Sensor element and method for producing a sensor element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10908030-B2
Application number	US-201615773156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2016
Priority date	Nov 2, 2015
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A sensor element and a method for producing a sensor element are disclosed. In an embodiment a sensor element includes a ceramic carrier having a top side and an underside, a respective NTC layer arranged on the top side and on the underside of the carrier and at least one electrode, wherein a resistance of the respective NTC layer depends on a thickness and/or geometry of the respective NTC layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sensor element for temperature measurement comprising:
a ceramic carrier comprising a top side and an underside;
a respective NTC layer arranged on the top side and on the underside of the carrier, wherein a resistance of the respective NTC layer depends on a thickness and/or geometry of the respective NTC layer; and
at least two electrodes adjacent each of the NTC layers,
wherein the electrodes belonging to the respective NTC layer are separated from each other by a free region between the electrodes, the free region running parallel to the top side and the underside of the carrier.

2. The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier is printed with the NTC layers, and wherein the NTC layers have different printing geometries.

3. The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier is printed with the NTC layers, and wherein a printing of the top side and of the underside of the carrier with the respective NTC layer is performed partially.

4. The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein the respective NTC layer has two opposite side surfaces, and wherein the respective electrodes are arranged at the side surfaces.

5. The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein the respective electrodes comprise at least one sputtered layer.

6. The sensor element according to claim 5 , wherein the sputtered layer is directly arranged at the respective NTC layer.

7. The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein the respective electrodes comprise at least one printed layer.

8. The sensor element according to claim 7 , wherein the printed layer is directly printed onto the respective NTC layer.

9. The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the NTC layers has a cutout, and wherein the cutout sets the resistance of the NTC layer.

10. The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein the free region is embodied as a web, and wherein the electrodes are separated from one another by the web.

11. The sensor element according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier is printed with the NTC layers, and wherein a printing of the top side and of the underside of the carrier with the respective NTC layer is performed over a whole area.

12. A method for producing a sensor element, the method comprising:
providing a ceramic carrier material;
printing a first surface of the carrier material with an NTC paste in a first printing geometry forming a first NTC layer;
sintering a system comprising the carrier material and the first NTC layer;
printing a second surface of the carrier material with an NTC paste in a second printing geometry forming a second NTC layer;
sintering a system comprising the carrier material and the second NTC layer,
wherein the surfaces of the carrier material are printed with the NTC pastes partially or over a whole area; and
applying at least two electrodes to each NTC layer,
wherein the electrodes belonging to a respective NTC layer are separated from each other by a free region between the electrodes, the free region running parallel to a top side and an underside of the carrier material.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising partially removing at least one of the NTC layers in order to set a predetermined resistance value.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the surfaces of the carrier material are partially printed with the NTC pastes.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the surfaces of the carrier material are printed with the NTC pastes over the whole area.

16. A sensor element for temperature measurement comprising:
a ceramic carrier comprising a top side and an underside;
a respective NTC layer arranged on the top side and on the underside of the carrier, wherein a resistance of the respective NTC layer depends on a thickness and/or geometry of the respective NTC layer; and
at least one electrode adjacent the respective NTC layer,
wherein a first electrode is located on the top side of the carrier,
wherein a first NTC layer is arranged on a partial region of the first electrode,
wherein a second electrode is arranged on the first NTC layer,
wherein a second NTC layer is arranged on the underside of the carrier,
wherein two electrodes are arranged at the second NTC layer, and
wherein the two electrodes are separated from one another by a free region, the free region running parallel to a top side and an underside of the carrier.

17. The sensor element according to claim 16 , wherein the first electrode is arranged directly on the top side of the carrier.

18. The sensor element according to claim 16 , wherein the second electrode completely covers the first NTC layer on the top side of the carrier.

19. The sensor element according to claim 16 , wherein only two electrodes are arranged at the second NTC layer.

20. The sensor element according to claim 16 , wherein the carrier is printed with the NTC layers, and wherein the NTC layers have different printing geometries.

Assignees

• Epcos Ag

Inventors

• Ihle Jan
• Weidenfelder Anke
• Mead Christl Lisa
• Kloiber Gerald

Classifications

• H01C17/08

  by vapour deposition · CPC title

• G01K7/22 Primary

  the element being a non-linear resistance, e.g. thermistor (G01K7/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B28B3/02

  wherein a ram exerts pressure on the material in a moulding space; Ram heads of special form · CPC title

• G01K7/18

  the element being a linear resistance, e.g. platinum resistance thermometer (G01K7/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B28B11/243

  Setting, e.g. drying, dehydrating or firing ceramic articles (B28B11/242 takes precedence) · CPC title