Low-cost multilaminate sensors

• US 6,202,471 B1
• Filed: 05/07/1998
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Original Assignee: Nanomaterials Research Corp.
• Inventors: Vigilotti, Anthony, Yadav, Tapesh, Kostlecky, Clayton, Leigh, William, Xu, Chuanjing, Yang, Yinbao
• Primary Examiner(s): RAEVIS, ROBERT R
• Application Number:
  US09/074,534
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 73/310.5, 73/290.5, 324/663, 324/664, 361/280, 427/58, 427/79, 427/126.1, 427/126.6
• US Class Current: 73/31.05
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 25/00 Nanomagnetism, e.g. magnetoimpedance, anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 5/00 Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/12 of a solid body in dependence upon absorption of a fluid; of a solid body in dependence upon reaction with a fluid , for detecting components in the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0031 comprising two or more sensors, e.g. a sensor array electrochemical electrode arrays G01N27/27

Abstract

Methods of monitoring environmental variables in general and chemical composition in particular, and sensors for such monitoring. These low-cost sensors comprised multiple layers in a laminated stack. Very high numbers of sensing layers (e.g., 500) may be incorporated into a single laminated sensor device. The sensors may signal changes in environmental state such as chemical composition due to changes in sensor properties such as resistivity, capacitance, inductance, permittivity, permeability, refractive index, chromaticity, transparency to light, reflection characteristics, resonance frequency, and/or magnetic characteristics.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a sensor comprising:

selecting a sensing material, wherein said sensing material interacts with one or more environmental properties of interest;

forming a nanostructured form of said sensing material;

forming a laminated structure comprising,

at least one sensing layer comprising said nanostructured sensing material, and

at least one electrode layer; and

terminating said layers, wherein the laminated structure comprises multiple electrode layers and the multiple electrode layers have different composition.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the laminated structure comprises 3-500 layers.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the laminated structure comprises 10-100 layers.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the laminated structure comprises 20-500 layers.

5.The method of claim 1 wherein the laminated structure is calcined and sintered before terminating.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising coating at least a portion of the sensor after terminating.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensing layer is prepared using powders.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensing layer is prepared from a composite.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of terminating is performed before cutting the laminate structure.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the laminate structure further comprises an insulating layer.

7. The method of claim 7 wherein the powders are nanostructured.

9. The method of claim 9 wherein the composite is a nanocomposite.

12. A method for manufacturing a sensor comprising:

selecting a sensing material, wherein said sensing material interacts with one or more environmental properties of interest;

forming a nanostructured form of said sensing material;

forming a laminated structure comprising,

at least one sensing layer comprising said nanostructured sensing material, and at least one electrode layer; and

terminating said layers, wherein the laminated structure further comprises a layer that heats the sensing layer.