Sensor element for detecting a physical measuring variable between bodies exposed to high tribological strain

The sensor element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the covering layer (14) contains or is at least essentially comprised of carbon, in particular a diamond-like carbon or an amorphous diamond-like carbon, or that it contains carbon, in particular a diamond-like carbon or an amorphous diamond-like carbon as well as oxygen and silicon.

The sensor element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensitive layer (13, 30), which is particularly embodied in the form of a sensor segment (13), is comprised of a metal, in particular chromium, platinum, titanium, or a nickel-chromium or nickel-copper-manganese alloy and has an electrical resistance of 500Ω to 3 kΩ.

The sensor element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensitive layer (13, 30) is connected to external electronic components as part of an electronic measurement bridge by means of contact surfaces (11), which are provided at two ends and are separated from the body (10) by means of the insulation layer (12), and possibly by means of additional strip conductors.

The sensor element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensitive layer (13, 30) has a different thickness, in particular a significantly smaller thickness than the contact surfaces (11).

The sensor element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensitive layer (13, 30), which is in particular embodied as a sensor segment (13), has a length of 10 μm to 5 mm, a width of 50 nm to 50 μm, in particular of 50 nm to 5 μm, and a thickness of less than 200 nm, in particular less than 10 nm.

The sensor element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a bonding layer (33) is provided between the insulation layer (12) and the body (10) and/or between the sensitive layer (13, 30) and the covering layer (14).

The sensor element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bonding layer (33) between the insulation layer (12) and the body (10) has a thickness of 20 nm to 1 μm and/or the bonding layer (33) between the sensitive layer (13, 30) and the covering layer (14) has a thickness of 20 nm to 1 μm.

The sensor element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bonding layer (33) contains carbon, in particular a diamond-like carbon or an amorphous diamond-like carbon, and silicon, that the bonding layer (33) is comprised of a metal such as titanium or chromium, an alloy, or a semiconductor such as silicon, or that the bonding layer (33) has at least two component layers of different composition disposed one on top of the other.

The sensor element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insulation layer (12) has at least two component layers (31, 32), wherein one component layer (31) is a layer (31) with at least a low electrical conductivity in comparison to the sensitive layer (13, 30) and wherein a component layer (32) is a layer with a higher tribological stress capacity in comparison to the component layer (31) with the comparatively low electrical conductivity, or in that the insulation layer is a layer that is at least essentially comprised of carbon or contains carbon, oxygen, and silicon.

The sensor element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the layer (32) with the higher tribological stress capacity is at least essentially comprised of carbon, in particular a diamond-like carbon or an amorphous diamond-like carbon, and that the layer (31) with the comparatively low electrical conductivity is comprised of carbon, in particular a diamond-like carbon or an amorphous diamond-like carbon, as well as oxygen and silicon.

The sensor element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insulation layer (12) has a number of recurring pairs of component layers stacked one on top of the other, wherein immediately underneath the sensitive layer (13, 30), first comes the layer (32) with the higher tribblogical stress capacity and underneath that, comes the layer (32) with at least a low electrical conductivity in comparison to the sensitive layer (13, 30), and wherein these two layers (31, 32) constitute the component layer pair.

The sensor element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the influence of the physical measurement variable, in particular a changing pressure and/or a changing temperature, causes the sensitive layer (13, 30) to change in at least one measurable physical property, in particular its electrical resistance.

The sensor element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two bodies (10, 20) that move in relation to each other are separated from each other by a gap (21) that contains a lubricant (22).

A sensor element for detecting a physical measurement variable such as a pressure, a temperature, a gap width, or a capacitance between two bodies (10, 20) that move in relation to each other during operation and experience high tribological stress, particularly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in certain areas between the surfaces of the bodies (10, 20) that move in relation to each other, in a surface region of at least one of the bodies (10), a sensitive layer (13, 30) is provided, which is separated from the body (10) by an insulation layer (12), characterized in that the sensitive layer (13, 30) has a length of 10 μm to 5 mm, a width of less than 5 μm, and a thickness of less than 200 nm.

A sensor element for detecting a physical measurement variable such as a pressure, a temperature, a gap width, or a capacitance between two bodies (10, 20) that move in relation to each other during operation and experience high tribological stress, particularly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in certain areas between the surfaces of the bodies (10, 20) that move in relation to each other, in a surface region of at least one of the bodies (10), a sensitive layer (13, 30) is provided, which is separated from the body (10) by an insulation layer (12), characterized in that a surface region of at least one of the two bodies (10) has a recess (23) that contains the sensor surface (13) on the insulation layer (12).

The use of a sensor element according to one of the preceding claims to detect a contact pressure and/or a contact temperature and/or a gap width in the contact region between lubricated components that experience high tribological stress.