Patent · US Expired

Gas sensor

US4399424A · kind A · utility

84Cited by
3References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 5, 1981
Grant dateAug 16, 1983
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 5, 2001

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N27/12
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A semiconductor gas sensor comprises an insulating substrate (11) on which a resistive heater track (15) coupled to a pair of electrodes (12, 14) is deposited. A film (16) of a semiconductive metal oxide, typically a doped oxide, is ion-plated on to the assembly so as to contact the resistive track (15) and a further electrode (13). Exposure of the device to a particular gas, e.g. hydrogen sulphide, reduces the resistivity of the semiconductive film (16), this change being detected via an amplifier circuit (not shown). In an alternative version of the sensor (FIGS. 5a, 5b and 6) the heater is disposed under a dielectric layer, the semiconductive film being ion-plated onto the dielectric layer and electrodes therein.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.