# Langasite (LGS) Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Pressure Sensor with Kovar Alloy Point-Force Packaging for High-Temperature Environments

## TL;DR

A new high-temperature pressure sensor using langasite and Kovar alloy packaging improves sensitivity and reduces drift.

## Contribution

A novel Kovar alloy point-force packaging and optimized langasite cut for enhanced pressure sensitivity and temperature stability.

## Key findings

- The sensor achieves a pressure sensitivity of 0.1866 MHz/MPa with 4.8% relative error.
- The resonator has a high Q-value of ~3000 at ~357 MHz.
- The design enables stable pressure monitoring at 250 °C and 0–0.4 MPa.

## Abstract

Langasite (LGS)-based surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors are promising for high-temperature pressure detection. However, their performance is limited by the low pressure sensitivity of conventional sealed-cavity packaging and temperature-induced measurement drift. To address these issues, this study introduces a novel LGS SAW pressure sensor featuring two key innovations: a Kovar alloy point-force packaging structure to amplify pressure-induced LGS substrate deformation, enhancing sensitivity compared to traditional designs, and SAW resonators fabricated on an LGS (0°, 138.5°, 26.7°) cut, selected based on electromechanical simulations for its superior intrinsic pressure sensitivity and monotonic frequency–temperature response, effectively mitigating temperature interference on pressure measurements. Experimental characterizations show the resonator achieves a high Q-value of ~3000 at ~357 MHz. Tested under conditions of 250 °C and 0–0.4 MPa, the sensor exhibits a pressure sensitivity of 0.1866 MHz/MPa with a relative error of only 4.8% versus the finite element method (FEM)-simulated 0.196 MHz/MPa, demonstrating the proposed design’s effectiveness for accurate, stable pressure monitoring in harsh high-temperature environments such as turbine engines and high-temperature manufacturing lines.