High Sensitivity, High Frequency Sensors for Hypervelocity Testing and Analysis

This NASA Phase I SBIR program would develop high sensitivity, high frequency nanomembrane (NM) based surface sensors for hypervelocity testing and analysis on wind tunnel models as well as operational aerospace vehicles, using SOI NM techniques in combination with our pioneering HybridSil ceramic nanocomposite materials. Such low-modulus, conformal nanomembrane sensor skins with integrated interconnect elements and electronic devices can be applied to new or existing propulsion systems for high frequency surface pressure analysis. During this program, large continuous NMs of single crystal Si, SiGe and Ge will be readily released from the engineered wafers using wet chemical etching and transferred to flexible substrates to form multi-axis surface pressure sensors and arrays. Sensors may be connected to external support instrumentation either through thin film and ribbon cable interconnects, or potentially wirelessly using RF communication directly from electronic networks incorporated into the sensor skin material.