3D printed sensors for harsh environment applications

The convergence of corrosion resistant metal 3D printing and sensors will be covered in this presentation. The harsh environment applications include optical and piezoresistive pressure, strain, Coriolis mass flow and resonant density and binary chemical concentration sensors. In this talk the advantages as well as design and manufacturing challenges of AM will be addressed. MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) wafer processing is now using AM, to fabricate complex micromachined substrates. By using 3D printing, hundreds of traditional MEMS wafer fabrication steps can be eliminated from the typical MEMS wafer process. Adding patterned electrical layers to AM is another technology trend that will be discussed from a sensor application perspective. AM devices and structures are being printed onto devices and patterned sensing and electrical layers are being pattered onto AM+MEMS wafers and standalone AM sensors. The convergence of 3D printing and traditional and MEMS photolithography processes offers new ways to manufacture complex micromachined substrates from new materials like titanium, stainless steel and various plastics with submicron circuit and sensing element features on the MEMS wafer surface. Leveraging the existing MEMS foundry infrastructure with new 3D printed MEMS substrates will open new sensing applications and products in the future.