Printed gas sensor

• US 8,795,484 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensirion AG (Sensirion Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: KWJ Engineering, Inc. (Interlink Electronics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stetter, Joseph R., Stetter, Edward F., Ebeling, Daniel D., Findlay, Melvin, Patel, Vinay
• Primary Examiner(s): LEONG, SUSAN DANG
• Application Number:
  US13/740,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20130126069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 204/410, 204/409, 204/414, 204/424, 204/431, 204/432, 204/280, 205/783, 205/783.5, 205/784, 205/784.5, 205/780.5, 205/781, 205/787, 73/233.1, 73/233.2, 156/277
• US Class Current: 204/280
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/105 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/0806 using electromagnetic radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/0843 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2323/10 Polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/00 Electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/185 Laminating sheets, panels or inserts between two discrete plastic layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0004 Cutting, tearing or severing, e.g. bursting; Cutter details cutting in general B26D; laminating combined with punching or perforating B32B38/04; removing all or part of the layers B32B38/10; cutting in combination with laying up and registration B32B38/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/145 Printing
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/03 characterised by features other than the chemical nature of the binder
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/106 containing macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/404 Cells with anode, cathode and cell electrolyte on the same side of a permeable membrane which separates them from the sample fluid , e.g. Clark-type oxygen sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4045 for gases other than oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

A printed gas sensor is disclosed. The sensor may include a porous substrate, an electrode layer, a liquid or gel electrolyte layer, and an encapsulation layer. The electrode layer comprises two or more electrodes that are formed on one side of the porous substrate. The liquid or gel electrolyte layer is in electrolytic contact with the two or more electrodes. The encapsulation layer encapsulates the electrode layer and electrolyte layer thereby forming an integrated structure with the porous substrate.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a printed gas sensor, the method comprising:

printing two or more porous electrodes onto one side of a partially porous substrate using a metal catalyst ink;

curing the partially porous substrate and printed electrodes;

bonding an encapsulation layer to the partially porous substrate thereby encapsulating at least a portion of the two or more porous electrodes and forming an electrolyte reservoir;

filling the electrolyte reservoir with a liquid or gel electrolyte,

wherein the metal catalyst ink comprises 30% PTFE particles, 60% Pt particles and 10% binder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the encapsulation layer comprises a capillary channel, and wherein the filling the electrolyte reservoir utilizes the capillary channel;

and wherein the method further comprises;

sealing the capillary channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises printing a wicking layer onto a portion of the two or more electrodes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein printing two or more porous electrodes comprises screen printing, gravure, or inkjet printing.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein printing the wicking layer comprises screen printing or inkjet printing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein bonding the encapsulation layer comprises thermal bonding, chemical bonding, adhesive bonding, ultrasonic bonding, lamination, pressure bonding, o-ring bonding or welding.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein filling the electrolyte reservoir comprises submerging the electrolyte reservoir in an electrolytic solution.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein sealing comprises thermal sealing, chemical sealing, adhesive sealing or welding.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein curing comprises heating, heating in a controlled atmosphere, forced air drying, infrared irradiation, ultraviolet irradiation, vacuum dryingion-beam irradiation, gamma irradiation, and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises forming a substrate layer from porous polytetrafluoroethylene, porous polyethylene, porous polypropylene, porous polyisobutylene, porous polyester, porous polyurethane, porous polyacrylic, porous fluorine polymer, porous cellulosic polymer, porous fiberglass, or a mixture thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises forming an encapsulation layer comprises polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyisobutylene, polyester, polyurethane, polyacrylic, fluorine polymer, cellulosic polymer, fiberglass, or a mixture thereof.