Computer assisted design study of a low-cost pressure sensor

The application of numerical techniques for the design of a low cost pressure sensor is described. The numerical techniques assist in addressing issues related to the thermo-mechanical performance of the sensor. This comprises the selection of the materials and dimensions used for the sensor itself and the substrate on which it is mounted. Moreover, simulations are applied to aid in the selection of suitable solder interconnect materials and dimensions. Where possible, the accuracy of the numerical predictions is assessed by comparing them to experiments on physical prototypes. The application of numerical simulations allowed for a reduction in the number of physical tests and thereby a reduction in design time and costs.