Challenges of sensor development based on thin film technology

Abstract Micro- and nanotechnology, especially represented by thin film technology, are at the very center of modern day industry. In developed countries as well as in all other regions of our planet and beyond, today, an existence without microsystems is unimaginable. Communication, power distribution, traffic control, medical care, autonomous systems, and integrated fabrication cannot function without ultrafast computing and high-capacity mass storage devices. But the “brain” of every system needs to be “fed” with information. Some information is supplied by a human user, but it constitutes only a microscopic fraction of the total. The utmost quantity is gathered by sensors measuring temperature, pressure, strain, radioactivity, humidity, location, distance, acceleration, etc. In ever more complex systems, the focus is directed at these “feelers” connecting the computer brain with the world outside its box. This chapter intends to offer an insight into the upcoming challenges of sensor development, concentrating on electrical insulation between commonly used machining materials like steel and alloys, and the sensors to be applied. It is the strong belief of the authors that only integrated thin film technology offers the means to meet the future challenges.