A strain gauge for measuring force and strain is provided that has reduced susceptibility to interfering electromagnetic fields. The strain gage includes a first insulation layer, which has a top side, a resistance element, which is arranged on the top side of the first insulation layer, a second insulation layer, which is arranged on the resistance element and which is joined to the first insulation layer at least in some sections, and an electrically conductive layer, which is arranged on the second insulation layer.

The present invention relates to structural health and usage monitoring systems, particularly employing strain sensing means for assessment of the loading history and fatigue damage in an aircraft, vessel, structure or machinery. More specifically, the present invention relates to autonomous systems for recording, processing and assessment of the history of a variety of mechanical and environmental factors affecting structural health in a wide spectrum of applications, such as in mechanical components of a fixed wing or a rotary aircraft, civil structures, machines, windmills, gas or oil pipes and vessels including marine vessels. It also can work as a standalone or integrated sensor or recording device for use in variety of applications where its ultralow power consumption, low cost and multi-sensing capabilities can provide for accurate assessments based on neural network principles of data processing and autonomous monitoring for many years without a need for maintenance or post-processing.

A microelectromechanical transducer includes a semiconductor body having first and second surfaces opposite to one another. A plurality of trenches extend in the semiconductor body from the first surface towards the second surface, including a first pair of trenches having a respective main direction of extension along a first axis, and a second pair of trenches having a respective main direction of extension along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis. A first piezoresistive sensor and a second piezoresistive sensor extend at the first surface of the semiconductor body respectively arranged between the first and second pair of trenches. The first piezoresistive sensor, the second piezoresistive sensor and the plurality of trenches form an active region. A first structural body is mechanically coupled to the first surface of the semiconductor body to form a first sealed cavity which encloses the active region.

Sensors that include carbon nanotubes, and articles that include the sensors. The sensors may include a buckypaper. The sensors may be flexible. Methods of making sensors, which may include printing an electrode on a substrate. The printing of an electrode may be achieved with an inkjet printer.

Semiconductor strain gages fabricated on Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) material, and the method of making them. Force sensing elements are uniformly batch-fabricated at wafer level and singulated individually by a wire bonding method. In another method, they are singulated by plucking them off the wafer from their attachment site.

An inspection device comprises: a detecting unit that is connected to a plurality of semiconductor chips having mutually different rates of change of electrical resistance with respect to stress loading direction, and that detects an electrical resistance value of each semiconductor chip from electric current flowing in each semiconductor chip; a first memory unit that is used to hold model data meant for converting an electrical resistance value into a characteristic value indicating at least either temperature, or stress, or strain; a converting unit that converts the electrical resistance value of each semiconductor chip as detected by the detecting unit into the characteristic value using the model data held in the first memory unit; and a second memory unit that is used to store the characteristic value, which is obtained by conversion by the converting unit, as time-series data for each of the plurality of semiconductor chips.

A load detector includes a housing having a height direction, and a load sensor provided within the housing. The load detector further includes a base platform, an elastic beam and an elastic member, the base being floatingly supported on the housing by the elastic beam, and the elastic member being provided on the base platform for receiving a load force. With the load force is applied to the elastic member, the elastic beam and the elastic member are simultaneously elastically deformed in the height direction, and the load force is transmitted to the load sensor via the base platform. The base platform is floatingly supported on the housing by the elastic beam, so that a high sensitivity of the load sensor may be enabled and the load sensor may be prevented from damage caused by excessive load.

A hybrid strain sensing system and the method of making such a system provides a thin semiconductor film with strain sensors and signal processing circuits integrated deposited thereon. The semiconductor film may be further processed and then mounted onto a substrate to be used for strain, force, or other related measurements. The system combines the high sensitivity of a semiconductor strain gauge with the high level of integration of semiconductor integrated circuits (IC)s. Both are highly desirable features for applications where miniaturization and/or flexibility are important requirements.

A piezo-resistor sensor includes a diffusion of a first conductivity type in a well of an opposite second type, contacts with islands in the diffusion, interconnects with the contacts, and a shield covers the diffusion between the contacts and extends over side walls of the diffusion between the contacts. Each interconnect covers the diffusion at the corresponding contact and extends over edges of the diffusion, and each island is at a side covered by its interconnect. A guard ring of the second type is around the diffusion. The shield covers the well between the diffusion and the ring and the edge of the ring facing the diffusion. If a gap between the shield and the interconnect is present, the ring bridges this gap, and/or the edges of the diffusion are completely covered by the combination of the shield and the interconnects.

A force sensor includes a sensing element, a first circuit board, and at least one second circuit board. The sensing element has a top surface and the bottom surface opposite to each other and has a sensing portion, wherein the sensing portion is located at the top surface. The first circuit board is disposed on the top surface and is electrically connected to the sensing element. The at least one second circuit board is connected to the first circuit board, wherein the at least one second circuit board shields the sensing element. The sensing portion is adapted to generate a sensing signal through an external force transferred from the first circuit board to the top surface.