Work

Breaking the Temperature Barrier: Ultra‐Stable SiHfBCN Ceramic Coatings for High‐Temperature Pressure Sensing

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Pressure sensors are essential for acquiring real-time information that directly influences the performance and safety of modern engine control systems. However, developing pressure sensors that can operate reliably at high temperatures remains a formidable challenge due to the lack of stable sensing materials. Here, we report a novel polymer-derived SiHfBCN ceramic coating exhibiting outstanding pressure-sensing behavior and remarkable thermal stability at elevated temperatures. The SiHfBCN coating was fabricated on sapphire substrates through a preceramic polymer route and subsequently pyrolyzed at various temperatures up to 1500 °C. The amorphous ceramic film features a nanodomain structure composed of amorphous SiHfBCN and crystalline HfC(N) nanoparticles together with in-situ forms carbon ribbons, which provides excellent electrical and mechanical stability. The optimized coating demonstrates a high gauge factor K of up to 42.000, excellent repeatability, and stable signal response under cyclic compression, maintaining its performance up to 1300 °C. These results highlight the potential of SiHfBCN ceramics as next-generation materials for high-temperature pressure-sensing applications.

Source: Energy & environment materials

DOI: 10.1002/eem2.70313