Comparative studies of monoclinic and orthorhombic WO3 films used for hydrogen sensor fabrication on SiC crystal

Abstract

Amorphous WOx films were prepared on the SiC crystal by using two different methods, namely, reactive pulsed laser deposition (RPLD) and reactive deposition by ion sputtering (RDIS). After deposition, the WOx films were annealed in an air. The RISD film possessed a m-WO3 structure and consisted of closely packed microcrystals. Localized swelling of the films and micro-hills growth did not destroy dense crystal packing. RPLD film had layered β-WO3 structure with relatively smooth surface. Smoothness of the films were destroyed by localized swelling and the micro-openings formation was observed. Comparative study of m-WO3/SiC, Pt/m-WO3/SiC, and P-WO3/SiC samples shows that structural characteristics of the WO3 films strongly influence on the voltage/current response as well as on the rate of current growth during H2 detection at elevated temperatures.