Hydrogen gas sensors based on nanocrystalline TiO 2 thin films

Abstract

Titanium dioxide thin films are extensively studied for applications in solid state gas sensor devices. Their gas sensing properties are strongly dependent on deposition technique, annealing temperature, film thickness and consequent properties like crystalline structure, grain size or amount of defects and impurities. In this work we report the gas sensing properties of TiO 2 thin films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering technique and subsequently annealed at temperatures 600°C and 900°C. The films were exposed to different concentrations of H 2 gas up to 10 000 ppm. Their sensitivity to gas at various operating temperatures, ranging from 250°C to 450°C, was obtained by measuring their resistance. © 2011 Versita Warsaw and Springer-Verlag Wien.