Abstract
We developed a piezo-resistive type thin-film pressure sensor composed of an alloy of manganese, nickel and copper in order to measure the oil-film pressure accurately on the sliding surfaces in internal combustion engine. This sensor was fabricated by physical vapor deposition, which deposits a sensor film of 3-6 micrometers thickness directly onto engine plane bearing. This sensor can measure the oil-film pressure without changing the bearing shape and without impairing the rigidity of the bearing housing. However, the characteristic of this sensor was impaired when it was exposed in high temperature. In this study, we reported the structure of the thin-film pressure sensor, the measurement result of the oil-film pressure in engine main bearing and the analysis result for the effect of the sensor alloy by ESCA(XPS) in order to investigate the cause of the sensor characteristic deterioration by the high temperature.
