HUMIDITY SENSOR AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20100307238A1
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Governors of the University of Alberta (University of Alberta)
• Original Assignee: The Governors of the University of Alberta (University of Alberta)
• Inventors: VAN POPTA, Andy Christopher, BRETT, Michael Julian, STEELE, John Jeremiah
• Application Number:
  US12/794,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20100307238A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/335.04
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/225 by using hygroscopic materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A humidity sensor comprising an insulating substrate, a moisture-sensitive layer, and at least a detection electrode contacting the moisture-sensitive layer, wherein the moisture-sensitive layer is a porous, photocatalytic metal oxide.

Claims

1. A humidity sensor comprising an insulating substrate, a moisture-sensitive layer, and at least a detection electrode contacting the moisture-sensitive layer, wherein the moisture-sensitive layer is a porous, photocatalytic metal oxide.

2. The humidity sensor of claim 1 in which the at least a detection electrode comprises a pair of electrodes, and the humidity sensor is a capacitive humidity sensor.

3. The humidity sensor of claim 2 in which the pair of detection electrodes are interdigitated.

4. The humidity sensor of claim 3 in which the detection electrodes are each comb shaped.

5. The humidity sensor of claim 1 in which the at least a detection electrode is a single electrode and the humidity sensor is a resistive humidity sensor.

6. The humidity sensor of claims 1 in which the detection electrodes are countersunk in the substrate.

7. The humidity sensor of claims 1 further comprising a passivation layer formed between the at least a detection electrode and the moisture-sensitive layer.

8. The humidity sensor of claims 1 in which the moisture sensitive layer is formed by an oblique-angle physical vapor deposition process.

9. The humidity sensor of claims 1 in which the porous, photocatalytic metal oxide comprises one or more of an oxide of titanium, iron, silver, copper, tungsten, zinc, tin and strontium.

10. A humidity sensor comprising an insulating substrate, at least a detection electrode, a moisture-sensitive layer, and a source of light radiation.

11. The humidity sensor of claim 10 in which the at least a detection electrode comprises a pair of electrodes, and the humidity sensor is a capacitive humidity sensor.

12. The humidity sensor of claim 11 in which the pair of detection electrodes are interdigitated.

13. The humidity sensor of claim 12 in which the detection electrodes are each comb shaped.

14. The humidity sensor of claim 10 in which the at least a detection electrode is a single electrode and the humidity sensor is a resistive humidity sensor.

15. The humidity sensor of claims 10 further comprising a passivation layer formed between the at least a detection electrode and the moisture-sensitive layer.

16. The humidity sensor of claims 10 in which the moisture sensitive layer is formed by an oblique-angle physical vapor deposition process.

17. A method of making a humidity sensor, comprising:

forming at least a detection electrode on an insulating substrate; and

forming a moisture sensitive layer in contact with the detection electrode by oblique-angle physical vapor deposition.

18. The method of claim 17 in which the physical vapor deposition process comprises rotating the substrate during deposition.

19. The method of claim 17 in which the at least a detection electrode comprises a pair of detection electrodes.