Ceramic Pressure Sensor and Method for its Production

A pressure sensor, comprising:

• a ceramic base body;
• a ceramic measuring membrane that is disposed on said base body and that can be charged with a pressure to be measured;
• and
• a pressure measuring chamber enclosed in said base body under said measuring membrane, wherein:
• said base body and/or said measuring membrane comprises layers which are applied on each other in a 3-D printing method and produced by the selective laser melting of nanopowder layers.

A method for the production of a pressure sensor, comprising:

• a ceramic base body;
• a ceramic measuring membrane that is disposed on said base body and that can be charged with a pressure to be measured;
• and a pressure measuring chamber enclosed in said base body under said measuring membrane, wherein:
• said base body and/or said measuring membrane comprises layers which are applied on each other in a 3-D printing method and produced by the selective laser melting of nanopowder layers;
• wherein
• the ceramic layers of the pressure sensor are generated in a 3-D printing method in which each ceramic layer is generated as follows:
• a nanopowder of the ceramic is applied in a nanopowder layer, in particular with a squeegee;
• and
• the regions of the nanopowder layer forming the layer are fully melted by selective laser melting, in particular selective laser melting performed with a pulse laser generating laser pulses of short duration, in particular a picosecond laser or a femtosecond laser, and subsequently reharden.

A method for the production of a pressure sensor, which comprises:

• a ceramic base body;
• a ceramic measuring membrane that is disposed on said base body and that can be charged with a pressure to be measured;
• and a pressure measuring chamber enclosed in said base body under said measuring membrane, wherein:
• said base body and/or said measuring membrane comprises layers which are applied on each other in a 3-D printing method in a melting of nanopowder layers;
• the pressure sensor has a capacitive electromechanical converter for measuring a deflection of said measuring membrane depending on the pressure acting on said measuring membrane;
• said converter has an electrode disposed on a side of said measuring membrane facing said base body and a counter electrode disposed on the side of said base body facing said measuring membrane;
• and said electrode and/or said counter electrode have at least one layer printed in a 3-D printing method, in particular a layer generated by applying a metallic nanopowder layer, in particular a nanopowder layer consisting of titanium or tantalum metal powder, selective laser melting and subsequent hardening;
• and
• the metallic layers of the pressure sensor are generated in a 3-D printing method in which each metallic layer is generated as follows:
• a nanopowder of the metal is applied in a nanopowder layer, in particular with a squeegee;
• and
• the regions of the nanopowder layer forming the metallic layer are fully melted by selective laser melting, in particular selective laser melting performed with a pulse laser generating laser pulses of short duration, in particular a picosecond laser or a femtosecond laser, and subsequently reharden.

The method for the production of a pressure sensor, comprising:

• a ceramic base body;
• a ceramic measuring membrane that is disposed on said base body and that can be charged with a pressure to be measured;
• and a pressure measuring chamber enclosed in said base body under said measuring membrane, wherein:
• said base body and/or said measuring membrane comprises layers which are applied on each other in a 3-D printing method and produced by the selective laser melting of nanopowder layers, the pressure sensor has a capacitive electromechanical converter for measuring a deflection of said measuring membrane depending on the pressure acting on said measuring membrane;
• said converter has a counter electrode disposed on a side of said base body facing said measuring membrane, in particular said counter electrode having at least one layer generated by applying a metallic nanopowder layer, in particular a nanopowder layer consisting of titanium or tantalum metal powder, selective laser melting and subsequent hardening;
• said base body comprises a connecting line which runs from said counter electrode to a connecting point disposed on an outer lateral surface of said base body, in particular to a connecting point disposed on an outside lateral surface of said base body;
• said base body has stacked layers which are produced by the selective laser melting of nanopowder layers and through which said connecting line runs;
• these layers each have one ceramic and one metallic region;
• the metallic regions of the adjoining layers are adjacent to each other;
• and the adjoining metal regions form said connecting line;
• which has at least one layer comprising at least one metallic region and at least one ceramic region, characterized in that the layers having at least one metallic region and at least once ceramic region are generated in a 3-D printing method in which:
• a nanopowder of the ceramic is applied in a nanopowder layer, in particular with a squeegee;
• the regions of the ceramic nanopowder layer forming the ceramic layer are fully melted by selective laser melting, in particular selective laser melting performed with a pulse laser generating laser pulses of short duration, in particular a picosecond laser or a femtosecond laser, and subsequently reharden;
• the unmelted ceramic nanopowder is removed;
• a nanopowder of the metal is introduced in a nanopowder layer in the openings arising from the removal of the ceramic nanopowder;
• and
• the regions of the metallic nanopowder layer forming the metallic layer are fully melted by selective laser melting, in particular selective laser melting performed with a pulse laser generating laser pulses of short duration, in particular a picosecond laser or a femtosecond laser, and subsequently reharden.