Patent ID: 7523670

Claim:
A sensor element for detecting a physical measurement variable such as a pressure, a temperature, a capacitance, or a gap width between two bodies ( 10 , 20 ) that move in relation to each other during operation and experience high tribological stress, wherein in certain areas between the surfaces of the bodies ( 10 , 20 ) that move in relation to each other, in a surface region of at least one of the bodies ( 10 ), a sensitive layer ( 13 , 30 ) is provided, which is separated from the body ( 10 ) by an insulation layer ( 12 ) wherein the sensitive layer ( 13 , 30 ) is provided with a covering layer ( 14 ) and wherein, in comparison to the sensitive layer ( 13 , 30 ), the covering layer ( 14 ) is abrasion resistant and has a low electrical conductivity or is insulating, wherein the insulation layer ( 12 ) has at least two component layers ( 31 , 32 ), wherein one component layer ( 31 ) is a layer ( 31 ) with at least a low electrical conductivity in comparison to the sensitive layer ( 13 , 30 ) and wherein a component layer ( 32 ) is a layer with a higher tribological stress capacity in comparison to the component layer ( 31 ) with the comparatively low electrical conductivity, or in that the insulation layer is a layer that is at least essentially comprised of carbon or contains carbon, oxygen, and silicon, and wherein the component layer with the higher tribological stress capacity is a layer ( 32 ) with a higher electrical conductivity than the component layer ( 31 ) with the low electrical conductivity and has a higher degree of hardness and/or a lower coefficient of friction in comparison to it.