The Enhancement of Response Speed by Loading the Noble Metal into the Sensing Layer for FET-Type NO2 Sensors

In order to enhance the response speed, noble metal (Ru) loading into the WO3-NaNO2 sensing layer for the field effect transistor (FET)-based NO2 sensors was investigated. The sensing layer was prepared by heat-treating the mixture powder of NaNO2 and noble metal (Ru)-loaded WO3 at 300 degrees C. The effects of loading amounts of the noble metal on NO2 sensing performances as well as the microstructure of the sensing layer have been examined. It was found that the optimization of the noble metal loading amount into the sensing layer was important for the improvement of 90% response-and recovery-times. Field emission scanning electron microscopy observations revealed that the sensing layer became porous with increasing noble metal loading amounts. However, extensive addition of Ru (above 0.2 wt% to WO3) into the sensing layer resulted in the degradation of sensing characteristics, although the sensing layer showed a highly porous structure. According to theoretical analysis based on Knudsen gas diffusion reported by Matsunaga et al., the diffusion of gas molecules into such a porous sensing layer is very fast. Therefore the obtained results suggested that the improvement of the response-and recovery-speeds is owing to the large contribution of noble metal nanoparticle to the electrochemical promotion rather than the diffusion of NO2 gas into the sensing layer. (C) 2010 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3525625] All rights reserved.