• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.358-363
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• 2015

We present an excellent detection for nitrogen monoxide (NO) gas using polycrystalline ZnO wire-like films synthesized via a simple method combined with sputtering of Zn metallic films and subsequent thermal oxidation of the sputtered Zn nanowire films in dry air. Structural and morphological characterization revealed that it would be possible to synthesize polycrystalline hexagonal wurtzite ZnO films of a wire-like nanostructure with widths of 100-150 nm and lengths of several microns by controlling the sputtering conditions. It was found from the gas sensing measurements that the ZnO wire-like thin film gas sensor showed a significantly high response, with a maximum value of 29.2 for 2 ppm NO at $200^{\circ}C$, as well as a reversible fast response to NO with a very low detection limit of 50 ppb. In addition, the ZnO wire-like thin film gas sensor also displayed an NO-selective sensing response for NO, $O_2$, $H_2$, $NH_3$, and CO gases. Our results illustrate that polycrystalline ZnO wire-like thin films are potential sensing materials for the fabrication of NO-sensitive high-performance gas sensors.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.427-431
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• 2009

ZnO wire-like thin films were synthesized through thermal oxidation of sputtered Zn metal films in dry air. Their nanostructure was confirmed by SEM, revealing a wire-like structure with a width of less than 100 nm and a length of several microns. The gas sensors using ZnO wire-like films were found to exhibit excellent $H_2$ gas sensing properties. In particular, the observed high sensitivity and fast response to $H_2$ gas at a comparatively low temperature of $200^{\circ}C$ would lead to a reduction in the optimal operating temperature of ZnO-based $H_2$ gas sensors. These features, together with the simple synthesis process, demonstrate that ZnO wire-like films are promising for fabrication of low-cost and high-performance $H_2$ gas sensors operable at low temperatures. The relationship between the sensor sensitivity and $H_2$ gas concentration suggests that the adsorbed oxygen species at the surface is $O^-$.