Sensor device and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

A sensor device (10) is described that includes a sensor chip (16), the sensor chip (16) having multiple printed ceramic layers (12) and non-printed ceramic layers (11), the printed ceramic layers (12) having a conductive material (13) printed at least partially thereon, and the electrical resistance of the sensor chip (16) being determined by an overlap area (17) of the conductive material (13). The sensor device (10) further includes a damping layer (14). A method for manufacturing the sensor device (10) is also described.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sensor device, in particular a sensor device for measuring temperature. The present invention further relates to a method for manufacturing a sensor device. [Background technology]

[0002] Chips, especially ceramic chips, are used in a variety of applications, especially for high performance modules such as PIMs (Power Integrated Modules), and are used, among other things, for temperature measurement.

[0003] Typically, the corresponding system consists of a ceramic chip that is applied to a substrate by a sintering process with a termination layer that is then contacted on the surface by a bonding wire, the termination layer having to be adapted to the bonding material and bonding technique.

[0004] Ceramic chips are typically cut from sintered and polished substrates, and the component resistance is adjusted through the geometry. This process is relatively labor-intensive, especially for tight resistance tolerances, because the geometry has a significant impact. This makes the process prone to defects, relatively complex, and expensive. Furthermore, the component geometry is not uniform, because chips from any ceramic substrate may have slightly different geometries. The sawing process can also damage the component.

[0005] Depending on the bonding technology and the process parameters selected for the entire module (bonding wire material, bonding wire thickness), very large forces may also be exerted on the ceramic chip, which may cause damage such as breakouts that may lead to the complete destruction of the chip.

[0006] To mitigate mechanical damage, it was previously only possible to either adapt the bonding parameters (e.g., thinner bonding wires), make the ceramic chip thicker, or use more robust ceramic materials. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved sensor device and a method for manufacturing an improved sensor device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This problem is solved by a sensor device and a method according to the independent claims.

[0009] According to one embodiment, a sensor device is provided. Preferably, the sensor device is configured for measuring temperature. The sensor device is used in a high performance module, such as a PIM.

[0010] The sensor device includes at least one sensor chip. The sensor chip includes multiple ceramic layers. The ceramic layers preferably include a material having a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) characteristic curve. Preferably, the sensor chip is an NTC multilayer chip.

[0011] The sensor chip has multiple non-printed ceramic layers. In other words, no additional material is applied onto each ceramic layer. Furthermore, the sensor chip has multiple printed ceramic layers. The printed and non-printed ceramic layers are stacked together to form a stack. In this case, each non-printed layer can be followed by a printed layer. Preferably, multiple non-printed ceramic layers are arranged between two printed layers.

[0012] The printed ceramic layer is at least partially printed with a conductive material, such as palladium, platinum, copper, silver, or gold. In this case, printing can be performed in one or more steps. The conductive material is preferably printed on at least one partial area of ​​the ceramic layer by screen printing. In this way, precisely predetermined areas of each layer can be printed accurately.

[0013] The sensor device comprises at least one termination layer for electrical contact of the conductive material or internal electrodes, which may comprise a noble metal such as Au or Ag.

[0014] The conductive material on the printed ceramic layers serves as the internal electrodes of the sensor chip. The electrical resistance of the sensor chip is determined by the overlap area of ​​the conductive material, and thus by the overlap of the internal electrodes, or by the distance of the conductive material to the termination layer. In this case, the overlap area refers to the area where the conductive material of different printed ceramic layers is arranged on top of each other in the stacking direction. The larger the overlap area (the extent of the area perpendicular to the stacking direction), the smaller the resistance. The smaller the overlap area, the higher the resistance. The greater the distance between the conductive material and the termination layer, the higher the resistance.

[0015] With a multi-layered chip structure, the resistance is decisively adjusted via the internal structure of the sensor chip for a given chip geometry, where the construction in multi-layer technology ensures that the external geometry of different chips always remains identical.

[0016] Furthermore, the resistors can be adjusted very well through precise printing, and therefore high precision can be achieved more easily through process technology. The high level of defective products that occurs when cutting chips from a substrate is eliminated. External influences due to bonding techniques (e.g., adhesive bonding) are minimized. This provides an inexpensive and stable sensor device.

[0017] In one embodiment, the sensor device comprises at least one termination layer for electrical contact of the conductive material or internal electrodes, the at least one termination layer comprising a noble metal such as Au or Ag.

[0018] The sensor device can have two or more termination layers. For example, the sensor device can have two termination layers. These termination layers can be disposed on opposite, different outer surfaces of the sensor device. The termination layers can be adhesive. In other words, the termination layers are designed to be connected by bonding wires.

[0019] The termination layer is formed at least on the top surface of the sensor device or sensor chip, where the top surface of the sensor device is the surface from which the sensor device is electrically contacted, preferably by bonding wires. Furthermore, a further termination layer can be formed on the bottom surface of the sensor device or sensor chip, whereby at least one termination layer is preferably printed or sputtered onto the top and / or bottom surface of the sensor device.

[0020] The termination layer protects the sensor device from external influences, and is used to ensure that the entire sensor device is in contact with the outside world. Furthermore, the termination layer ensures electrical contact of the internal electrodes.

[0021] In one embodiment, the sensor device comprises at least one damping layer, which is preferably applied directly onto at least one partial area of ​​the outer surface of the sensor chip, in which case the outer surface is the upper surface of the sensor chip.and under Face is interpreted to mean.

[0022] Preferably, the damping layer is applied directly onto the top surface of the sensor chip, for example by screen printing. Particularly preferably, the top surface of the sensor chip is completely covered with the damping layer.

[0023] Alternatively, the sensor device can have an inner termination layer disposed between the damping layer and the sensor chip, in which case the damping layer can be sandwiched between the inner termination layer and the termination layer described above, which can be used to contact the conductive material forming the internal electrodes of the sensor chip.

[0024] Alternatively or additionally, the damping layer can be applied directly onto the underside of the sensor chip. Alternatively or additionally, the damping layer can be applied directly onto the side of the sensor chip. In this context, "directly" is understood to mean that no further material or layer is arranged between the sensor chip and the damping layer. In particular, the damping layer is configured to be arranged between the sensor chip and the termination layer.

[0025] The damping layer provides the sensor chip with a higher mechanical resistance compared to standard chips, allowing it to absorb and better distribute the mechanical forces generated during the bonding process, resulting in less damage to the sensor chip and therefore making robust and inexpensive components available.

[0026] In one embodiment, the damping layer comprises a material that has a greater elasticity than the material of the termination layer, thus ensuring compensation for the mechanical forces that occur during the bonding process. For example, the damping layer comprises a conductive polymer or an epoxy resin filled with silver particles.

[0027] According to another aspect, a method for manufacturing a sensor device is described. Preferably, the method manufactures a sensor device as described above. All features disclosed with respect to the sensor device or the method are correspondingly disclosed with respect to each other aspect, even if the respective feature is not explicitly mentioned in the context of the respective aspect, and vice versa. The method comprises the following steps:

[0028] A) Preparing the Ceramic Film A number of ceramic films are available, including materials with NTC characteristic curves.

[0029] B) Printing a conductive material onto a portion of the ceramic film to form a printed ceramic layer and an unprinted ceramic layer. In the completed device, the conductive material functions as the internal electrode of the sensor chip. The conductive material is preferably printed onto a portion of the film by screen printing to create the printed ceramic layer. For example, the conductive material may include palladium, platinum, copper, gold, or silver.

[0030] The ceramic film is printed with a conductive material in a highly precise geometric shape. This precise printing allows the resistance of the sensor chip to be determined. In particular, the overlap area of ​​the conductive material in the stacking direction determines the resistance of the chip and therefore the resistance of the sensor device.

[0031] C) Placing the printed and unprinted ceramic layers one on top of the other to form a stack. In this case, printed and unprinted ceramic films can be placed one on top of the other. Preferably, two unprinted films are placed between two printed films. In this case, the conductive material of the printed films forms an overlapping area when viewed in the stacking direction.

[0032] D) Cutting the desired geometric shape from the stack to form sensor chips. In that case, a large number of sensor chips with a predetermined geometric shape can be precisely cut from the stack.

[0033] E) Sintering the Sensor Chip In particular, this step is carried out before applying the termination and damping layers.

