CAPACITIVE SENSOR COMPRISING DIFFERING UNIT CELL STRUCTURES
First Claim
1. A capacitive gas sensor comprising:
- a gas sensitive material, the gas sensor configured to allow the exposure of the gas sensitive material to a gas;
a first capacitive sensor cell having first capacitor electrodes, the first capacitor electrodes having a first set of dimensions, the first capacitive sensor cell being electrically coupled to a first portion of the gas sensitive material;
a second capacitive sensor cell having second capacitor electrodes, the second capacitor electrodes having a second set of dimensions, the second set of dimensions being different from the first set of dimensions, the second capacitive sensor being electrically coupled to a second portion of the gas sensitive material; and
the second set of dimensions being configured in relation to the first set of dimensions such that electric fields of the second capacitor electrodes extend proportionally further into gas sensitive material than electric fields of the first capacitor electrodes;
wherein a combination of the detected capacitance of the first capacitive sensor cell and the second capacitive sensor cell is utilized to obtain a gas sensor measurement.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A gas and/or humidity sensor system may include two differing capacitive sensor unit cell structures. A first unit cell has a capacitance measurement that is dependent upon capacitance effects that substantially do not extend to the upper reaches of the sensor'"'"'s gas/humidity sensitive layer and a second unit cell has a capacitance measurement that is dependent upon electric field effects that extend substantially beyond the distance of the electric fields of the first unit cell. The capacitance associated with the electric fields in the upper regions of the gas/humidity sensitive layer may then be obtained to a first order by subtracting the capacitance of the first unit cell from the capacitance of the second unit cell. By subtracting the capacitance, a capacitance associated with the capacitance of the electric fields of the layer (or portion of layer) of interest may be approximated.
29 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A capacitive gas sensor comprising:
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a gas sensitive material, the gas sensor configured to allow the exposure of the gas sensitive material to a gas; a first capacitive sensor cell having first capacitor electrodes, the first capacitor electrodes having a first set of dimensions, the first capacitive sensor cell being electrically coupled to a first portion of the gas sensitive material; a second capacitive sensor cell having second capacitor electrodes, the second capacitor electrodes having a second set of dimensions, the second set of dimensions being different from the first set of dimensions, the second capacitive sensor being electrically coupled to a second portion of the gas sensitive material; and the second set of dimensions being configured in relation to the first set of dimensions such that electric fields of the second capacitor electrodes extend proportionally further into gas sensitive material than electric fields of the first capacitor electrodes; wherein a combination of the detected capacitance of the first capacitive sensor cell and the second capacitive sensor cell is utilized to obtain a gas sensor measurement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of forming a gas sensor, comprising:
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providing a gas sensitive material, the gas sensitive material provided to allow for exposure of the gas sensitive material to a gas; providing a first set of capacitor electrodes, the first set of capacitor electrodes having a first set of dimensions; providing a second set of capacitor electrodes, the second capacitor electrodes having a second set of dimensions, the second set of dimensions being different from the first set of dimensions; configuring the second set of dimensions to provide proportionally more capacitor electric fields of the second set of capacitor electrodes within the gas sensitive material than the electric fields of the first set of capacitor electrodes; and configuring the gas sensor to utilize a combination of the detected capacitance of the first capacitor electrodes and the second capacitor electrodes to obtain a gas sensor measurement. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification