Patent Application
20110290003
This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No. 099116786 filed in Taiwan R.O.C. on May 26, 2010, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The invention relates to a gas sensor, more particularly, to a gas sensor with a zinc-oxide nanostructure.
Harmful gas, such as ammonia and carbon monoxide, exists in the atmosphere and is colorless and odorless that people are difficult to detect the very existence of such gas. If the concentration of the harmful gas reaches to a certain level, people living in such an environment may suffer headache, dizziness, nausea, spasm and spewing, more seriously, resulting in shock and decease.
Furthermore, when the concentration of flammable or explosive gas, such as ethylene and hydrogen, produced in a chemical factory or a laboratory reaches to a dangerous level and there's a negligence in management of fire or the like, not only the construction site but also the people around this kind of gas will definitely be seriously hurt. As such, a gas sensor is necessary for sensing the concentration of a harmful gas. The gas sensor can sense the concentration of the harmful gas in real time and send out signals to warn people of the existence of such dangerous gas so as to prevent any potential danger.
A conventional gas sensor is a metal-oxide semiconductor gas sensor, and the metal-oxide semiconductor gas sensor senses gas by a metal-oxide semiconductor powder therein, such as tin (IV) oxide powder and zinc oxide powder. In such a way, when the metal-oxide semiconductor gas sensor is at a working temperature (e.g. 200° C. to 400° C.), the metal-oxide semiconductor powder can absorb the sensed gas, resulting in a voltage change of the metal-oxide semiconductor gas sensor and a determination of the concentration of the sensed gas. However, the metal-oxide semiconductor powder occupies a large volume and has a low surface area, which leads to a low contact area for the sensed gas so that the metal-oxide semiconductor gas sensor has a low gas sensitivity. In addition, the metal-oxide semiconductor powder also has a low identification for the sensed gas and other gas, and consequently the final result by the sensor is uncertain.
An objective of the invention is to provide a gas sensor, which has a high gas sensitivity.
A further objective of the invention is to provide a gas sensor, which has a high gas identification capability for various gases.
The gas sensor of the invention comprises:
a substrate;
a seed layer positioned on the substrate;
a zinc-oxide nanostructure formed on the seed layer;
a metal nanoparticle formed on the zinc-oxide nanostructure;
a first electrode positioned on the zinc-oxide nanostructure; and
a second electrode positioned on the zinc-oxide nanostructure apart from the first electrode to electrically connect to the first electrode.
With the scope of the invention is a method for producing a gas sensor, and the method comprises:
providing a substrate;
forming a seed layer on the substrate;
forming a zinc-oxide nanostructure on the seed layer;
forming a metal nanoparticle on the zinc-oxide nanostructure;
forming a first electrode on the zinc-oxide nanostructure; and
forming a second electrode on the zinc-oxide nanostructure apart from the first electrode to electrically connect to the first electrode.
As shown in
a substrate (1);
a seed layer (2) positioned on the substrate (1);
a zinc-oxide nanostructure (3) formed on the seed layer (2);
a metal nanoparticle (4) formed on the zinc-oxide nanostructure (3);
a first electrode (5) positioned on the zinc-oxide nanostructure (3); and
a second electrode (6) positioned on the zinc-oxide nanostructure (3) apart from the first electrode (4) to electrically connect to the first electrode (4).
In some embodiments of the invention, the substrate (1) is an insulator. Preferably, the substrate (1) is selected from a group consisting of a sapphire, a silicon wafer, a glass and a IIIA-VA semiconductor.
In some embodiments of the invention, the seed layer (2) has a thickness ranging from 1 nm to 500 μm.
In some embodiments of the invention, the seed layer (2) is zinc oxide or IIIA metal-doped zinc oxide. Preferably, the IIIA metal-doped zinc oxide is selected from a group consisting of aluminum-doped zinc oxide, gallium-doped zinc oxide and indium-doped zinc oxide.
In some embodiments of the invention, the zinc-oxide nanostructure (3) is in a shape of a nanowire, a nanorod, a nanoparticle or a nanotube. Preferably, the nanorod has a length ranging from 100 nm to 1 μm and a diameter ranging from 10 nm to 100 nm.
In some embodiments of the invention, the metal nanoparticle (4) has a diameter ranging from 2 nm to 5 nm.
In some embodiments of the invention, the metal nanoparticle (4) is selected from a group consisting of palladium, platinum, gold, rhodium, silver and iridium.
In some embodiments of the invention, the first electrode (5) is selected from a group consisting of aluminum, platinum, chromium, nickel, gold, titanium, palladium and copper.
In some embodiments of the invention, the second electrode (6) is selected from a group consisting of aluminum, platinum, chromium, nickel, gold, titanium, palladium and copper.
As further sown in
providing a substrate (1);
forming a seed layer (2) on the substrate (1);
forming a zinc-oxide nanostructure (3) on the seed layer (2);
forming a metal nanoparticle (4) on the zinc-oxide nanostructure (3);
forming a first electrode (5) on the zinc-oxide nanostructure (3); and
forming a second electrode (6) on the zinc-oxide nanostructure (3) apart from the first electrode (5) to electrically connect to the first electrode (5).
