# US 11,442,036 B2 · Sensor element and gas sensor

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- Number: US 11,442,036 B2
- Document ID: US11442036B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/243,120
- Filed: 2019-01-09
- Published: 2019-05-16
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-16
- Assignees: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
- Applicants: Ngk Insulators, Ltd.
- Inventors: Yusuke Fujii; Sang Jae Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442036B2

## CPC

- G01N 27/4078: {Means for sealing the sensor element in a housing}
- G01N 27/4062: {Electrical connectors associated therewith}
- G01N 27/416: Systems (G01N27/27 takes precedence)
- G01N 27/419: Measuring voltages or currents with a combination of oxygen pumping cells and oxygen concentration cells
- G01N 33/0037: {NOx}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A sensor element includes an element main body in which a flow portion of a measurement-object gas is disposed, a measurement electrode disposed in the flow portion of a measurement-object gas, a measurement electrode lead having a first portion that is connected to the measurement electrode and that is disposed in the flow portion of a measurement-object gas and a second portion that is connected to the first portion and that is embedded in the element main body, a hermetic layer that is part of the element main body and that surrounds an end region of the second portion including the border with the first portion; and a lead insulating layer that is part of the element main body and that surrounds at least part of the second portion excluding the end region.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sensor element comprising:
an element main body which has a plurality of oxygen-ion-conductive solid electrolyte layers stacked and in which a flow portion of a measurement-object gas is disposed so as to introduce and pass the measurement-object gas;
a measurement electrode disposed in the flow portion of the measurement-object gas;
a measurement electrode lead having a first portion that is connected to the measurement electrode and that is disposed in the flow portion of the measurement-object gas and a second portion that is connected to the first portion and that is embedded in the element main body;
a hermetic layer that is part of the element main body and that surrounds an end region of the second portion including a border with the first portion; and
a lead insulating layer that is part of the element main body and that surrounds at least part of the second portion excluding the end region,
wherein a length L of the end region in the second portion is 0.25 mm or more, the length L being from the border with the first portion to a front end of the lead insulating layer in a length direction of the measurement electrode lead, when viewed in a stacking direction of the plurality of solid electrolyte layers, and
wherein the length L is 2 mm or less.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sensor element according to claim 1, wherein the length L is 1.0 mm or more.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The sensor element according to claim 1, wherein the element main body includes bonding layers that bond the plurality of solid electrolyte layers to each other, the plurality of solid electrolyte layers adjoining in the stacking direction, and
the hermetic layer is one of the bonding layers or is one of the plurality of solid electrolyte layers and one of the bonding layers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A gas sensor comprising the sensor element according to claim 1.