[0034] F) Forming at least one damping layer on at least one partial region of the outer surface of the sensor chip. Preferably, the damping layer is applied directly to the top surface (large area of ​​the sensor chip), for example by screen printing. Alternatively or additionally, the damping layer can also be printed directly on the bottom and / or side surfaces of the sensor chip. The damping layer can comprise a conductive polymer or an epoxy resin filled with silver particles. The damping layer increases the mechanical stability of the sensor chip and makes it less susceptible to forces occurring during bonding.

[0035] G) applying a further conductive material onto one partial area of ​​the outer surface of the sensor chip and / or onto the damping layer to form at least one termination layer. This further conductive material preferably comprises a noble metal such as silver or gold. The further conductive material is printed or sputtered. The material may be applied directly onto the surface of the sensor chip or onto the surface of the damping layer, if a damping layer is present on the relevant surface.

[0036] The termination layer forms the outermost layer of the sensor device and is configured to be connected to bonding wires for electrical contact with the sensor device.

[0037] After step E) and before step F), an inner termination layer (15c) can be produced on the sensor chip (16), and in step F) an attenuation layer (14) is produced directly on the inner termination layer.

[0038] H) Step of electrically contacting the sensor device In this step, bonding wires can be applied onto the surface of the termination layer. Alternatively, the sensor device can be contacted by sintering or soldering.

[0039] The sensor device manufactured by this method is distinguished by its robustness. Thanks to the damping layer, the mechanical forces generated during bonding can be absorbed and better distributed. Furthermore, the resistance of the device can be precisely adjusted through the internal structure of the sensor chip.

[0040] The drawings described below should not be construed as being to scale, rather some dimensions may be shown enlarged, reduced or distorted for better illustration.

[0041] Elements that are similar or perform the same function are designated with the same reference numerals. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0042] [Figure 1] 1 shows a sensor device according to the prior art; [Figure 2] 1 illustrates partial aspects of a sensor device according to one embodiment. [Figure 3a] 10 illustrates a partial aspect of a sensor device according to another embodiment. [Figure 3b] 10 illustrates a partial aspect of a sensor device according to another embodiment. [Figure 3c] 10 illustrates a partial aspect of a sensor device according to another embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates a sensor device according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 shows a sensor device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0043] 1 shows a sensor device 1 according to the prior art. The sensor device 1 comprises a chip 2, in particular a ceramic chip 2. For example, the chip 2 is an NTC chip, and the sensor device 1 is used for temperature measurement. This sensor device 1 is used in a high-performance module, for example a PIM.

[0044] The chip 2 is applied onto a substrate 5 by a sintering process (for example sintered silver 4) with the aid of a termination layer 3 made of a noble metal (for example Ag or Au).

[0045] The chip 2 is then contacted on the surface by bonding wires 6, the termination layer 3 having to be adapted to the bonding material and bonding technique (wire thickness etc.) The termination layer 3 is most often applied by sputtering or screen printing.

[0046] The chip 2 is usually cut from a sintered and polished substrate. The resistance of the chip 2 or the sensor device 1 is adjusted through the geometry of the chip 2. Especially for tight resistance tolerances, this process is relatively laborious because the geometry has a very large influence. This makes the process prone to defects and laborious.

[0047] The geometry of the individual chips 2 is also not uniform, as chips 2 from any ceramic substrate may have slightly different geometries, which may lead to chip 2 damage during cutting.

[0048] Furthermore, depending on the bonding technique and the process parameters selected for the sensor device 1, very large forces may be exerted on the chip 2, which may lead to damage or even complete destruction of the chip 2.

[0049] In the sensor devices or sub-aspects of the sensor devices described below, the chips are constructed using multi-layer processes and internal electrodes so that the resistance can be tailored crucially via the internal structure of the chip, whereby external influences are minimized through bonding techniques.

[0050] Furthermore, in the following a surface termination of the sensor chip is proposed, which allows the sensor chip, and therefore the entire sensor device, to withstand relatively large forces during the bonding process without being damaged.

[0051] Figure 2 shows a partial view of a sensor device 10 according to one embodiment. In particular, Figure 2 shows a sensor chip 16 of the sensor device 10. The sensor chip 16 has a number of ceramic layers 11, 12.