In some embodiments of the invention, the substrate (1) is an insulator. Preferably, the substrate (1) is selected from a group consisting of a sapphire, a silicon wafer, a glass and a IIIA-VA semiconductor.
In some embodiments of the invention, the seed layer (2) is formed on the substrate (1) by a sputtering method or a coating method.
In some embodiments of the invention, the seed layer (2) has a thickness ranging from 1 nm to 500 μm.
In some embodiments of the invention, the seed layer (2) is zinc oxide or IIIA metal-doped zinc oxide. Preferably, the IIIA metal-doped zinc oxide is selected from a group consisting of aluminum-doped zinc oxide, gallium-doped zinc oxide and indium-doped zinc oxide.
In some embodiments of the invention, the zinc-oxide nanostructure (3) is formed on the seed layer (2) by a hydrothermal method, a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition method, a chemical vapor deposition method, a pulsed laser deposition method, a molecular beam epitaxy method or an electrochemical method.
It is noticed that the hydrothermal method comprises: providing a growth solution composed of a zinc salt solution and an alkaline solution; dipping the seed layer (2) into the growth solution; and heating the growth solution to form the zinc-oxide nanostructure (3) on the seed layer (2).
Preferably, the zinc salt solution is a zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn(NO3)2.6H2O) solution or a zinc acetate dihydrate (Zn(CH3COO)2.2H2O) solution.
Preferably, the alkaline solution is a sodium hydroxide solution or a hexamethylenetetramine solution.
Preferably, the growth solution is heated at 60° C. to 150° C. for 1 hour to 24 hours.
In some embodiments of the invention, the zinc-oxide nanostructure (3) has a shape of a nanowire, a nanorod, a nanoparticle or a nanotube. Preferably, the nanorod has a length ranging from 100 nm to 1 μm and a diameter ranging from 10 nm to 100 nm.
In some embodiments of the invention, the metal nanoparticle (4) is formed on the zinc-oxide nanostructure (3) by an impregnation method.
It is noticed that the impregnation method comprises: providing a precursor solution composed of a precursor; coating the precursor solution on the zinc-oxide nanostructure (3); and heating the precursor solution and applying a reaction gas to the precursor solution to perform a reduction reaction to form the metal nanoparticle (4) on the zinc-oxide nanostructure (3).
Preferably, the precursor solution is heated at 50° C. to 1000° C.
Preferably, the precursor is chloroplatinic acid.
Preferably, the reaction gas is hydrogen.
In some embodiments of the invention, the metal nanoparticle (4) has a diameter ranging from 2 nm to 5 nm.
In some embodiments of the invention, the metal nanoparticle (4) is selected from a group consisting of palladium, platinum, gold, rhodium, silver and iridium.
In some embodiments of the invention, the first electrode (5) is selected from a group consisting of aluminum, platinum, chromium, nickel, gold, titanium, palladium and copper.
In some embodiments of the invention, the second electrode (6) is selected from a group consisting of aluminum, platinum, chromium, nickel, gold, titanium, palladium and copper.
An example for further illustration of the invention is below but not intended to limit the invention. Any modifications and applications by persons skilled in the art of the invention should be within the scope of the invention.
Firstly, a sapphire is provided as the substrate of the example, and a zinc oxide, as the seed layer of the example, is sputtered on the sapphire.
Thereafter, the sputtered zinc oxide is dipped into a growth solution composed of a zinc nitrate hexahydrate solution and a zinc acetate dihydrate solution and heated to 70° C. for 6 hours as a result that a zinc-oxide nanorod with a length of 1 μm and a diameter of 60 nm is formed on the sputtered zinc oxide.
After coating a chloroplatinic acid solution on the zinc-oxide nanorod, the coated chloroplatinic acid solution is heated at 300° C. and hydrogen is applied to the coated chloroplatinic acid solution. In such a way, the coated chloroplatinic acid solution is reduced to a platinum nanoparticle on the zinc-oxide nanorod.
Finally, two pieces of aluminum are formed on the zinc-oxide nanorod by an evaporation method, and thus the gas sensor of the example is produced.
In order to determine the gas sensitivity of the gas sensor of the example, the gas sensor is placed in a 1,000 ppm ammonia/air atmosphere.
Sensing the ammonia by the gas sensor is detailedly described below.
The surface of the zinc-oxide nanorod absorbs oxygen in the air at a working temperature. The absorbed oxygen captures an electron from the zinc-oxide nanorod and is charged as an oxygen ion (i.e., O−, O2−, and O2−). Thus, a resistance named as Rair is obtained.
When the ammonia is exposed to the gas sensor, the ammonia is absorbed by the platinum nanoparticle and conducted to the zinc-oxide nanorod via spillover effect. The electron in the oxygen ion is released to the zinc nanorod, and thus another resistance named as Rammonia lower than that of the foregoing Rair is obtained. Herein, an ammonia sensitivity (denoted as “S”) of the gas sensor is defined as the ratio of the foregoing Rair to the foregoing Rammonia and described as the following formula:
With reference to
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 099116786 | May 2010 | TW | national |
