New sensors for automotive and aerospace applications

In modern cars, sensors, actuators and electronic components play an increa sing role. Driving forces are the demand for improved safety, higher comfor t as well as increased economy and ecology. The paper presents an overview on semiconductor sensors that had been designed to reach such objectives. E xamples for micromachined silicon sensors as well as highly innovative devi ces based on wide-bandgap semiconductor materials are presented. Spin-offs to aerospace applications are also discussed.