Polymer-derived
ceramic (PDC) is considered an excellent sensing
material for harsh environments such as aero-engines and nuclear reactors.
However, there are many inherent limitations not only in pure PDC
but also in its common fabrication method by furnace thermolysis.
Therefore, this study proposes a novel method of rapid in
situ fabrication of PDC composite thin-film sensors by laser
pyrolysis. Using this method with different fillers, a sensitive PDC
composite film layer with high-quality graphite can be obtained quickly,
which is more flexible and efficient compared to the traditional furnace
thermolysis. Furthermore, this study analyzes the reaction differences
between laser pyrolysis and furnace thermolysis. The laser pyrolysis
method principally produces β-SiC and enhances the graphitization
of amorphous carbon, while the degree of graphitization by furnace
thermolysis is low. In addition, it is capable of rapidly preparing
an insulating PDC composite film, which still has a resistance of
5 MΩ at 600 °C. As a proof of this method, the PDC composite
thin-film strain sensors are fabricated in situ on
nickel alloys and aluminum oxide substrates, respectively. The sensor
fabricated on the nickel alloy with a high gauge factor of over 100
can be used in high-temperature environments below 350 °C without
the protection of an oxidation-resistant coating. In this way, the
approach pioneers the in situ laser fabrication of
functional PDC films for sensors, and it has great potential for the in situ sensing of complex curved surfaces in harsh environments.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.