Effect of laser irradiation on gas sensing properties of sol–gel derived nanocrystalline Al-doped ZnO thin films

Abstract

The effect of laser irradiation on the performance of gas sensor made with sol–gel derived Al-doped ZnO thin films was investigated. The films with desired thicknesses were deposited on the alkali-free glass substrates by a sol–gel process. A pulsed laser system with a wavelength of 532nm, a pulsed duration of 8ns, pulsed frequency of 5kHz and the laser fluence in the range of 1.06–3.58J/cm2 was used as the irradiation source. The microstructure, optical transmittance, surface morphology, electrical conductivity and gas sensor performance of the as-deposited and laser-irradiated Al-doped ZnO films were studied as a function of laser energy level. The X-ray diffraction results indicated that low laser energy significantly enhanced the crystallinity and promoted grain growth, whereas high laser energy irradiation resulted in deterioration of crystalline quality. It was also found that the laser irradiation affected the surface morphology and electrical conductivity of ZnO films. The gas sensor performance of Al-doped ZnO sensors was examined in terms of ZnO film thicknesses and H2 concentrations in the air at an operating temperature of 130°C. It was found that the sensing response of Al-doped ZnO sensors varied depending on the film thickness as well as the laser energy level. An optimum laser energy level resulted in high and rapid response characteristics of gas sensors for the detection of H2. The results also suggested that the crystallinity was critical to achieve the optimum sensor performance.