Sensitivity and stability of porous polycrystalline silicon gas sensor

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

39 Scopus Citations
View graph of relations

Author(s)

Related Research Unit(s)

Detail(s)

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)171-175
Journal / PublicationColloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects
Volume179
Issue number1-3
Publication statusPublished - 30 Mar 2001

Abstract

Porous silicon (PS) used as a sensing material for micro-sensors has attracted a lot of attention in recent years. Owing to the large surface area (∼200 m2 cm-3) and high chemical activity, porous silicon would be a good choice for gas sensor applications. In this paper, a resistivity sensor using porous polycrystalline silicon (PPS) thin films was fabricated by anodization and standard lithographic technique. Analytical measurements on the sample reveal that these sensing porous poly-Si films consist of many pores with a diameter of ∼100 nm. A high sensitivity to ambient pressure and ethanol vapor was observed. The sensitivity and stability of PPS gas sensor have been characterized and analyzed as a function of gas concentration and storing duration. In particular, we will discuss the mechanism of the interaction between the surface state of PPS and ambient gases in detail. Suggestions to further improve the sensor stability will also be proposed. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V.

Research Area(s)

  • Gas sensor, Porous polysilicon, Sensitivity