Characterization of the Response of Magnetron Sputtered In(2)O(3−x) Sensors to NO(2)

The response of resistive In(2)O(3−x) sensing devices was investigated as a function of the NO(2) concentration in different operative conditions. Sensing layers are 150 nm thick films manufactured by oxygen-free room temperature magnetron sputtering deposition. This technique allows for a facile and fast manufacturing process, at same time providing advantages in terms of gas sensing performances. The oxygen deficiency during growth provides high densities of oxygen vacancies, both on the surface, where they are favoring NO(2) absorption reactions, and in the bulk, where they act as donors. This n-type doping allows for conveniently lowering the thin film resistivity, thus avoiding the sophisticated electronic readout required in the case of very high resistance sensing layers. The semiconductor layer was characterized in terms of morphology, composition and electronic properties. The sensor baseline resistance is in the order of kilohms and exhibits remarkable performances with respect to gas sensitivity. The sensor response to NO(2) was studied experimentally both in oxygen-rich and oxygen-free atmospheres for different NO(2) concentrations and working temperatures. Experimental tests revealed a response of 32%/ppm at 10 ppm NO(2) and response times of approximately 2 min at an optimal working temperature of 200 °C. The obtained performance is in line with the requirements of a realistic application scenario, such as in plant condition monitoring.