaze composition to the connecting wire, the metal film and the at least one recess in the contact area; and

fusing the non-conductive fixing glaze composition to the ceramic support, whereby due to the recess the mechanical interlocking between the fixing glaze and the ceramic support is improved.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

filling the at least one recess with a glass composition after the step of providing said recess;

applying a glass passivation layer to the metal film outside of the contact area after the step of applying the non-conductive fixing glaze composition;

wherein the fusion step comprises the fusing of the glass composition in the at least one recess with the ceramic support and the non-conductive fixing glaze composition.

10. The method of producing a sensor component according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

producing a comblike structure of the metal film by laser irradiation or plasma etching; and

providing the at least one recess by sawing said recesses into the ceramic support material.

11. A sensor component comprising:

a ceramic support;

a metal film applied to said ceramic support;

at least one connecting wire electrically connected to the metal film in a contact area; and

a non-conductive fixing glaze applied to the metal film and the at least one connecting wire in the contact area;

wherein the ceramic support has at least one recess in the area of the non-conductive fixing glaze, and

wherein the cross-section of the at least one connecting wire widens within the non-conductive fixing glaze in the connecting wire direction facing the ceramic support.

12. The sensor component according to claim 11, wherein the at least one recess is filled with a glass composition which is fixedly connected both to the ceramic support and to the non-conductive fixing glaze.

13. The sensor component according to claim 11, comprising a glass passivation layer which is applied on top of the metal film outside of the contact area.

14. The sensor component according to claim 11, wherein the metal film has a comblike structure in which ceramic support areas are exposed, the exposed ceramic support areas being fixedly connected to the non-conductive fixing glaze.

15. The sensor component according to claim 11, wherein the metal film consists of platinum or nickel.

16. The sensor component according to claim 11, wherein the ceramic-support material consists of an A1203 ceramic material or an MgTiO3 ceramic material.

17. A method of producing a sensor component comprising the steps of:

applying a metal film to a ceramic support;

producing a comblike structure of the metal film by laser irradiation or plasma etching;

providing at least one recess in said ceramic support by sawing said recesses into the ceramic support material;

electrically connecting the metal film to at least one connecting wire in a contact area;

applying a non-conductive fixing glaze composition to the connecting wire, the metal film and the at least one recess in the contact area; and

fusing the non-conductive fixing glaze composition to the ceramic support.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

filling the at least one recess with a glass composition after the step of providing said recess;

applying a glass passivation layer to the metal film outside of the contact area after the step of applying the non-conductive fixing glaze composition;

wherein the fusion step comprises the fusing of the glass composition in the at least one recess with the ceramic support and the non-conductive fixing glaze composition.