Interdigital capacitive strain gauges fabricated by direct-write thermal spray and ultrafast laser micromachining

There is a growing demand for in situ monitoring of strain in high-temperature, harsh environment systems. Resistive strain gauges, while popular and easy to implement, have several disadvantages when used at high-temperatures. This work presents the design, fabrication, and initial testing of capacitive strain gauges for use in high-temperature, harsh environments. The gauges are fabricated using a direct-write thermal spray technology in which a computer-controlled deposition system is used to fabricate silver gauge patterns onto polymer, composite, and alumina substrates to form the strain gauges. Gauges were also fabricated using ultrafast laser micromachining of blanket NiCr coatings thermal sprayed onto an alumina substrate. The typical gauge capacitance was 4–25 pF. Mechanical measurements performed included gauge factor, linearity, and zero shift. Temperature-based measurements include the temperature coefficient of capacitance (TCC) and thermal cycling tests. The devices show promise for use in harsh environments and in wireless strain monitoring applications.