Heated Hot-Film Air-Mass Sensor

A hot-film air-mass sensor for measuring an air mass flow in an intake tract of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a sensor chip having a sensor frame and a sensor diaphragm having at least one heating element and at least two temperature sensors;
• a chip carrier for mounting the sensor chip;
• and
• at least one additional heating element, which is inserted in the chip carrier;
• wherein the sensor chip is able to be heated up using the at least one additional heating element.

A method for air mass sensing in an intake tract of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

• using a hot-film air-mass sensor, which includes:
• a sensor chip having a sensor frame and a sensor diaphragm having at least one heating element and at least two temperature sensors,
• a chip carrier for mounting the sensor chip, and
• at least one additional heating element, which is inserted in the chip carrier;
• and
• heating essentially continuously the sensor chip using the at least one additional heating element during operation of the internal combustion engine.

A method for producing a hot-film air-mass sensor for sensing an air mass flow in an intake tract of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

• forming a chip carrier onto a sensor housing injection molding;
• metallizing at least one additional heating resistor onto the chip carrier using one of laser patterning, hot film stamping, and multi-component injection molding;
• mounting a sensor chip, having a sensor frame and a sensor diaphragm having at least one heating element and at least two temperature sensors, on the at least one additional heating resistor;
• and
• mounting at least one circuit substrate on the sensor housing, wherein at least one electrical contact of the at least one circuit substrate is coupled to the at least one electrical contact of the at least one additional heating resistor.