Durable miniature gas composition detector having fast response time
First Claim
1. A device, comprising:
- a silicon substrate;
a glass substrate on the silicon substrate;
a gas sensor, including;
a first channel in the glass substrate;
a first magnet positioned on the glass substrate and adjacent to the first channel, the first magnet having a magnetic field; and
a first Hall effect sensor positioned on the silicon substrate and adjacent to the first channel; and
a reference element, including;
a second channel in the glass substrate, the second channel being in fluidic communication with the first channel; and
a second Hall effect sensor positioned on the silicon substrate and adjacent to the second channel.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A miniature oxygen sensor makes use of paramagnetic properties of oxygen gas to provide a fast response time, low power consumption, improved accuracy and sensitivity, and superior durability. The miniature oxygen sensor disclosed maintains a sample of ambient air within a micro-channel formed in a semiconductor substrate. O2 molecules segregate in response to an applied magnetic field, thereby establishing a measureable Hall voltage. Oxygen present in the sample of ambient air can be deduced from a change in Hall voltage with variation in the applied magnetic field. The magnetic field can be applied either by an external magnet or by a thin film magnet integrated into a gas sensing cavity within the micro-channel. A differential sensor further includes a reference element containing an unmagnetized control sample. The miniature oxygen sensor is suitable for use as a real-time air quality monitor in consumer products such as smart phones.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A device, comprising:
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a silicon substrate; a glass substrate on the silicon substrate; a gas sensor, including; a first channel in the glass substrate; a first magnet positioned on the glass substrate and adjacent to the first channel, the first magnet having a magnetic field; and a first Hall effect sensor positioned on the silicon substrate and adjacent to the first channel; and a reference element, including; a second channel in the glass substrate, the second channel being in fluidic communication with the first channel; and a second Hall effect sensor positioned on the silicon substrate and adjacent to the second channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 16)
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8. A device, comprising:
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a silicon substrate; a glass substrate on the silicon substrate; a channel in the glass substrate; a first Hall effect sensor in the silicon substrate; an integrated fixed magnet positioned on the glass substrate, in the channel, and adjacent to the first Hall effect sensor; and a second Hall effect sensor in the silicon substrate, the channel extending from the first Hall effect sensor to the second Hall effect sensor. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A device, comprising:
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a silicon substrate; a glass substrate on the silicon substrate; a channel in the glass substrate, the channel having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side; a first Hall effect sensor in the silicon substrate and adjacent to the first side of the channel; first and second magnets having a magnetic field through the first side of the channel, the first magnet being spaced from the second magnet by the silicon substrate and the glass substrate; and a second Hall effect sensor in the silicon substrate and adjacent to the second side of the channel. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification