# US 12,222,313 B2 · Sensor element of gas sensor

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- Number: US 12,222,313 B2
- Document ID: US12222313B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/577,423
- Filed: 2022-01-18
- Published: 2022-07-28
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-01-22
- Assignees: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
- Applicants: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
- Inventors: Takayuki Sekiya; Yusuke Watanabe; Shiho Iwai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222313B2

## CPC

- G01N 27/4074: {for detection of gases other than oxygen}
- G01N 27/409: Oxygen concentration cells
- G01N 27/406: Cells and probes with solid electrolytes
- G01N 27/4071: {using sensor elements of laminated structure}
- G01N 27/4075: {Composition or fabrication of the electrodes and coatings thereon, e.g. catalysts}
- G01N 27/4077: {Means for protecting the electrolyte or the electrodes}
- G01N 27/41: Oxygen pumping cells
- G01N 27/417: using cells {, i.e. more than one cell} and probes with solid electrolytes
- 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 a base part containing a solid electrolyte as a constituent material; at least one internal space into which a measurement gas is introduced; and at least one pump cell including an internal space electrode disposed to face the internal space, an out-of-space pump electrode disposed at a location other than the internal space, and a portion of the base part located between these electrodes, the internal space electrode includes a noble metal, the solid electrolyte, and a pore, and, in the internal space electrode, a ratio of a length of a boundary of a first region formed of the base part or the solid electrolyte contiguous with the base part and a second region occupied by the noble metal and the pore to a length of a boundary of the solid electrolyte and the internal space electrode is 1.1 or more.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sensor element of a limiting current type gas sensor, the sensor element comprising:
a base part containing an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte as a constituent material;
at least one internal space into which a measurement gas is introduced; and
at least one pump cell including an internal space electrode disposed to face the at least one internal space, an out-of-space pump electrode disposed at a location other than the at least one internal space, and a portion of the base part located between the internal space electrode and the out-of-space pump electrode, wherein
the internal space electrode includes a noble metal, the oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte material, and pores, and includes:
an upper layer consisting of the noble metal, the oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte material, and the pores; and
a lower layer consisting of the noble metal and the oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte material,
in the internal space electrode, a boundary line length ratio being a ratio of a length of a boundary between a first region and a second region with respect to a length of a boundary between the base part and the internal space electrode is 1.1 or more, the first region being formed of the base part and the oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte material contiguous with the base part, the second region being occupied by the noble metal and the pores,
a volume ratio of the oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte material in the upper layer is 20% to 40%, and
a volume ratio of the oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte material in the lower layer is 50% to 60%.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sensor element of the gas sensor according to claim 1, wherein
the at least one internal space includes
an adjustment internal space in which an oxygen concentration of the measurement gas is adjusted,
the internal space electrode disposed in the adjustment internal space includes an adjustment internal space pump electrode, and
the at least one pump cell includes
an oxygen concentration adjustment pump cell including the adjustment internal space pump electrode, the out-of-space pump electrode, and a first portion of the base part located between the adjustment internal space pump electrode and the out-of-space pump electrode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The sensor element of the gas sensor according to claim 2, wherein
the at least one internal space further includes
a measurement internal space into which the measurement gas having the oxygen concentration adjusted in advance is introduced,
the internal space electrode disposed in the measurement internal space includes a measurement electrode, and
the at least one pump cell includes
a measurement pump cell including the measurement electrode, the out-of-space pump electrode, and a second portion of the base part located between the measurement electrode and the out-of-space pump electrode.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The sensor element of the gas sensor according to claim 3, wherein
the boundary line length ratio is 3.0 or less.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The sensor element of the gas sensor according to claim 2, wherein
the boundary line length ratio is 3.0 or less.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The sensor element of the gas sensor according to claim 1, wherein
the boundary line length ratio is 3.0 or less.