Abstract: A method for manufacturing a planar sensor, comprises disposing a film of a material on a substrate, wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of platinum, rhodium, palladium and mixtures and alloys comprising at least one of the foregoing materials; annealing the material; measuring a resistance value of the material; laser trimming the annealed material; heat treating the laser trimmed material; and laser trimming the heat treated material to form the sensor.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a sensing element comprising: a sensing electrode; a reference electrode; an electrolyte disposed between and in ionic communication with the sensing electrode and the reference electrode; a heater circuit disposed on a support layer adjacent to the reference electrode; and a vent disposed adjacent to and in fluid communication with the heater circuit, and in fluid communication with a gas.

Abstract: One embodiment of an ammonia gas sensor includes: a reference electrode, an ammonia selective sensing electrode and an electrolyte disposed therebetween. The sensing electrode comprises the reaction product of a main material selected from the group consisting of vanadium, tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium oxides, tungsten oxides, molybdenum oxides, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing main materials, and an electrically conducting material selected from the group consisting of electrically conductive metals, electrically conductive metal oxides, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing.

Abstract: An electrical connection is made by connecting a metal element to a second element to which the electrical connection is desired to be made by means of a conductive material disposed onto one or both of the metal element and the second element so as to contact and disperse about or through the metal element thereby providing both an electrical and a mechanical connection. The metal element may be a strip or pad with openings or knurls formed such as by stamping, a wire that is flattened and knurled, or a mesh material such as a wire mesh. In a preferred embodiment, the conductive material is a metal capable of withstanding harsh, high temperature environments, such as a noble metal. In another preferred embodiment, the second element is a ceramic element, preferably with a noble metal conductive pad thereon, to which the metal element is attached.