Capacitive, ceramic pressure-measuring cell and method for the production thereof

• US 9,958,350 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2014
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endress+Hauser SE+Co. KG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Original Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Company KG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Inventors: Ponath, Nils, Rossberg, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHMITT, BENJAMIN R
• Application Number:
  US14/896,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20160131546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 73715, 73717, 73718, 73723, 73724
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 1/0016 Brazing of electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 1/19 taking account of the properties of the materials to be soldered
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/52 Ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0036 Reactive sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/14 Metallic material, boron or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/34 Sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 8/16 using oxygen-containing compounds, e.g. water, carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0072 using variations in capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0075 using a ceramic diaphragm, e.g. alumina, fused quartz, glass

Abstract

A pressure-measuring cell having a ceramic measuring membrane and a ceramic counter body, wherein the measuring membrane is joined to the counter body in such a way that a pressure chamber is formed between the measuring membrane and the counter body. The pressure-measuring cell also has a capacitive transducer for detecting a pressure-dependent deformation of the measuring membrane, which capacitive transducer has at least one membrane electrode arranged on the measuring membrane and at least one electrode on the counter body side, wherein according to the invention at least one membrane electrode comprises a titanium oxide.

Claims

1. A pressure-measuring cell, comprising:

a ceramic measuring membrane;

a ceramic counter body; and

a capacitive transducer, wherein;

said measuring membrane is joined in a pressure-tight manner with said counter body to form a pressure chamber between said measuring membrane and said counter body;

said capacitive transducer detects a pressure-dependent deformation of said measuring membrane, and comprises at least one membrane electrode that is arranged on said measuring membrane and at least one electrode on said counter body side; and

said at least one membrane electrode comprises a titanium oxide, wherein;

the titanium oxide is arranged directly on the ceramic material of said measuring membrane;

said measuring membrane is joined to said base body by means of an active brazing solder, wherein said at least one membrane electrode is in galvanic contact with the active brazing solder;

said measuring membrane and said counter body comprise an aluminum oxide ceramic; and

the active brazing solder comprises a nickel-titanium-zirconium-containing active brazing solder.

2. The pressure-measuring cell according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one membrane electrode comprises titanium oxide, which is non-stoichiometric, in particular non-stoichiometric forms of TiO₂, Ti₄O₇, Ti₅O₉ or Ti₆O₁₁.

3. The pressure-measuring cell according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one membrane electrode comprises doped titanium oxide, which is doped in particular with Cr, Nb or W.

4. The pressure-measuring cell according to claim 3, wherein:

the doping is up to about 10 atomic %, related to the Ti atoms.

5. The pressure-measuring cell according to claim 3, wherein:

the doping is not more than 6 atomic %, related to the Ti atoms.

6. A method of manufacturing a capacitive pressure-measuring cell, comprising a ceramic measuring membrane;

a ceramic counter body; and

a capacitive transducer, wherein;

said measuring membrane is joined in a pressure-tight manner with said counter body to form a pressure chamber between said membrane and said counter body;

said capacitive transducer detects a pressure-dependent deformation of said measuring membrane, and comprises at least one membrane electrode that is arranged on said measuring membrane and at least one electrode on said counter body side, and said at least one membrane electrode comprises a titanium oxide, the method comprises the following steps;

providing the measuring membrane and the counter body;

preparing at least one membrane-side electrode on the measuring membrane, and at least one electrode on the counter body side on a surface thereof; and

pressure-tight joining of the measuring membrane to the counter body, forming a pressure chamber between the measuring membrane and the counter body, wherein;

at least the membrane electrode comprises titanium oxide;

the titanium oxide is prepared directly on the ceramic material of the measuring membrane; and

the joining of the measuring membrane with the counter body comprises the following steps;

provision of the active brazing solder between the measuring membrane and the counter body in the surface areas of the measuring membrane and of the counter body to be wetted by the active brazing solder;

heating of the measuring membrane, the counter body and the active brazing solder under vacuum up to a temperature at which the active brazing solder melts and reacts with the measuring membrane and the counter body; and

letting the pressure-measuring cell formed by joining cool down.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein:

the membrane electrode is prepared by first sputtering a metal layer, namely a titanium layer or a titanium layer that is doped with, for example, Cr, Nb, and/or W, which is then thermally oxidized.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein:

said oxidation is carried out by heating in an oxygen-containing atmosphere, for example in air, said oxidation takes place by heating to a temperature of not less than 500°

C.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein:

said oxidation is carried out by heating in an oxygen-containing atmosphere, for example in air, said oxidation takes place by heating to a temperature of not less than 600°

C.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein:

the membrane electrode is prepared by reactive sputtering of titanium oxide, which may especially be doped, in particular with Cr, Nb and/or W.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein:

the joining of the ceramic measuring membrane and the ceramic counter body with the active brazing solder takes place at a temperature of not less than 800°

C.