Advancements in Photoactivated Gas Sensors: A Review

Abstract

Chemiresistive semiconductor metal oxide (SMO) gas sensors detect gases based on resistance changes caused by gas adsorption/ desorption on SMOs. These sensors have witnessed significant advancements with the development of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanotechnology. MEMS technology has facilitated mass production, miniaturization, and uniformity across sensors. Whereas, nanotechnology has contributed to the development of high-sensitivity gas sensing materials with large surface areas, catalytic coatings, and hybrid SMO junctions. However, SMOs require activation via external energy to overcome their bandgap energy and generate hot electron carriers, which are essential for high sensitivity and fast response/recovery times. Traditionally, embedded heaters have been used for this purpose; however, micro-and nano-heaters are plagued by high power consumption and low durability, which limit their use in mobile applications. Consequently, photoactivated gas sensing using light sources (e.g., lamps and LEDs) has garnered attention as an alternative approach. This study reviewed the progress from early lamp and LED-based research to recent studies on monolithic micro-LED (µLED) based gas sensors. µLED gas sensors facilitate room-temperature operation and ultra-low power consumption within the microwatt range. Consequently, they are highly suitable for integration into consumer electronics, smart farms, smart factories, and mobile gas sensors.