Abstract:
A planar oxygen sensor (1) having a pump cell (2), a reference cell (4), a sensor chamber (6) and a heating device (8), a ground plane electrode (10) including a sensing portion (18) having a first sense lead (20) and a second sense lead (22) and a measuring portion (24) having a first measuring lead (26) and a second measuring lead (28), wherein the first measuring lead (26) and the second measuring lead (28) have increased surface area relative to said sensing portion (18) such that the resistance between the first measuring lead (26) and the second measuring lead (28) is reduced and wherein the first measuring lead (26) is disposed so as to be communicated with the first sense lead (20) and the second measuring lead (28) is disposed so as to be communicated with the second sense lead (22). A method for measuring the temperature in a planar oxygen sensor (1) having a pump cell (2), a reference cell (4), a sensor chamber (6), a heating device (8) and a ground plane electrode (10) that includes a sensing portion (18) having a first sense lead (20) and a second sense lead (22) and a measuring portion (24) having a first measuring lead (26) and a second measuring lead (28). The method includes obtaining a temperature measurement device (52), communicating the temperature measurement device (52) with the first measuring lead (26) and the second measuring lead (28), operating the planar oxygen sensor (1) so as to cause the heating device (8) to heat the planar oxygen sensor (1), and measuring the resistance between the first measuring lead (26) and the second measuring lead (28).