Method of manufacturing particulate matter detection element

A method of manufacturing a particulate matter detection element for measuring electrical characteristics changing with an amount of deposited particulate matter, and for detecting particulate matter in a gas to be measured, the method comprises:

• a punching step of punching at least an alignment guide and a through hole, as required, in an insulating layer sheet made of an insulating material, and punching the insulating layer sheet into a predetermined outer shape;
• a thick-film printing step of injecting a conductor paste made of an electrically conductive material onto the insulating layer sheet, which has been obtained in the punching step, from a thick-film printing screen in which a predetermined conductor layer pattern is formed to form a conductor layer printed film of a predetermined shape;
• a laminating and pressure-bonding step of laminating and pressure-bonding the insulating layer sheets provided with the conductor layers, which have been obtained in the thick-film printing step;
• and
• a baking step of baking and integrating a laminated structure obtained in the laminating and pressure-bonding step, wherein the thick-film printing step uses a partially reduced opening-ratio screen in which an opening ratio at a position of forming the conductor layer end edge portion in the thick-film printing screen, that is, an opening ratio for forming an end edge portion is permitted to be lower than an opening ratio at a position of forming the conductor layer planar portion, that is, an opening ratio for forming a planar portion, in conformity with a predetermined shape of a conductor layer end edge portion.

A method of manufacturing a particulate matter detection element for measuring electrical characteristics changing with an amount of deposited particulate matter, and for detecting particulate matter in a gas to be measured, the method comprises:

• a punching step of punching at least an alignment guide and a through hole, as required, in an insulating layer sheet made of an insulating material, and punching the insulating layer sheet into a predetermined outer shape;
• a thick-film printing step injecting a conductor paste made of an electrically conductive material onto the insulating layer sheet, which has been obtained in the punching step, from a thick-film printing screen in which a predetermined conductor layer pattern is formed to form a conductor layer printed film of a predetermined shape;
• a laminating and pressure-bonding step of laminating and pressure-bonding the insulating layer sheets, on which the conductor layers are formed and obtained in the thick-film printing step;
• and
• a baking step baking and integrating a laminated structure obtained in the laminating and pressure-bonding step, wherein
• simultaneously with punching the insulating layer sheet, the punching step forms a recessed sheet provided with a recess, which is in conformity with a predetermined shape of the conductor layer end edge portion, at a position corresponding to the position where the conductor layer is printed, and the thick-film printing step uses a partially reduced opening-ratio screen in which an opening ratio at a position of forming the conductor layer end edge portion in the thick-film printing screen, that is, an opening ratio for forming an end edge portion is permitted to be lower than an opening ratio at a position of forming the conductor layer planar portion, that is, an opening ratio for forming a planar portion, in conformity with a predetermined shape of a conductor layer end edge portion.