GAS SENSOR WITH HEATED SENSOR LAYER

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to sensors of molecules, in particular gases, operating with a heated sensitive layer. State of the art

[0002] The sensitive layer of this type of sensor generally comprises a semiconducting oxide whose nature and operating temperature are chosen according to the molecules to be detected. The resistivity of the sensitive layer varies according to the concentration of molecules adsorbed by the oxide layer.

[0003] THE Figures 1A and 1Bschematically represent a top view and a sectional view along an axis AA of a conventional heated sensitive layer sensor, of the type described, for example, in the articles [I Dewa Putu Hermida et al., “Development Of Co Gas Sensing Based SnO2 Thin Film”, International Journal of Engineering & Technology IJET-IJENS Vol: 13 No: 01] and [George F. Fine et al., “Metal Oxide Semi-Conductor Gas Sensors in Environmental Monitoring”, Sensors 2010, 10, 5469-5502].

[0004] The sensor comprises an insulating substrate 10 carrying on its upper face a sensitive layer 12, based on semiconducting oxide. Two complementary electrodes, in the form of conductive tracks E1 and E2, are arranged in electrical contact with the sensitive layer 12. The electrodes E1 and E2 are configured to measure the resistivity variations of the zones of the sensitive layer located between the electrodes. To improve the sensitivity, it is sought to maximize the lengths opposite the two electrodes. For this, the electrode tracks are often produced in the form of interdigitated combs, as shown.

[0005] Each of the electrodes comprises a contact terminal arranged at the periphery of the sensor, outside the active zone of the sensitive layer. The terminal of the electrode E1 is set to a ground potential (0 V), and the terminal of the electrode E2 is set to a measurement potential M, of the order of 1 V. The sensor is operated by measuring the current flowing between the terminals of the two electrodes.

[0006] To heat the sensitive layer 12, a resistive track 14 electrically insulated from the sensitive layer is provided, arranged for example on the lower face of the substrate 10. The track 14 is configured to uniformly heat the active zone of the sensitive layer, that is to say all of the zones located between fingers facing the electrodes. The track 14 is often in the form of a serpentine, as shown.

[0007] It is powered between ground (0 V) and a potential Vh regulated according to the desired temperature.

[0008] The structure of a heated sensitive layer sensor and the materials used are particularly well suited to manufacturing using microelectronic technologies used for integrated circuits. The sensor's dimensions are so small that the sensitive layer can be heated to 350°C with a power consumption of only 30 mW. However, it has been observed that the sensitive layers of such sensors age more quickly than those made using other technologies.

[0009] Patent applications US2009 / 217737A1 and US6012327A disclose heated sensitive layer molecule sensors comprising an insulating substrate carrying the sensitive layer; two complementary measuring electrodes in the form of two adjacent conductive tracks arranged in electrical contact with the sensitive layer; and a heating element in the form of a resistive track arranged on the substrate to be able to heat an active area of ​​the sensitive layer. Summary of the invention

[0010] The aim is to extend the lifespan of a heated sensitive layer sensor, produced using integrated circuit technology.

[0011] This need is tended to be satisfied by providing a molecule sensor with a heated sensitive layer, comprising an insulating substrate carrying the sensitive layer; two complementary measuring electrodes in the form of two adjacent conductive tracks arranged in electrical contact with the sensitive layer; and a heating element in the form of a resistive track arranged on the substrate to be able to uniformly heat an active zone of the sensitive layer. The resistive track comprises at least three power supply points regularly spaced along the length of the resistive track, and each point of even rank is supplied with a first power supply potential and each point of odd rank is supplied with a second power supply potential,

[0012] The heated sensitive layer molecule sensor according to the invention is defined in independent claim 1.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the layout of the conductive tracks of the electrodes, projected onto the plane of the resistive track, remains outside a margin defined around the resistive track.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the resistive track and the conductive tracks of the electrodes are coplanar.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the changes in direction of the resistive track and the conductive tracks of the electrodes in the active zone of the sensitive layer have a non-zero radius of curvature.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the resistive track comprises successive “U”-shaped arcs, and the two conductive tracks follow the resistive track in parallel while entering each arc, the conductive track furthest from the resistive track stopping upon exiting the arc, and the conductive track adjacent to the resistive track making, upon exiting the arc, a half-turn around the end of the conductive track furthest from the resistive track to enter the arc again.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the resistive track is coplanar with the conductive tracks and also in electrical contact with the sensitive layer, the conductive track adjacent to the resistive track being set to a ground potential so that any current flowing in the sensitive layer between the resistive track and the adjacent conductive track does not disturb the current flowing between the conductive tracks. Summary description of the drawings

