Investigating a Micro Pirani Gauge for Multi-Function Sensing

In this paper, a unique micro Pirani gauge is investigated for multi-function sensing. The microgauge, implemented in a silicon-on-insulator technology, was designed as a suspended microbridge. In order to be able to sense both temperature and pressure with a single implemented device, a special design consideration was taken. Moreover, concerning the pressure measurement, instead of exploiting the Pirani gauge principle in its steady state as done in a conventional way, the transient response of the gauge is exploited. As a result, the pressure sensitive range is remarkably extended beyond the atmosphere. The design of the device, the setup of experiments, and the measured results are given.