[0052] The sensor chip 16 is a multilayer chip. In particular, the sensor chip 16 is a multilayer NTC chip. In other words, the ceramic layers 11, 12 contain a material with an NTC characteristic curve. The sensor chip 16 or the sensor device 10 is therefore configured for measuring temperature. The sensor device 10 is configured for use in a high-performance module such as a PIM.

[0053] The sensor chip 16 has a number of unprinted ceramic layers 11. The sensor chip 16 also has a number of printed ceramic layers 12. Each printed ceramic layer 12 has a conductive material 13, such as Ag, Au, or Cu, printed on it.

[0054] Each printed ceramic layer 12 is only partially printed with a conductive material 13, which extends up to the peripheral area of ​​each printed ceramic layer 12. The conductive material 13 forms the internal electrodes 19 of the sensor chip 16 (see also Figures 3a to 3c in this regard).

[0055] The printed layers 12 and non-printed layers 11 can be, for example, arranged alternately. Preferably, a printed ceramic layer 12 is followed by a plurality of non-printed ceramic layers 11.

[0056] The conductive material 13 is printed on the ceramic layer 12 and then laminated such that the internal electrodes 19 or conductive material 13 of the printed ceramic layer 12 at least partially overlap. In other words, the material 13 forms an overlap region 17 in the lamination direction. The resistance of the sensor chip 16 is determined by the overlap region 17, particularly by the size of the overlap region 17 (the extent of the overlap region 17 perpendicular to the lamination direction). The larger the overlap region 17, i.e., the greater the extent of the overlap region 17 perpendicular to the lamination direction, the smaller the resistance. The smaller the overlap region 17, the higher the resistance.

[0057] The sensor chip 16 has an outer surface 16a. The outer surface 16a is formed by two opposing large-area side surfaces that form a top surface 20 or a bottom surface 21 of the sensor chip 16 in the sensor device 10. The outer surface 16a is further formed by side surfaces 22 of the sensor chip 16.

[0058] For electrical contact of the internal electrodes 19, termination layers 15 are provided (not explicitly shown, see FIG. 4). Each termination layer 15 comprises a noble metal, such as Au or Ag.

[0059] In particular, one termination layer 15 is preferably formed on the top surface 20 and one termination layer 15 on the bottom surface 21. Alternatively, for example, a termination layer 15 can be formed only on the top surface 20. Thus, in contrast to known multilayer chips, the internal electrodes 19 (conductive material 13) are contacted via a "large area" (top surface 20 and / or bottom surface 21 of the sensor chip 16).

[0060] In that case, the termination layer 15 does not need to be in direct contact with the outer surface 16a of the sensor chip 16. Preferably, another layer, in particular a damping layer 14, is formed between the sensor chip 16 and the termination layer 15, which will be explained in more detail in connection with FIG.

[0061] By constructing the sensor chip 16 in multilayer technology, cutting out the ceramic substrate is avoided, so that it can be ensured that the external shape of different sensor chips 16 is always the same. Furthermore, by precisely printing the ceramic layers 12, the resistance can be adjusted very well. High precision can therefore be achieved more easily in terms of process technology.

[0062] As can be seen from FIGS. 3 a - 3 c, all known design variants for multilayer technology can be transferred to this design for the sensor chip 16 .

[0063] 3a shows a sensor chip 16 with internal electrodes 19 in a so-called gap design. A first termination layer 15a is arranged on the upper surface 20 of the sensor chip 16. A second termination layer 15b is arranged on the lower surface 21 of the sensor chip 16.

[0064] In this case, a predetermined partial region of each printed ceramic layer 12 (e.g., the partial region adjacent to the lower surface 21 of the sensor chip 16) is completely devoid of internal electrodes. A second termination layer 15b is adjacent to this partial region of the ceramic layer 12. Internal electrodes 19 are formed on another predetermined partial region of the printed layer 12 (in this example, the partial region adjacent to the upper surface 20). The internal electrodes 19 are electrically contacted via the first termination layer 15a. All internal electrodes 19 have the same polarity. The active volume of the sensor chip is formed between the ends of the internal electrodes 19 facing the lower surface 21 and the second termination layer 15b. In this case, the extent of the internal electrodes 19 / conductive material 13 perpendicular to the stacking direction determines the size of the active volume. In this example, there is no overlapping region 17 of internal electrodes 19 of different polarities.