[0018] Embodiments will be set out in the following description, given without limitation in relation to the attached figures among which: THE Figures 1A and 1B , previously described, schematically represent a top view and a sectional view of a conventional heated sensitive layer sensor; the figure 2 schematically represents an embodiment of a resistive track of a sensor heating element, making it possible to increase the lifetime of the sensor; the figure 3 schematically represents another embodiment of resistive track and an embodiment of suitable electrodes; and the figure 4 illustrates a technique for placing several structures of the type of the in series figure 3 . Description of a preferred embodiment of the invention

[0019] The inventors found that the sensitive layer of a small heated sensor, particularly when the sensor is produced using integrated circuit manufacturing technology, deteriorated mainly on the side of the highest potential (Vh) supplying the resistive track, in a zone D shown on the Figure 1A The inventors attribute this effect to the electric field experienced by the sensitive layer. Indeed, the supply potential Vh of the resistive track is relatively high, reaching 5.7 V, and the distance between the resistive track and the conductive tracks of the electrodes can be particularly small in integrated circuit technologies, so that there is an intense electric field at each crossing of an electrode and the resistive track, on the side where the resistive track is at the highest potential. It is in fact at these track crossings that the first deteriorations of the sensitive layer are observed.

[0020] To avoid this deterioration due to the electric field, moving the resistive track away from the electrodes does not solve the problem, because the heating efficiency would decrease and require an increase in the supply potential of the resistive track.

[0021] There figure 2 schematically represents a 14' resistive track configuration of the heating element, making it possible to reduce the electric field without reducing the heating efficiency. The resistive track, here in the form of a serpentine, comprises, in addition to the extreme power supply terminals, one or more intermediate power supply points regularly spaced along the length of the resistive track. In the figure 2, the resistive track comprises three intermediate supply points, for example, therefore five supply points counting the extreme terminals. The odd-rank points are supplied by the first of the supply potentials, for example ground (0 V), and the even-rank points are supplied by the second supply potential, the high potential Vh'. For this, the odd-rank points can be connected to a common low-resistivity line 20 supplied by the first potential, and the even-rank points can be connected to a common low-resistivity line 22 supplied by the second potential.

[0022] With the configuration shown, the potential Vh' can be divided by 4 compared to the potential Vh required with only two power supply terminals, while providing the same heating power. In fact, each segment of the coil has a quarter of the total resistance and sees at its terminals a quarter of the conventional supply voltage: the current is unchanged compared to the conventional configuration, therefore the dissipated power is the same. The electric field can thus be divided by the number of segments used in the resistive track.

[0023] To simplify the manufacturing of the sensor, we want to make the electrode tracks and the resistive track coplanar. This allows them to be formed with a single mask level. In this case, as shown in figure 2, it is preferable that the power terminals are located on the edges of the sensor, to avoid drawing power traces that cross the active area of ​​the sensor or placing vias in this area. The power terminals can then be connected to metal traces and vias arranged outside the active area of ​​the sensor.

[0024] There figure 3 schematically represents another embodiment of the sensor. The resistive track 14' here comprises two serpentine segments which are symmetrical with respect to a vertical axis passing through the central supply point, here brought to the potential Vh'. If each segment has an odd number of arcs, as shown, the extreme supply points, here at 0 V, are located on the same edge of the sensor as the central point.

[0025] With this configuration, the central section of the resistive track carries the current for each of the two segments, and therefore sees twice as much current as each of the segments. If the central section has the same resistivity as the rest of the resistive track, it dissipates four times more power than the rest. To standardize the heating power, the central section can be sized to have a quarter of the resistivity of the rest of the track.

[0026] There figure 3 also represents an example of the configuration of the layout of the electrodes E1 and E2 allowing the electrodes to be produced in the same plane as the resistive track 14'. This layout of the electrodes is further configured to further reduce the electric fields experienced by the sensitive layer.

[0027] Classic electrode tracings, such as the one shown in Figure 1B, exhibit numerous changes in direction with radii of curvature close to zero. This results in local accentuations of the electric field at each change in direction.

[0028] To reduce this effect, as shown in the figure 3, the changes in direction of the tracks of the electrodes E1, E2, and of the resistive track 14' are made according to non-zero radii of curvature, for example according to circular arcs. The serpentine of the resistive track 14' can be formed of a succession of "U"-shaped arcs. For the electrodes, it is also sought to avoid comb-shaped tracings, having numerous right angles and sharp ends. Thus, the tracks of the two electrodes E1, E2 follow the resistive track 14' in parallel, penetrating each arc. On leaving the arc, the electrode furthest from the resistive track, here E2, stops, while the electrode adjacent to the resistive track, here E1, makes a half-turn around the end of the electrode E2 to re-enter the arc. This layout allows to maximize the length opposite the electrodes without using comb patterns.

