초록 ▼

A hydrogen sensor including a thin film sensor element formed, e.g., by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD), on a microhotplate structure. The thin film sensor element includes a film of a hydrogen-interactive metal film that reversibly interacts with hy

A hydrogen sensor including a thin film sensor element formed, e.g., by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD), on a microhotplate structure. The thin film sensor element includes a film of a hydrogen-interactive metal film that reversibly interacts with hydrogen to provide a correspondingly altered response characteristic, such as optical transmissivity, electrical conductance, electrical resistance, electrical capacitance, magnetoresistance, photoconductivity, etc., relative to the response characteristic of the film in the absence of hydrogen. The hydrogen-interactive metal film may be overcoated with a thin film hydrogen-permeable barrier layer to protect the hydrogen-interactive film from deleterious interaction with non-hydrogen species. The hydrogen sensor of the invention may be usefully employed for the detection of hydrogen in an environment susceptible to the incursion or generation of hydrogen and may be conveniently configured as a hand-held apparatus.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A hydrogen sensor, comprising:at least one hydrogen-interactive thin film sensor element comprising a rare earth metal or a rare earth metal dihydride;at least one micro-hotplate structure coupled to said hydrogen-interactive sensor element for selective heating of the

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A hydrogen sensor, comprising:at least one hydrogen-interactive thin film sensor element comprising a rare earth metal or a rare earth metal dihydride;at least one micro-hotplate structure coupled to said hydrogen-interactive sensor element for selective heating of the sensor element; anda hydrogen-permeable material overlaying each hydrogen-interactive sensor element for selective permeation of hydrogen.