NH3 sensing characteristics of nano-WO3 thin films deposited on porous silicon.

The NH3 sensing characteristics of nano-tungsten trioxide (WO3) thin films deposited on porous silicon (PS) were investigated in the present study. Porous silicon layer was first prepared by electrochemical etching in an HF-based solution on a p(+)-type silicon substrate. Then, WO3 nano-films were deposited on the porous silicon layer by DC magnetron sputtering. Pt electrodes were deposited on the top surface of the WO3 films to obtain the WO3/PS gas sensor. The WO3 films deposited on PS were characterized by SEM, XRD and XPS. The NH3 sensing characteristics for WO3/PS gas sensor were tested at room temperature and 50 degrees C. The results showed that the NH3 sensing characteristics of WO3/PS were superior to WO3/Al2O3 at room temperature. The sensing mechanism of the nano-WO3 thin films based on PS was also discussed.