A device includes a sensor die, an electrical coupling, a substrate, a liquid detection unit, and a housing unit. The sensor die is coupled to the substrate via the electrical coupling. The liquid detection unit electrically is coupled to the sensor die. The housing unit and the substrate are configured to house the sensor die, the liquid detection unit, and the electrical coupling. The housing unit comprises an opening that exposes the sensor die to an environment external to the housing unit. The liquid detection unit detects presence of liquid within an interior environment of the housing unit. In some embodiments, the device further includes a gel filled within the interior environment of the housing unit covering the sensor die and the substrate. The gel, e.g., silicone, fluoro silicone, etc., is configured to protect the sensor die, the electrical coupling, and the substrate from exposure to the liquid.

A gas sensor includes a first electrode, a gas detecting layer disposed on the first electrode, and an electric-conduction enhanced electrode unit being electrically connected to the first electrode and the gas detecting layer. The electric-conduction enhanced electrode unit includes an electric-conduction enhancing layer and a second electrode electrically connected to the electric-conduction enhancing layer. The electric-conduction enhancing layer is electrically connected to the gas detecting layer and is made of an electrically conductive organic material.

A sensor is disclosed. The sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a substrate; a first electrode pattern disposed on one side of the substrate to form a layer; a second electrode pattern disposed on the one side of the substrate to form a layer and separated from the first electrode pattern; a sensing layer located on the one side of the substrate and covering the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern and containing a semiconductor; a protective layer located on the one side of the substrate and covering at least a part of the sensing layer, and containing a material different from that of the sensing layer; a first electrode pad disposed on the one side of the substrate to form a layer and electrically connected to the first electrode pattern; a second electrode pad disposed on the one side of the substrate and electrically connected to the second electrode pattern; and a housing accommodating the substrate and including a filter spaced apart from the substrate, wherein the substrate includes an opening formed adjacent to an outer boundary of the first and second electrode patterns.

A nanopore cell may include a well having a seamless porous electrode and hydrophobic sidewalls. The seamless porous electrode may be formed by depositing porous electrode material on a planar electrode support layer formed by a conductive layer island and a dielectric layer. The porous electrode material may form uniform seamless columns and may be protected during manufacturing by depositing a selectably removable protective layer thereon. The well may be formed by forming and then patterning hydrophobic cladding over the protective layer. The protective layer may be removed to expose the seamless porous electrode at the bottom of the well.

A resistance-integrated gas sensor is provided, including a substrate, a first metal oxide layer, an insulating layer, a contact metal layer, a contact hole, a second metal oxide layer, and an interdigitated electrode layer. The first metal oxide layer is disposed in the substrate. The insulating layer is disposed on the substrate and the first metal oxide layer. The contact metal layer and the contact hole are disposed in the insulating layer. The second metal oxide layer is disposed on the insulating layer. A portion of the interdigitated electrode layer is disposed on the insulating layer, and another portion is disposed in the second metal oxide layer. The contact metal layer and the contact hole connect the first metal oxide layer and the interdigitated electrode layer.

A method for determining a gas concentration in a cavity including: exciting a resistance sensor element situated in the cavity with an input signal, measuring an output signal of the resistance sensor element, determining a first parameter of a transfer function based on the input signal and the output signal, determining a second parameter of the transfer function based on the input signal and the output signal, checking a plausibility of the first parameter based on the second parameter, and outputting an error signal in the case of lack of plausibility of the first parameter.

A device includes a housing unit with an internal volume. The device further includes a sensor coupled to a substrate via an electrical coupling, wherein the sensor is disposed within the internal volume of the housing unit, and wherein the sensor is in communication with an external environment of the housing unit from a side other than a side associated with the substrate. The device also includes a moisture detection unit electrically coupled to the sensor, wherein the moisture detection unit comprises at least two looped wires at different heights, and wherein the moisture detection unit is configured to detect presence of a moisture within an interior environment of the housing unit when the moisture detection unit becomes in direct contact with the moisture.

The present disclosure presents environmental sensing apparatuses and methods. In one such apparatus, an environmental sensor comprises a substrate and an array of multiple metal oxide materials on the substrate. The multiple metal oxide materials can comprise layers of different metal oxide material, in which the multiple metal oxide materials are deposited on a cross-bar array of heater elements and electrodes and each row in the cross-bar array contains an independently-controlled heater element and each column in the array contains a pair of electrodes. At each crossing of the heater element and the pair of electrodes, one of the multiple metal oxide materials is deposited, and the pair of electrodes and the heater elements are dielectrically isolated from one another at the crossing.

A temperature-regulated chemi-resistive gas sensor includes a sensor surface including a chemically sensitive sensor layer including an active material for adsorbing and desorbing gas molecules of an analyte gas. A predetermined time-continuous periodic temperature profile is applied for periodically heating the sensor surface. An electrical sensor layer conductance signal is determined and time windows are applied to the sensor layer conductance signal. For one or more of the time windows, discrete frequency spectrum data of the sensor layer conductance signal is obtained, and a current gas concentration of the analyte gas is determined based on the obtained discrete frequency spectrum data.

A MEMS gas sensor is disclosed. In an embodiment a MEMS gas sensor includes a carrier having a recess, a gas sensitive element arranged in the recess and a shielding layer at least partially covering the recess.