[0065] 3b shows a sensor chip 16 with internal electrodes 19 (conductive material 13) of overlapping design, as already shown in connection with FIG. 2. In this case, the conductive material 13 is printed on various partial areas of the ceramic layers 12 and arranged in a stack. Thus, a first ceramic layer 12 has printed partial areas that protrude from the central area of ​​the respective ceramic layer 12 to the upper surface 20 of the sensor chip 16. A second ceramic layer 12 has printed partial areas that protrude from the central area of ​​the associated ceramic layer 12 to the lower surface 21 of the sensor chip 16. The printed areas or internal electrodes 19 overlap in the stacking direction (overlap areas 17).

[0066] In this embodiment, the sensor device 10 preferably has at least two termination layers 15 formed on the top and bottom surfaces of the sensor device 10 or sensor chip 16.

[0067] Figure 3c shows a sensor chip 16 with serially connected internal electrodes 19. In this case, the first ceramic layer 12 has two printed sub-regions. One of these sub-regions protrudes from the center of the respective ceramic layer 12 to the upper surface 20 of the sensor chip 16. The other sub-region protrudes from the center of the associated ceramic layer 12 to the lower surface 21 of the sensor chip 16. In this case, the sub-region extending from the center to the upper surface 20 forms the first internal electrode 19a. The sub-region extending from the center to the lower surface forms the second internal electrode 19b. The first and second internal electrodes 19a, 19b are arranged in the same plane and do not contact each other.

[0068] In contrast, the second ceramic layer has only one printed partial area (here the central area), on which a floating electrode 19c is formed by printing arranged only in the central area, and which is not in electrical contact with the termination layer. The sensor chip 16 has two termination layers 15a, 15b. The first termination layer 15a is disposed on the upper surface 20 and is connected to a first internal electrode 19a that extends to the upper surface 20. The second termination layer 15b is disposed on the lower surface 21 and is connected to a second internal electrode 19b that extends to the lower surface 21.

[0069] This results in two overlapping regions 17 of the internal electrodes 19. In particular, in this case, there is a first overlapping region 17a formed in a region of the sensor chip 16 closer to the top surface 20. The first overlapping region is formed by the overlap of the first internal electrode 19a with the floating electrode 19c. A second overlapping region 17b is formed closer to the bottom surface 21 of the sensor chip. The second overlapping region is formed by the overlap of the second internal electrode 19b with the floating electrode 19c. The overlapping regions 17a, 17b together form the total overlapping region 17.

[0070] FIG. 4 shows a sensor device 10 according to one embodiment.

[0071] The sensor device 10 comprises a sensor chip 16 as described in relation to Figures 2 and 3a-3c. The sensor chip 16 is an NTC chip in multilayer technology. The resistance of the sensor chip 16 is described by the size of the overlap area 17 of the internal electrodes 19, as described above.

[0072] The sensor chip 16 has an outer surface 16a formed by a top surface 20, a bottom surface 21 and side surfaces 22 (in this regard, see also FIG. 2).

[0073] The sensor chip 16 further comprises a damping layer 14. The damping layer 14 is in direct mechanical contact with the sensor chip 16. The damping layer 14 is applied onto the sensor chip 16, preferably by screen printing.

[0074] The damping layer 14 is shaped and arranged in such a way as to ensure a higher mechanical resistance of the sensor chip 16 compared to a standard chip, thereby absorbing and better distributing the mechanical forces occurring during the bonding process, resulting in less damage to the sensor chip 16 compared to a standard chip.

[0075] The attenuation layer 14 preferably includes a conductive polymer. For example, the attenuation layer 14 may include poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT or PEDT). The attenuation layer 14 may further include polystyrene sulfonate (PSS). Alternatively, the attenuation layer 14 may include, for example, polyparaphenylene (PPP) as the conductive polymer.

[0076] In an alternative embodiment, the damping layer 14 may comprise an epoxy resin filled with Ag particles.

[0077] In this embodiment, the damping layer 14 is formed directly on the upper surface 20 of the sensor chip 16. Alternatively or additionally, the damping layer 14 can be formed directly on the lower surface 21 of the sensor chip 16.