[0029] With this electrode tracing technique, a pair of electrode tracks E1, E2 is formed for each arc of the coil. The starting point of each track in the pair is connected to a terminal at the edge of the sensor, from which the track can be powered and connected to the corresponding tracks of the other arcs, possibly by vias, outside the active area of ​​the sensor.

[0030] At the beginning of the resistive track 14', as shown, a pair of electrodes E1, E2 starts on the same edge as the resistive track and follows the first arc parallel from the outside to the next arc, where the pattern described above is started. The pattern at the end of the resistive track is symmetrical.

[0031] The configuration of the figure 3allows the electrode tracks and the resistive track to be made in the same plane in contact with the sensitive layer. The resistive track 14', if it is in electrical contact with the sensitive layer, could generate parasitic currents in the sensitive layer which would disturb the measurement carried out by the electrodes.

[0032] To avoid this, a local insulator could be deposited between the sensitive layer and the resistive track, or the sensitive layer could be deposited locally on the electrodes. This would impair the heating efficiency of the sensitive layer.

[0033] The electrode power supply configuration shown in figure 3avoids the effect of parasitic currents generated by the resistive track when it is in electrical contact with the sensitive layer. The electrode tracks E1 adjacent to the resistive track are grounded (0 V) while the most distant electrode tracks E2 are supplied with the measurement potential M. Then any current tending to flow in the sensitive layer between the electrode tracks E1 and the resistive track 14' passes through ground and does not reach the electrode tracks E2.

[0034] Under these conditions, the configuration of the figure 3 can be used indifferently with a sensitive layer deposited below or above. It is preferred that the sensitive layer be on top, because it then exposes a maximum surface to the ambient environment.

[0035] The configuration of the figure 3can be used in a more traditional structure, with the resistive track 14' arranged in a different plane than the electrodes E1, E2. It retains its advantage of reducing electric fields. The proportions and position of the resistive track and the electrodes are kept, so that the outline of the electrode tracks, projected onto the plane of the resistive track, remains outside a defined margin around the resistive track - in other words, crossing the electrode tracks with the resistive track in the active area of ​​the sensor is avoided.

[0036] There figure 4 illustrates an example of a technique for placing several structures of the type in series figure 3 . Two structures of the type of the figure 3can be placed end to end by sharing a lateral section of the electrode E2. This allows the supply voltage Vh' of the resistive track to be reduced by a factor equal to the number of segments, depending on the needs of the intended application.

[0037] This configuration allows the entire structure to be used as a single sensor, by connecting the different structures together, or to use the different structures separately and thus have a "multi-sensor" configuration, allowing several different signals to be available (related to the temperature of each coil, for example) and to create an "electronic nose" type device.

Claims

1. A heated sensitive molecule layer sensor made according to an integrated circuit manufacturing technology, comprising: • an insulating substrate (10) bearing the sensitive layer (12); • two complementary measurement electrodes (E1, E2) in the form of two adjacent conductive tracks configured in electrical contact with the sensitive layer (12); and • a heating element (14) in the form of a resistive track arranged on the substrate for uniformly heating an active area of the sensitive layer; the sensor being characterized in that the resistive track comprises at least three power supply points regularly spaced over the length of the resistive track, and comprising • a first common supply line (20) connected to the points of odd rank of the resistive track; • a second common supply line (22) connected to the points of even rank of the resistive track; and • a supply voltage (Vh') configured to apply between the first and the second common supply lines a voltage at most equal to 5.7 volts divided by a number of segments defined between the power supply points.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the layout of the conductive tracks of the electrodes, projected onto the plane of the resistive track, remains outside a margin defined around the resistive track.

3. The sensor of claim 2, wherein the resistive track and the conductive tracks of the electrodes are coplanar.

4. The sensor of claim 2, wherein the direction changes of the resistive track and the conductive tracks of the electrodes in the active area of the sensitive layer have a non-zero curvature radius.

5. The sensor of claim 4, wherein the resistive track comprises successive U-shaped arcs and the two conductive tracks run parallel to the resistive track, entering each arc with the conductive track remotest from the resistive track ending when exiting the arc, and the conductive track adjacent the resistive track forming, upon exiting the arc, a U-turn around the end of the remotest conductive track to return into the arc.

6. The sensor according to claim 5, wherein the resistive track is coplanar with the conductive tracks and also in electrical contact with the sensitive layer, the conductive track adjacent the resistive track being set to a ground voltage so that any current flowing in the sensitive layer between the resistive track and the adjacent conductive track does not disturb the current flowing between the conductive tracks.