Oxygen sensor for preventing silicon poisoning

An oxygen sensor for detecting oxygen concentration in an exhaust gas comprising a sensor element including a solid electrolyte and a heater for heating the sensor element, the sensor element having a protective layer which is made of a heat-resistant metal oxide and which carries at least one silicon-reactive component selected from the group consisting of IIa subgroup elements in the international periodic table in a silicon-reactive state exclusive of oxides and silicon-reactive chlorides, carbonates and nitrates thereof and mixed compounds of said silicon-reactive chlorides, carbonates and nitrates on the side exposed to the exhaust gas of the oxygen sensor element, at least a part of said protective layer being present as a nonstoichiometric compound with respect to the heat-resistant metal oxide.

An oxygen sensor for detecting oxygen concentration in an exhaust gas comprising a sensor element including a solid electrolyte having a protective layer which is made of a heat-resistant metal oxide and which carries at least one silicon-reactive component selected from the group consisting of IIa subgroup elements in the international periodic table in a silicon-reactive state exclusive of oxides and silicon-reactive chlorides, carbonates and nitrates thereof and mixed compounds of said silicon-reactive chlorides, carbonates and nitrates and a noble metal at the side exposed to the exhaust gas of the sensor element, at least a part of said protective layer being present as a nonstoichiometric compound with respect to the heat-resistant metal oxide, and a part of the protective layer in which said noble metal is carried being disposed closer to an electrode than a part of the protective layer in which said silicon-reactive component is carried.

An oxygen sensor for detecting oxygen concentration in an exhaust gas comprising a sensor element including a solid electrolyte and a heater for heating the sensor element, the sensor element having a protective layer which is made of a heat-resistant metal oxide and which carries at least one silicon-reactive component selected from the group consisting of IIa subgroup elements in the international periodic table in a silicon-reactive state exclusive of oxides and silicon-reactive chlorides, carbonates and nitrates thereof and mixed compounds of said silicon-reactive chlorides, carbonates and nitrates and a noble metal at the side exposed to the exhaust gas of the oxygen sensor element, at least a part of said protective layer being present as a nonstoichiometric compound with respect to the heat-resistant metal oxide, and a part of the protective layer in which said noble metal is carried being disposed closer to an electrode than a part of the protective layer in which said silicon-reactive component is carried.

An oxygen sensor for detecting oxygen concentration in an exhaust gas comprising an oxygen sensor element having a protective layer formed thereon which comprises at least one silicon-reactive component selected from the group consisting of IIa subgroup elements in the international periodic table in a silicon-reactive state exclusive of oxides and silicon-reactive chlorides, carbonates and nitrates thereof and mixed compounds of said silicon-reactive chlorides, carbonates and nitrates on the side of the oxygen sensor element exposed to the exhaust gas wherein a ceramic heater for heating the sensor element is provided, wherein the oxygen sensor element comprises an oxide semiconductor.