Highly response gas sensor based the Au-ZnO films processed by combining magnetron sputtering and Ar plasma treatment

Abstract

The excellent and promising gas sensors not only have high response, but also can be easily integrated with other semiconductor devices to form an intelligent chip. In order to realize this goal, an effective strategy is proposed to combine the magnetron sputtering and Ar plasma treatment. As a result, a high-performance sensor based on Au-ZnO films is achieved at the optimal technology parameter, with high response (Ra/Rg) of 190 to 100 ppm isopropanol (IPA), rapid response/recovery speed of 1 s/18 s, and low detection limit of 100 ppb at 300℃. Moreover, the mechanisms of the improvement on the sensing properties of the as-fabricated sensor are discussed. The present work provides new ideas for the future development of integrating gas sensors with functional circuits to form a smart chip that can perform data acquisition, processing and storage.

A Review of Plasma-Synthesized and Plasma Surface-Modified Piezoelectric Polymer Films for Nanogenerators and Sensors

“…Furthermore, the response performance of ZnO sensors was well maintained after the ZnO sensors were operated for 60 days as shown in Figure 12e [42]. Wang et al [43] investigated the gas sensor response properties according to plasma treatment of Au-ZnO films prepared by combining the magnetron sputtering and the Ar plasma treatment. To produce the Au-ZnO films, firstly, the ZnO films were deposited on the Si substrates by RF magnetron sputtering through ZnO and Au targets under a base pressure of 1.6 × 10 −4 Pa, operating pressure of 2.5 Pa, power of 50 W, and Ar flow rate of 40 sccm, respectively [43].…”

“…Wang et al [ 43 ] investigated the gas sensor response properties according to plasma treatment of Au-ZnO films prepared by combining the magnetron sputtering and the Ar plasma treatment. To produce the Au-ZnO films, firstly, the ZnO films were deposited on the Si substrates by RF magnetron sputtering through ZnO and Au targets under a base pressure of 1.6 × 10 −4 Pa, operating pressure of 2.5 Pa, power of 50 W, and Ar flow rate of 40 sccm, respectively [ 43 ]. Thereafter, the Au film was deposited on the ZnO films by DC sputtering for 30 s at a power of 20 W. Next, the Au film was converted into separating Au NPs by annealing the samples at 500 °C for 1 h in a furnace under ambient N 2 .…”

“…Here, treatment times of 0, 1, 3, and 5 min were indicated as S0, S1, S2, and S3, respectively. The experiment procedure process of Au-ZnO films with Ar plasma treatment is shown in Figure 13 a [ 43 ]. Based on the SEM and XRD results, for untreated Au-ZnO film (S0) sample, it was observed that many Au NPs were distributed on the surface of Au-ZnO film due to annealing of Au layer in Figure 13 b [ 43 ].…”

“…The experiment procedure process of Au-ZnO films with Ar plasma treatment is shown in Figure 13 a [ 43 ]. Based on the SEM and XRD results, for untreated Au-ZnO film (S0) sample, it was observed that many Au NPs were distributed on the surface of Au-ZnO film due to annealing of Au layer in Figure 13 b [ 43 ]. In addition, the size of Au NPs increases and the distribution becomes looser with increasing the plasma treatment time.…”

Tailoring gas sensing properties of WS2 monolayer via Nb and Co embedding for highly sensitive and selective detection of HCN and H2S gases: a first principle study

“…The development of sensors for detecting hazardous gases has been extensively researched over time. Moreover, gas sensor devices are fundamentally reliant on the sensing materials they employ, which are inextricably linked to the overall performance of sensors in terms of their stability, sensitivity, selectivity, response, and recovery time [3,4].…”