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Effect of depletion layer width on electrical properties of semiconductive thin film gas sensor: a numerical study based on the gradient-distributed oxygen vacancy model

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Abstract

The effects of depletion layer width on the semiconductor gas sensors were investigated based on the gradient-distributed oxygen vacancy model, which provided numerical descriptions for the sensor properties. The potential barrier height, sensor resistance, and response to target gases were simulated to reveal their dependences on the depletion layer width. According to the simulation, it was possible to improve the sensor response by enlarging the width of depletion layer without changing the resistance of the gas sensor under the special circumstance. The different performances between resistance and response could provide a bright expectation that the design and fabrication of gas sensing devices could be economized. The simulation results were validated by the experimental performances of SnO2 thin film gas sensors, which were prepared by the sol–gel technique. The dependences of sensor properties on depletion layer width were observed to be in agreement with the simulations.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the Liaoning Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 2015020019), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 3132015035), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61231006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Information Science and Technology, Dalian Maritime University, Linghai Road 1, Ganjingzi District, Dalian, 116026, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China

    Jianqiao Liu, Yiting Lu, Xiao Cui, Guohua Jin & Zhaoxia Zhai

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  1. Jianqiao Liu
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  2. Yiting Lu
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  3. Xiao Cui
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Correspondence to Jianqiao Liu.

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Liu, J., Lu, Y., Cui, X. et al. Effect of depletion layer width on electrical properties of semiconductive thin film gas sensor: a numerical study based on the gradient-distributed oxygen vacancy model. Appl. Phys. A 122, 146 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-016-9675-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-016-9675-9

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