Structure and thickness-dependent gas sensing responses to NO2 under UV irradiation for the multilayered ZnO micro/nanostructured porous thin films

Abstract

The structure and thickness of the chemiresistive thin films can significantly affect their gas sensing performances for the heating-typed sensors. Under light irradiation, however, their influences are still to be addressed. In present paper, the multilayered ZnO porous thin films with different (three types) micro/nanostructures and controllable thickness are fabricated via layer by layer construction of the self-assembled colloidal-layers. The structural and thickness effects of such films on the gas sensing performances to NO2 under ultraviolet (UV) illumination are experimentally studied. It has been found that under UV irradiation, the responses of the ZnO porous thin films to NO2 increase upto the maxima with the rising film thickness. Further increasing the thickness would lead to the insignificantly or gradually decreasing responses. The film thicknesses corresponding to the maximal responses are associated with the porous structures and the porosity of the thin films. The films with the higher porosity would lead to the higher maximal responses and the larger corresponding film-thicknesses, or vice versa. Such thickness and porous-structure dependences of the responses are attributed to the ever-decaying light intensity (and hence ever-decreasing photo-generated carrier concentration) in the films along the depth from the films’ surface. This study is of importance in design and development of the light illuminating-typed gas sensing devices with high performances.