Ion electrode and method of making it

A method of manufacturing an ion electrode, comprising the stpes of:

• (a) creating a cavity in a silicon body that opens to an exterior surface of said body;
• (b) forming a small passageway in said body between said cavity and said exterior body;
• (c) covering said opening with a glass membrane;
• (d) filling said cavity with solution through said small passageway in said body;
• and
• (e) passing a chemically coated electrical conductor through said small passageway so that said electrical conductor is in contact with said solution.

A method of manufacturing an ion electrode, comprising the steps of:

• (a) creating a first cavity in the interior of a silicon body by chemically etching from a first side of said body;
• (b) sealing said cavity by:
• (i) grinding a glass material to a powder form;
• (ii) combining said powder with an organic binder to form a glass paste;
• (iii) applying said glass paste to said first cavity;
• and
• (iv) evaporating said organic binder out of said glass paste to form a porous glass plug;
• (c) creating a second cavity in the interior of said body by chemically etching a second side of said body, said second cavity opening to a second exterior surface of said body and communicating with said first cavity to create a larger single cavity;
• (d) filling said larger single cavity with a solution;
• and
• (e) covering said second opening with an electrically nonconductive cover having a chemically coated electrical conductor passing therethrough to contact said solution.

A method of manufacturing an ion electrode, comprising the steps of:

• (a) creating a first cavity in the interior of a silicon body that communicates with an exterior surface of said body by chemically etching from a first side of said body;
• (b) creating a second cavity in the interior of said body by chemically etching a second side of said body, said second cavity opening to a second exterior surface of said body and communicating with said first cavity to create a larger single cavity;
• (c) covering one of said openings with a glass membrane;
• (d) filling said cavity with a solution;
• and
• (e) covering said second opening with an electrically nonconductive cover having a chemically coated electrical conductor passing therethrough to contact said solution.

A method of manufacturing an ion electrode, comprising the steps of:

• (a) creating a cavity in a silicon body that opens to an exterior surface of said body;
• (b) forming a small passageway in said body between said cavity and said exterior surface;
• (c) placing potassium chloride crystals in said cavity;
• (d) covering said opening with a porous glass membrane;
• (e) passing a chemically coated electrical conductor through said small pasageway so that said electrical conductor is extending into said cavity;
• and
• (f) soaking said silicon body in ionized water so that the water molecules in said ionized water pass through said porous glass membrane and mix with said potassium chloride crystals to thereby fill said cavity with a solution.

An ion electrode for detecting the ionic concentration of a liquid, the ion electrode comprising:

• (a) a body formed of silicon having a cavity that opens into two surfaces of said body;
• (b) a glass membrane formed from a glass paste that plugs one of said cavity openings;
• (c) a cover formed of an electrically nonconductive material and attached to said body to cover the other of said openings in said body;
• (d) a chemical solution in said cavity, said solution filling enough of said cavity to be in contact with said glass membrane;
• and,
• (e) electrical conducting means passing into said cavity to make contact with said solution.