Unintentionally Doped Epitaxial 3C-SiC(111) Nanothin Film as Material for Highly Sensitive Thermal Sensors at High Temperatures

There is a growing interest and demand to develop sensors that operate at high temperatures. In this work, we investigate the temperature sensing properties of unintentionally doped n-type single crystalline cubic silicon carbide (SiC) for high temperatures up to 800 K. A highly sensitive temperature sensor was demonstrated with a temperature coefficient of conductivity (TCC) ranging from 1.96 x 10(4) to 5.18 x 10(4) ppm/K. The application of this material was successfully demonstrated as a hot film flow sensor with its high signal-to-noise response to air flow at elevated temperatures. The high TCC of the single crystalline SiC film at and above 800 K strongly revealed its potential for highly sensitive thermal sensors working at high temperatures.