Low-Concentration NO2 Gas Sensor Based on HfO2 Thin Films Irradiated by Ultraviolet Light

Abstract

In this work, we investigate the gas-sensing properties of HfO2 thin films enhanced by ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation. The films were deposited on silicon substrate by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and annealed at 800°C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used for characterization of the samples, which revealed that the degree of crystallinity and electrical properties of the HfO2 thin films were affected by the annealing temperature. Different film thicknesses (20 nm and 10 nm) were used for gas-sensing measurements. The gas-sensing properties of the films were affected by the UV irradiation time, with improvements in sensor properties observed for samples with more than 30 min of irradiation. The maximum response was found for the 10-nm sensor annealed at 800°C. Moreover, a linear dependence on NO2 concentration was observed for the response, suggesting that the sensing layer is highly suitable for detecting NO2 gas concentrations as low as 1 ppm.