Palladium‐Silver Alloy Gates in Metal‐Oxide‐Semiconductor Structures for Use as Hydrogen Sensors

Abstract

Palladium gate MOS capacitors or transistors have been proposed as sensors for hydrogen and other gases. The Pd gate may be damaged (blistered) by exposure to hydrogen at ambient temperature. In the present paper we report that alloy gates may be substituted and do not blister under conditions causing destruction of Pd gates but at the cost of a reduced change in flatband voltage. Data are reported on voltage shifts in capacitance‐voltage curves on exposure of the device to hydrogen with and without prior exposure to oxygen which suggest that the shift is partly due to reduction of an oxidized surface.