Enhanced LPG response characteristics of SnO2 thin film based sensors loaded with Pt clusters

In the present study, rf sputtered SnO₂ thin films (90 nm thick) loaded with clusters of ultra-thin (8 nm) metal catalysts (Pt, Ag, Ni, Pb, Al, Pd) are investigated for LPG detection. It is noted that SnO₂ film loaded with Pt catalyst clusters exhibits enhanced response (~ 750) to 200 ppm of LPG at a relatively low operating temperature (210degC) with a fast response time of 100s. Variation of thickness of Pt clusters in the nanoscale range (2 to 20 nm) is seen to significantly influence the sensor response characteristics. Enhanced performance is observed for SnO₂ thin films loaded with 10 nm thick platinum clusters that exhibited a high response (~ 5 times 103) at an operating temperature of 220degC. Preliminary results indicate the potential application of prepared sensor structure of Pt clusters (10 nm)/SnO₂ (90 nm)/IDE/glass substrate for efficient detection of LPG at relatively low temperature.