The average temperature that a pressure sensor can normally withstand is between 80 and 125 degrees C, but this was greatly improved by a team led by Dr Hoc Khiem Trieu at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systerms in Duisburg.
He explained that the device has an additional layer of silicon oxide to better insulate it, which stops the item from leaking any current.
Dr Trieu said: "It prevents the leakage current that typically occurs at very high temperatures, which is the principal reason that conventional sensors fail when they reach a certain temperature."
Such sensors are often used by geologists when they drill into the earth to search for oil, with sensors required to withstand shocks and vibrations, as well as the high temperatures.
A recent study at the University of Southern California showed how a microelectromechanical system sensor can be used to distinguish between stable and unstable plaque in the body.
