Capacitive humidity sensor

• US 9,513,245 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2012
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sakai, Minekazu, Niimi, Naohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Tang, Minh N
• Application Number:
  US14/116,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20140139241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/048 for determining moisture content of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/223 for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/225 by using hygroscopic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/8592 Applying permanent coating, e.g. protective coating

Abstract

A humidity sensor includes a detection device with a capacitance changing with humidity at a first ratio and a reference device with a capacitance changing with humidity at a second ratio smaller than the first ratio. The detection device has detection electrodes facing each other with a first gap and a detection humidity-sensitive film covering the detection electrodes. The reference device has reference electrodes facing each other with a second gap and a reference humidity-sensitive film covering the reference electrodes. The detection humidity-sensitive film and the reference humidity-sensitive film are made from the same material and have the same thickness. The detection electrodes and the reference electrodes are made from the same material and have the same width and thickness. The second ratio peaks when the second gap is equal to a predetermined value. The second gap is smaller than the first gap and the predetermined value.

Claims

1. A capacitive humidity sensor comprising:

a substrate;

a detection capacitive device formed in the substrate and having a capacitance changing at a first ratio with respect to a change in ambient humidity; and

a reference capacitive device formed in the substrate and having a capacitance changing at a second ratio smaller than the first ratio with respect to the change in ambient humidity, wherein

the detection capacitive device includes a pair of detection electrodes and a detection humidity-sensitive film,

the detection electrodes face each other on a predetermined mounting surface of the substrate and are spaced from each other by a first gap,

the detection humidity-sensitive film covers the detection electrodes and has a relative permittivity changing with absorption of water,

the reference capacitive device includes a pair of reference electrodes and a reference humidity-sensitive film,

the reference electrodes face each other on the mounting surface of the substrate and are spaced from each other by a second gap,

the reference humidity-sensitive film covers the reference electrodes and has a relative permittivity changing with absorption of water,

the detection humidity-sensitive film and the reference humidity-sensitive film are made of the same material and have the same thickness,

the detection electrodes and the reference electrodes are made of the same material and have the same width and thickness,

the first ratio is a ratio of the capacitance of the detection capacitive device at a relative humidity of 100% to the capacitance of the detection capacitive device at the relative humidity of 0%,

the second ratio is a ratio of the capacitance of the reference capacitive device at the relative humidity of 100% to the capacitance of the reference capacitive device at the relative humidity of 0%,

a relationship between the first ratio and the first gap is the same as a relationship between the second ratio and the second gap,

a value of the first ratio peaks when the first gap is equal to a first predetermined width,

the value of the first ratio increases with an increase in width of the first gap when the first gap is smaller than the first predetermined width,

the value of the first ratio decreases with an increase in width of the first gap when the first gap is larger than the first predetermined width,

a value of the second ratio peaks when the second gap is equal to a second predetermined width,

the value of the second ratio increases with an increase in width of the second gap when the second gap is smaller than the second predetermined width,

the value of the second ratio decreases with an increase in width of the second gap when the second gap is larger than the second predetermined width,

the first predetermined width is equal to the second predetermined width, and

the second gap is smaller than the first gap and the second predetermined width.

2. The capacitive humidity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first gap is not greater than the first predetermined width.

3. The capacitive humidity sensor according to claim 2, wherein the first gap is equal to the first predetermined width.

4. The capacitive humidity sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a protection film that covers each electrode to protect each electrode from corrosion due to water, wherein

the detection humidity-sensitive film and the reference humidity-sensitive film are formed on the protection film, and

the first predetermined width is 8 μ

m.

5. The capacitive humidity sensor according to claim 4, wherein

a width of the first gap is not smaller than the sum of a thickness of the protection film and the thicknesses of the detection electrodes,

a width of the second gap is not smaller than the sum of a thickness of the protection film and thicknesses of the reference electrodes, and

widths of the first gap and the second gap range from 3 μ

m to 8 μ

m inclusive.

6. The capacitive humidity sensor according to claim 1, wherein each of the detection electrodes and the reference electrodes has a comb-shape.

7. The capacitive humidity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the detection humidity-sensitive film and the reference humidity-sensitive film are integrated as a single humidity-sensitive film.

8. The capacitive humidity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the capacitance of the detection capacitive device includes

an overlap capacitance which is formed between opposing surfaces of the pair of detection electrodes, and

a fringe capacitance which is formed between upper surfaces of the pair of detection electrodes and formed between lower surfaces of the pair of detection electrodes;

the capacitance of the reference capacitive device includes

an overlap capacitance which is formed between opposing surfaces of the pair of reference electrodes, and

a fringe capacitance which is formed between upper surfaces of the pair of reference electrodes and formed between lower surfaces of the pair of reference electrodes; and

the capacitive humidity sensor has a construction including;

the first gap being smaller than the first predetermined width, wherein the fringe capacitance of the detection capacitive device increases with an increase in width of the first gap and the overlap capacitance of the detection capacitive device decreases with an increase in width of the first gap, and

the second gap being smaller than the second predetermined width, wherein fringe capacitance of the reference capacitive device increases with an increase in width of the second gap and the overlap capacitance of the reference capacitive device decreases with an increase in width of the second gap.