APPARATUS, METHODS, AND SYSTEMS HAVING GAS SENSOR WITH CATALYTIC GATE AND VARIABLE BIAS

• US 20070166832A1
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Tilak, Vinayak, Sandvik, Peter, Matocha, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US11/687,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20070166832A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/151
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4141 specially adapted for gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/218 Total hydrocarbon, flammability, combustibility [e.g., air-fuel mixture, etc.]

Abstract

According to some embodiments, an electronics based physical gas sensor includes a semiconductor layer, and at least one contact is electrically coupled to the semiconductor layer. A catalytic gate, having a property that changes when the gate is exposed to an analyte, and a variable bias from a voltage source are also provided.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A method, comprising:

applying a variable bias to a sensor having a catalytic gate, wherein a property of the catalytic gate changes when the gate is exposed to an analyte; and

measuring an electrical characteristic associated with the sensor to detect the analyte.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the variable bias is applied to at least one of:

(i) the catalytic gate, or (ii) a drain contact of the sensor.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the electrical characteristic is associated with at least one of:

(i) a source drain current, (ii) a gate current, (iii) a body current, (iv) a threshold voltage, (v) a frequency of a response signal waveform, or (vi) a time constant of a response signal waveform.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein said applying comprises:

applying a specific bias to improve detection of a particular analyte.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein said applying comprises:

applying an alternating current having a first frequency to detect a first species of analyte; and

applying an alternating current having a second frequency to detect a second species of analyte.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

applying a reset signal to expel the analyte from the catalytic gate.

35-36. -36. (canceled)