Rare earth metal sensor

• US 20040093928A1
• Filed: 11/20/2002
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Life Safety Germany GmbH (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Life Safety Germany GmbH (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Philip S., DiMeo, Frank Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/300,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20040093928A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/23.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/125 Composition of the body, e.g. the composition of its sensitive layer
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/005 for H2
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04089 of gaseous reactants
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A sensor with a protective barrier on a noble metal filter. The barrier protects the noble metal filter from catalytic poisons and any overdose of target particles. The barrier may be a polymer or non-polymer.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a rare earth metal layer;

a noble metal filter on said rare earth metal layer; and

a barrier on said noble metal filter to protect the noble metal filter from degradation.

2. The sensor of claim 1 wherein said rare earth metal layer includes one of yttrium, scandium, lanthanum, lathanide actinide, calcium, barium, strontium, magnesium and radium.

3. The sensor of claim 1 configured to detect hydrogen.

4. The sensor of claim 1 wherein said noble metal filter includes one of palladium, platinum, irridium, silver, gold and cobalt.

5. The sensor of claim 4 wherein said noble metal filter is between about 100 angstroms and about 200 angstroms and is permeable to hydrogen.

6. The sensor of claim 4 wherein said noble metal filter is thicker than about 200 angstroms to decrease permeability thereof to hydrogen.

7. A polymer barrier to protect a noble metal filter of a sensor from degradation.

8. The polymer barrier of claim 7 including one of a polyimide, an acrylic, nylon, urethane, an epoxy, a fluorine resin, and polystyrene.

9. A non-polymer barrier to protect a noble metal filter of a sensor from degration.

10. The non-polymer barrier of claim 9 including one of silicon dioxide and aluminum.

11. A method comprising forming a barrier on a noble metal filter of a sensor to protect the noble metal filter from degradation.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising depositing the noble metal filter on a rare earth metal of the sensor prior to said forming and by a vapor deposition technique in a chamber.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising depositing a rare earth metal layer on a substrate of the sensor prior to said depositing of the noble metal filter and by the vapor deposition technique in the chamber.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said forming is by the vapor deposition technique in the chamber.

15. A method comprising sensing a target particle with a sensor having a noble metal layer with a barrier thereon for protection.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the target particle is hydrogen.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the protection is from an overdose of hydrogen.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising heating a portion of the sensor after said sensing to allow additional sensing by the sensor.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the protection is from a catalytic poison.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the catalytic poison is one of carbon monoxide, an oxide, and a sulfide.