Abstract
Local electric field enhancement is crucial to detect gases for an ionization gas sensor. Nanowires grown collectively along the identical lattice orientation have been claimed to show a strong tip effect in many previous studies. Herein, we propose a novel ionization gas detector structure by using a single crystalline silicon nanowire as one electrode that is placed above the prepatterned nanotips. A significant improvement of the local electric field in its radical direction was obtained leading to an ultralow operation voltage for gas breakdown. Different from the tip of the nanowire in the reported ionization gas sensors, the gaseous discharge current in this device flows towards the sidewall in the case of a trace amount of gas environment change. Technically, this discharge current brings about a sudden temperature rise followed by a fusion of the silicon nanowire. Such unique fusibility of a single nanowire in this gas detection device suggests a novel architecture that is portable and in-site executable and can be used as an integrated gas environmental monitor.
Highlights
Single nanowires have become a popular component in miniaturized optics, electronics or sensing devices [1,2,3,4,5,6]
The large specific surface, quick gaseous diffusion and ultralow energy consumption allows a single nanowire to play a key role in a chemical gas sensor [7,8,9,10,11], realistic gas sensors, such as the electronic nose [12,13,14], fail to utilize the individual one-dimensional nanomaterials
In order to lower the required voltage bias, multiple nanomaterials are collectively grown on the electrode pair including W, ZnO, Au, Si or carbon nanotubes [15,16,17,18,19]. These one-dimensional nanomaterials enhance the electric field towards their axis direction with a geometry effect
Summary
Single nanowires have become a popular component in miniaturized optics, electronics or sensing devices [1,2,3,4,5,6]. A field ionization gas detector (FIGD) for instance, has been developed and is capable of differentiation of the gas types or concentrations by measuring the gas breakdown electric field. This specific ionization energy provides characteristic fingerprinting of gases. In order to lower the required voltage bias, multiple nanomaterials are collectively grown on the electrode pair including W, ZnO, Au, Si or carbon nanotubes [15,16,17,18,19] These one-dimensional nanomaterials enhance the electric field towards their axis direction with a geometry effect. It is challenging to introduce a single nanowire into an FIGD
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