Comparison of ALD-grown thin ZnO films with various thicknesses for NO2 sensing

Abstract

Thin zinc oxide (ZnO) films of various thicknesses were characterized and compared in terms of their suitability to gas sensor applications. Applying atomic layer deposition (ALD), very thin ZnO films were deposited on quartz resonators, and their gas sensing properties were studied using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The ZnO thin films were prepared using diethyl zinc and water as precursors. The crystal structure of the films was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and their surface was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) used to study the films’ composition. Films of thickness of ~10 – 80 nm were deposited on quartz resonators with Au electrodes and the QCM method was used to build highly sensitive gas sensors. These were tested for sensitivity to various concentrations of NO₂. Although some of the films were very thin, they were sensitive to NO₂ already at room temperature and could register reliably as low concentrations as 50 ppm, while the sorption was fully reversible and the sensors could be fully recovered. With the technology presented, manufacturing of QCM gas sensors is simple, fast and cost-effective, and suitable for application in energy-effective portable equipment for real-time monitoring of NO₂ in the automotive industry or environmental protection.