Gas sensor element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9933382-B2
Application number	US-201715621949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2017
Priority date	May 28, 2014
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

Described herein are sensor elements for detecting the presence of organic materials comprising a boron doped n-type semiconductor material with decrease in resistivity upon organic materials exposure with increase in resistivity upon organic materials exposure.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A gas sensor element comprising:
a first electrode and second electrode, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are separated by a gap of about 1 to about 10 mils; and
a polycrystalline n-type semiconductor material comprising:
epsilon phase WO 3 that is doped with boron;

wherein the polycrystalline n-type semiconductor material physically contacts both the first and second electrodes.

2. The gas sensor element of claim 1 , wherein the boron is present at about 0.001% to about 1% by weight of the polycrystalline n-type semiconductor material.

3. The gas sensor element of claim 1 , wherein the polycrystalline n-type semiconductor material is combustion synthesized.

4. The gas sensor element of claim 1 , wherein the polycrystalline n-type semiconductor is at a temperature of about 190° C. to about 360° C.

5. The gas sensor element of claim 1 , further comprising a noble metal mixed with the polycrystalline n-type semiconductor material.

6. The gas sensor element of claim 5 , wherein the noble metal is palladium, gold, platinum, or iridium.

7. The gas sensor element of claim 1 , wherein the polycrystalline n-type semiconductor material is exposed to blue light.

8. The gas sensor element of claim 1 , wherein the polycrystalline n-type semiconductor material is at a temperature of about 10° C. to about 40° C.

9. The gas sensor element of claim 1 , wherein the polycrystalline n-type semiconductor material is ball milled.

10. The gas sensor element of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor material has an absorption edge of 600 nm or less.

11. The gas sensor element of claim 1 , further comprising a co-catalyst.

12. The gas sensor element of claim 11 , wherein the co-catalyst is CeO 2 or TiO 2 .

13. The gas sensor element of claim 11 , wherein the co-catalyst is CeO 2 .

14. The gas sensor element of claim 11 , wherein the co-catalyst is a transition metal oxide (p-type).

15. The gas sensor element of claim 14 , wherein the transition metal oxide is a Co, Mn, Ni, or Cu oxide (p-type).

Assignees

• Nitto Denko Corp

Inventors

• Sambandan Ekambaram

Classifications

• G01N33/497

  of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath · CPC title

• H01L29/24

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01N2800/042

  Disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, e.g. diabetes, glucose metabolism · CPC title

• G01N33/0047

  Organic compounds · CPC title

• H01L29/04

  Electricity · mapped topic