Fabrication of gas nanosensors and microsensors via local anodic oxidation.

A nanosensor and microsensor fabrication method employing scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is demonstrated. Within such process, nano- or microscale metal oxide (MoO(x) or TiO(x)) structures, constituting the active region of a sensor, are directly fabricated onto a microscopic metal track via SPM-assisted local anodic oxidation (LAO). Two distinct LAO routes, a slow (conventional) or a fast (unusual) one, are employed to produce nano- and microsensors, which are tested at different temperatures using CO2 and H2 as test gases. Sensitivities down to ppm levels are demonstrated, and the possibility of easy integration into microfabrication processes is also discussed.