Liquid Immersion Sensor With Immobilized Corrosive Agent
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing moisture sensors in integrated circuits require continuous monitoring to detect exposure to excess moisture, which is impractical and cannot be used in passive components, as adsorbed moisture may gradually release over time, leading to inaccurate detection.
Innovation Solution
A liquid immersion sensor with a substrate carrying a conductive sensing element and a corrosive agent immobilized near the sensing element, which is released only when immersed in liquid, causing permanent damage and allowing for later detection of exposure, while preventing false positives in high humidity environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If continuous monitoring is used to detect moisture exposure, then detection accuracy is maintained, but device complexity and operational impracticality increase
Solution Approach 1:
The corrosive agent is pre-immobilized in the vicinity of the conductive sensing element before the device is deployed. This preliminary positioning ensures that when liquid immersion occurs, the corrosive agent is already in place to immediately react with and damage the sensing element, eliminating the need for continuous monitoring during the actual exposure event.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system performs self-detection through the automatic corrosion mechanism. When liquid immersion occurs, the corrosive agent autonomously activates and damages the conductive sensing element, creating a permanent mark that can be detected later without requiring external monitoring systems or continuous power supply.
2Speed
If corrosive agent is made soluble and mobile, then detection responsiveness improves, but false positive risk increases in high humidity environments
Solution Approach 1:
The immobilized corrosive agent acts as an intermediary substance that remains dormant until activated by liquid immersion. This intermediary state allows the system to distinguish between high humidity conditions (where the corrosive agent remains bound) and actual liquid immersion (where it is released), preventing false positives while maintaining rapid response to genuine exposure events.
Solution Approach 2:
The corrosive agent's physical state changes from immobilized (bound) to soluble (dissolved) only when exposed to liquid. This parameter change serves as a reliable indicator of liquid immersion, as the transition from bound to dissolved state does not occur under normal high humidity conditions, thereby eliminating false positive readouts.
3Measurement precision
If moisture sensor uses porous structure for moisture absorption, then detection sensitivity improves, but measurement validity decreases over time due to gradual moisture release
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful effect of moisture (which causes gradual release and invalidates measurements over time) into a beneficial permanent damage mechanism. The corrosive agent, when activated by liquid immersion, creates irreversible damage to the conductive sensing element, providing a permanent detection mark that remains valid indefinitely, thus transforming the transient nature of moisture absorption into a lasting detection signal.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables reliable detection of liquid immersion events without continuous monitoring, suitable for passive components like RF ID tags, and reduces the risk of false readings by ensuring the corrosive agent remains inactive in non-immersion conditions.
Implementation Method 1
said corrosive agent being immobilized in the vicinity of the conductive sensing element and being soluble in said liquid
Implementation Method 2
The corrosion causes permanent damage to the conductive sensing element such that the actual exposure may be detected at a later time
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a liquid immersion sensor comprising a substrate (10) carrying a conductive sensing element (20) and a corrosive agent (30) for corroding the conductive sensing element, said corrosive agent being immobilized in the vicinity of the conductive sensing element and being soluble in said liquid.