GALLIUM-ARSENIDE PIEZOTRANSISTOR FOR DYNAMIC PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS ATHIGH-TEMPERATURE

A piezotransistor concept for measuring transient pressures in combust ion engines at high temperatures using the transversal piezoelectric e ffect in (100) GaAs is presented. The sensor was used without cooling to measure the pressure in a combustion chamber for a motored and fire d engine, The results which are presented here are in good agreement w ith the signal from a commercial quartz sensor, which needs an additio nal preamplifier. Such an active GaAs sensor is therefore a very attra ctive alternative to the commonly used quartz sensors for dynamic pres sure measurements at high temperatures. Compared to quartz sensors the GaAs sensor has the advantage of a possible integration of electronic s on the sensor chip. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.