Joining of Electrodes to Ultra-Thin Metallic Layers on Ceramic Substrates in Cryogenic Sensors.

Microjoining technologies are crucial for producing reliable electrical connections in modern microelectronic and optoelectronic devices, as well as for the assembly of electronic circuits, sensors, and batteries. However, the production of miniature sensors presents particular difficulties, due to their non-standard designs, unique functionality and applications in various environments. One of the main challenges relates to the fact that common methods such as reflow soldering or wave soldering cannot be applied to making joints to the materials used for the sensing layers (oxides, polymers, graphene, metallic layers) or to the thin metallic layers that act as contact pads. This problem applies especially to sensors designed to work at cryogenic temperatures. In this paper, we demonstrate a new method for the dynamic soldering of outer leads in the form of metallic strips made from thin metallic layers on ceramic substrates. These leads can be used as contact pads in sensors working in a wide temperature range. The joints produced using our method show excellent electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties in the temperature range of 15-300 K.

A Fully Transparent Flexible Sensor for Cryogenic Temperatures Based on High Strength Metallurgical Graphene.

Low-temperature electronics operating in below zero temperatures or even below the lower limit of the common -65 to 125 °C temperature range are essential in medical diagnostics, in space exploration and aviation, in processing and storage of food and mainly in scientific research, like superconducting materials engineering and their applications-superconducting magnets, superconducting energy storage, and magnetic levitation systems. Such electronic devices demand special approach to the materials used in passive elements and sensors. The main goal of this work was the implementation of a fully transparent, flexible cryogenic temperature sensor with graphene structures as sensing element. Electrodes were made of transparent ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) or ITO/Ag/ITO conductive layers by laser ablation and finally encapsulated in a polymer coating. A helium closed-cycle cryostat has been used in measurements of the electrical properties of these graphene-based temperature sensors under cryogenic conditions. The sensors were repeatedly cooled from room temperature to cryogenic temperature. Graphene structures were characterized using Raman spectroscopy. The observation of the resistance changes as a function of temperature indicates the potential use of graphene layers in the construction of temperature sensors. The temperature characteristics of the analyzed graphene sensors exhibit no clear anomalies or strong non-linearity in the entire studied temperature range (as compared to the typical carbon sensor).