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Effect of nitrogen doping on piezoresistive properties of a-Si x C y thin film strain gauges

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Abstract

In this study, the effect of nitrogen doping on piezoresistive properties of non-stoichiometric amorphous silicon carbide (a-Si x C y ) thin-film strain gauges was investigated. The films were prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and the strain gauges were patterned by fabrication processes like conventional photolithography, metallization and reactive ion etching (RIE). The structure of the strain gauges consists of a a-Si x C y thin-film resistor with one Ti/Au electrical contact at each extreme of the resistor. In order to determine the piezoresistive properties, each strain gauge type was bonded near the clamped edge of a stainless steel cantilever beam and on the free edge calibrated weights were applied. The influence of the temperature on piezoresistive properties also was evaluated through the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) measurements from room temperature up to 250ºC. It was observed that nitrogen doping increased the piezoresistive coefficient and TCR of a-Si x C y thin film strain gauges.

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Acknowledgments

Research partially performed at Brazilian National Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS/MCT). The financial support of CNPq is strongly acknowledged. The authors also thank Dr. Marcel Dupret from LAMFI-USP for the RBS measurements, Dr. Lúcia Vieira dos Santos and Dr. Luis Francisco Bonetti for providing the facilities for the use PECVD system at INPE.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plasmas and Processes Laboratory, Department of Physics, Technological Institute of Aeronautics, São José dos Campos, Brazil

    M. A. Fraga, M. Massi & I. C. Oliveira

  2. Faculty of Technology of São Paulo, São Paulo-SP, 01124-060, Brazil

    H. Furlan

Authors
  1. M. A. Fraga
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  2. H. Furlan
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  3. M. Massi
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  4. I. C. Oliveira
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Correspondence to M. A. Fraga.

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Fraga, M.A., Furlan, H., Massi, M. et al. Effect of nitrogen doping on piezoresistive properties of a-Si x C y thin film strain gauges. Microsyst Technol 16, 925–930 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-010-1033-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-010-1033-9

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