[0078] The sensor device 10 further comprises at least one termination layer 15. Preferably, the sensor device 10 comprises two termination layers 15, which are preferably formed on opposite outer surfaces of the sensor device 10 (not explicitly shown).

[0079] The damping layer 14 is disposed between the sensor chip 16 and the termination layer 15. In other words, the termination layer 15 is applied onto the damping layer 14, for example by sputtering or screen printing. The termination layer 15 comprises a conductive material, preferably a noble metal. The termination layer 15 comprises, for example, Au or Ag. The termination layer 15 serves to electrically contact the internal electrodes 19.

[0080] Preferably, the damping layer 14 has a greater thickness (in this case, extension perpendicular to the stacking direction) than the termination layer 15. Furthermore, the material of the damping layer 14 has a greater elasticity than the material of the termination layer 15. In this way, the sensor chip 16 can compensate for greater mechanical loads during the bonding process than would be the case for a standard chip.

[0081] For electrical contact, the sensor device further comprises a bonding wire 18. The bonding wire 18 is directly connected to the surface of the termination layer 15.

[0082] Figure 5 shows in a schematic diagram a further example of a sensor device 10. The sensor device 10 has two damping layers 14 between which a sensor chip 16 is arranged, whereby the sensor chip 16 can be formed according to one of the embodiments described in relation to Figures 3a to 3c.

[0083] Each of the damping layers 14 faces the sensor chip 16 and is sandwiched between an inner termination layer 15c directly adjacent thereto and an outer termination layer 15 forming the top or bottom surface of the sensor device 10. The inner termination layer 15c is used for electrical contact of the internal electrodes 19. The outer termination layer 15 is used for electrical contact of the sensor device 10, for example by means of bonding wires, by means of a sintered layer or by means of a soldered layer. The damping layers 14 increase the mechanical stability of the sensor device 10.

[0084] In the following, a method for manufacturing a sensor device 10 is described. Preferably, the method produces a sensor device 10 according to one of the above-described embodiments. Therefore, all features described in connection with the sensor device 10 can also be applied to the method and vice versa.

[0085] In a first step A), a number of ceramic films are prepared. The ceramic films comprise a material with an NTC characteristic curve. The ceramic films are used as a base for producing the printed ceramic layer 12 and the unprinted ceramic layer 11.

[0086] In a further step B), a conductive material 13 is printed onto parts of the ceramic film to form a printed ceramic layer 12. The partial areas of the printed ceramic layer 12 onto which the conductive material 13 is printed form the internal electrodes 19 of the sensor chip 16 in the finished sensor device 10. The overlap areas 17 between the internal electrodes 19 determine the resistance of the finished sensor chip 16.

[0087] In a further step C), the printed and unprinted ceramic films are arranged one on top of the other to form a stack, where the printed ceramic film is followed by at least one, preferably several, unprinted ceramic films (see also FIG. 2 in this regard).

[0088] In a further step D), a desired or predetermined geometric shape is cut out from the stack to form the sensor chip 16. In this case, multiple sensor chips 16 can be cut out with the same predetermined geometric shape, without any geometrical deviations due to cutting the chip out of the carrier material.

[0089] In a further step E), the cut out stack / sensor chip 16 is sintered.

[0090] Subsequently, in step F), at least one damping layer is applied, preferably by screen printing, onto at least one partial area of ​​the outer surface 16a of the sensor chip 16. For example, the damping layer 14 is printed directly onto the top surface 20 of the sensor chip 16. Preferably, the damping layer 14 comprises a conductive polymer or an epoxy resin filled with silver particles.

[0091] In a next step G), a further electrically conductive material, preferably a noble metal, is provided to form at least one termination layer 15. The termination layer 15 serves for electrical contacting of the internal electrodes 19.

[0092] The material of the termination layer 15 is applied, for example, by sputtering or screen printing, onto the damping layer 14 and / or partial areas of the outer surface 16a (preferably the large-area side surfaces forming the upper and lower surfaces 20 and 21 of the sensor chip 16).

