DEVELOPMENT OF A

SEMICONDUCTOR METAL OXIDE

THIN FILM HYDROGEN GAS
SENSORS
Prepared by:

Manisha Charati
1359016
VLSI DESIGN AND EMBEDDED SYSTEM
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF:

Dr. U.P.SINGH

 Introduction:

Hydrogen Gas sensors

Sensor:Latin word santire:- To Percieve

A sensor is a technological device that detects /

senses a signal, physical condition and chemical

compounds.

It is also defined as any device that converts a

signal from one form to another.

Sensors are mostly electrical or electronic.

 Introduction:
Sensor:
Applications
Automobiles
Machines
Robotics
Industry
Aerospace etc.

Hydrogen Gas sensors

Examples of sensors
Thermometer
Thermocouple
Phototransistor
Photo resistor
Microphone
Hydrophone etc.

 Introduction:
Gas Sensor:

Hydrogen Gas sensors

Gas sensor is a subclass of chemical sensors.

Gas sensor measures the concentration of gas

in its vicinity. Gas sensor interacts with a gas

to measure its concentration. Each gas has a
unique breakdown voltage i.e. the electric
field at which it is ionized. Sensor identifies
gases by measuring these voltages. The
concentration of the gas can be determined
by measuring the current discharge in the
device.

Hydrogen Gas sensors

Gas sensing technologies:

Metal Oxide Based Gas Sensors

Capacitance Based Gas Sensors
Acoustic Wave Based Gas Sensors
Optical gas sensors
Electrochemical gas sensors

Gas sensing technologies:

1.

Metal Oxide Based Gas Sensors

Metal oxide sensors are also known as

chemiresistors.
The detection principle of resistive sensors is
based on change of the resistance of a thin film
upon adsorption of the gas molecules on the
surface of a semiconductor.
The gas-solid interactions affect the resistance
of the film because of the density of electronic
species in the film.

Hydrogen Gas sensors

Hydrogen Gas sensors

3. Hydrogen gas sensor

ZnO/SnO with palladium is used to detect

hydrogen because palladium selectively
absorbs hydrogen gas and forms the
chemical palladium hydride.

Types of hydrogen gas sensor:

Optical fiber hydrogen sensors

Nanoparticle-based hydrogen microsensors

Hydrogen Gas sensors

Principle Of Operation

ZnO/SnO with palladium is used to detect

hydrogen because palladium selectively
absorbs hydrogen gas and forms the
chemical palladium hydride.

Types of hydrogen gas sensor:

Optical fiber hydrogen sensors

Nanoparticle-based hydrogen microsensors

MOTIVATIONS
SMO GAS SENSOR ADAVANTAGES

Compact small size & Portability

Feasibility of United/combine Control Circuits

Low Cost & long life of around 10 yrs

Maintenance Free

Drawbacks

o
o

Lack Of Sensitivity

Low Response time

Broad Selectivity

Recovery Time/Hysterisis effect

Hydrogen Gas sensors

OBJECTIVES
To Develop a reliable SMO Thin Film H2 Gas Sensor
To maximize sensitivity selectivity by
addition of noble catalyst/activators like
Palladium
To study effects of thickness of ZnO
Film/and concentration on sensitivity and
response time
Explores sensing characteristics,
properties and parameters of sensor
Analyze effects of Ti buffering with
palladium for reducing hysteresis
effect

Hydrogen Gas sensors

AIMS

Hydrogen Gas sensors

GAS SENSOR FABRICATION:Schematic Conception

Selection Of Substrate
Substrate Cleaning Procedure
Deposition of Gas sensitive Thin film either by sol gel
or sputtering or spray pyrolysis
Surface sensitization of the prepared thin film by
palladium noble metal catalyst.
Deposition of Al/Pt electrodes and attachment of lead
for electrical measurement
Buffering of Ti in one sample with palladium for study
effects of recovery time and resistance characteristics

Hydrogen Gas sensors

GAS SENSOR PRINCIPLE

(ZnO)O2 + H2
ZnO + H2O + 2eWhenever sensing/reducing gas interacts
conduction increses in n-type and decreases
in p

METHODS USED IN CONCERNED

PAPERS

Thin Film Deposition :

Spray Pyrolysis at a temp of45050 c and spray rate of 2-3 ml/min-1 and pr 5kg/cm2
Of different molar conc of zn(ch3coo)2.2H20 in water
Spray Pyrolysis at a temp of45050 c and spray rate of 2-3 ml/min-1 and pr 5kg/cm2
Of different molar conc of ZnCl2 in water

METHODS USED IN CONCERNED

PAPERS
THIN FILM DEPOSITION
Sol Gel : 1.36 g of ZnCl2 in 100 ml of distilled water and spin coating to
substrate
Sputtering :Sputtering of Commercially avaialable 99.99% pure ZnO and
deposition of different layer thickness.
Pd Deposition
Spin Coating/multiple diping/spraying of 1.7 gm PdCl2 in 100 ml ethanol
Sputtering :Sputtering of Commercially avaialable 99.99% pure Pd and
deposition of different layer thickness also use of Ti doped Pd (1% of Ti by wt)

Conceptual Test System

Schematic Diagram and Electrical Measurement

Circuit

Schematic Diagram and Electrical Measurement

Circuit

SENSOR

DC
POWER
SUPPLY
0-15 v

CURRENT LIMITER
WITH 2 NO CONTACT

>Is

PARAMETERS FOR STUDY

Comparison of ZnO Thin Film and Pd doped ZnO thin film
and ZnO thin film thickness in terms of

Structure and surface Morphology

Electrical Properties

Sensitivity

Selectivity

Response Time

Recovery Time

Hydrogen Gas sensors

LITERATURE REFERRAL:

1.

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=gas+
sensor
Improvement of ZnO2 and SnO2 sensors bu Q G Hial
Hydrogen Sensing and Detection by P Sounderrajan
http://vernier.com/probes/co2-bta.html
http://sensorstransducers.globalspec.com/LearnMore/Sensors_Tran
sducers_Detectors/Gas_Sensing/Gas_Sensors
Low-Dimensional Palladium Nanostructures for Fast
and Reliable Hydrogen Gas DetectionProceeding of the
2000 Hydrogen Program Review, NREL/CP-570-28890
http://www.gasdetection.com/TECH/sensorprinciple2.
htm
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/17869

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