Two-Sensor System for Absolute Age and Temperature History

Summary

Numerous commercial and military applications require knowing the absolute age and/or temperature history of a device or system starting from the time it is assembled or commissioned. Ideally this information could be obtained simply and without power. The Sandia-developed age and temperature history sensor is a physical materials system solution to address this need.

Description

Sandia’s passive sensor is based on diffusion of one metal into another, or into a semiconductor, as a function of time and temperature. This new technology leverages two similar sensors with different activation energies, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the attached market sheet. Sensors can be conductive, capacitive, optical, visual or crystalline. Devices can be created using standard metal deposition techniques on common semiconductor and micro-device substrates, including sputter coating, chemical vapor deposition and electrochemical methods.

Benefits

• Does not require power during the aging period
• Can determine absolute age independently of temperature history
• Suitable for emplacement on circuit boards

Applications and Industries

• Removal/Replacement of Systems Exposed to Extreme Environments
• Verification/Invalidation of Warranty Claims