[0093] Preferably, the termination layer 15 is applied directly onto the damping layer 14, thereby forming the top end of the sensor device 10. Furthermore, preferably, the termination layer 15 is formed directly onto the underside 21 of the sensor chip 16 (unless a further damping layer 14 is formed thereon, in which case the further termination layer 15 is disposed on the damping layer 14).

[0094] In the final step H), the sensor device 10 is electrically contacted by applying bonding wires 18 onto the surface of the termination layer 15. The damping layer 14 formed between the termination layer 15 and the sensor chip 16 largely compensates for the mechanical loads that occur, thereby preventing damage to the sensor chip 16.

[0095] The description of the subject matter presented herein is not limited to individual specific embodiments, but rather the features of the individual embodiments can be combined with each other in any way that makes sense technically. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1. Sensor Device 2 Sensor chip 3 Termination layer 4. Sintered Silver 5. Substrate 6 Bonding Wire 10 Sensor Devices 11 Unprinted ceramic layer 12 printed ceramic layers 13 Conductive materials 14 Damping Layer 15 Termination layer 15a First termination layer 15b Second termination layer 15c inner termination layer 16 sensor chips 16a Exterior 17 Overlap Area 17a First overlap region 17b Second overlap region 18 Bonding Wire 19 Internal electrode 19a First internal electrode 19b Second internal electrode 19c Floating electrode 20 Top surface of the sensor chip 21 Underside of sensor chip 22 Side of the sensor chip

Claims

1. A sensor device (10) having a sensor chip (16), the sensor chip (16) having a number of printed ceramic layers (12) and non-printed ceramic layers (11); the sensor device (10) comprises at least one termination layer (15, 15a, 15b) for electrical contact of the conductive material (13), the termination layer (15, 15a, 15b) being formed at least on the upper surface (20) and / or the lower surface (21) of the sensor chip (16), the printed ceramic layer (12) is at least partially printed with the conductive material (13), the electrical resistance of the sensor chip (16) being determined by the overlap area (17) of the conductive material (13) or by the distance of the conductive material (13) to the termination layer (15, 15a, 15b); The sensor device (10) has at least one damping layer (14), the damping layer (14) being applied directly onto at least one partial region of an outer surface (16a) of the sensor chip (16), the damping layer (14) comprising a material having greater elasticity than the material of the termination layer (15), the damping layer (14) comprising a conductive polymer, and the damping layer (14) comprising polyparaphenylene (PPP) as the conductive polymer.

2. The sensor device (10) of claim 1, wherein the at least one termination layer (15) comprises a precious metal.

3. The sensor device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one termination layer (15) is printed or sputtered.

4. The sensor device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one damping layer (14) is formed between the sensor chip (16) and the termination layer (15).

5. The sensor device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the damping layer (14) is applied onto at least one partial area of ​​the outer surface (16a) of the sensor chip (16) by screen printing.

6. The sensor device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor device (10) is configured for temperature measurement.

7. The sensor device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sensor chip (16) is an NTC multilayer chip.

8. A method for manufacturing a sensor device (10), comprising the steps of: A) Preparing a ceramic film B) printing a conductive material (13) onto portions of the ceramic film to form a printed ceramic layer (12) and an unprinted ceramic layer (11); C) placing the printed ceramic layer and the unprinted ceramic layer one on top of the other to form a stack. D) Cutting the desired geometric shapes from the stack to form the sensor chips (16). E) Sintering the sensor chip (16) F) forming at least one damping layer (14) comprising a conductive polymer on at least one partial region of the outer surface (16a) of the sensor chip (16), the damping layer (14) comprising polyparaphenylene (PPP) as the conductive polymer. G) applying a further conductive material onto said attenuation layer (14) to form at least one termination layer (15);

9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the damping layer (14) is applied onto at least one partial area of ​​the outer surface (16a) of the sensor chip (16) by screen printing.

10. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein the ceramic film comprises a material having an NTC characteristic curve.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein after step E) and before step F) an inner termination layer (15c) is produced on the sensor chip (16), and in step F) the damping layer (14) is produced directly on the inner termination layer (15c).

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, further comprising the steps of: H) electrically contacting the sensor device (10) by applying a bonding wire (18) onto the surface of the termination layer (15) or by sintering or by soldering.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the damping layer (14) comprises a material having a greater elasticity than a material of the termination layer (15).

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