Effects of heat treatment process on thin film alloy resistance and its stability

Alloy thin film for advanced pressure sensors was manufactured by means of ion-beam sputtering SiO2 insulation film and NiCr thin film on the 17-4PH stainless steel elastic substrate. The thin film resistance was respectively heat-treated by four processes. The effects on stability of thin film alloy resistance were investigated, and paramaters of heat treatment that make thin film resistance stable were obtained. The experimental result indicates that the most stable thin film resistance can be obtained when it is heat-treated under protection of SiO2 and N2 at 673 K for 1 h, and then kept at 473 K for 24 h. Pressure sensor chips of high precision for harsh environments can be manufactured by this process.