A High-Performance Three-Dimensional Microheater-Based Catalytic Gas Sensor

We report a high-performance catalytic gas sensor based on a 3-D microheater. Two catalytic gas sensors were fabricated by sol-gel process, respectively based on a 3-D microheater with a concave active membrane and a comparative 2-D microheater with a rectangular active membrane, introducing Pd-Pt as catalytic material. Test results of the sensor response to methane indicate that the output signal (Delta V), sensitivity, and signal-to-noise ratio of the 3-D microheater-based gas sensor were more than twice of those of the 2-D microheater-based gas sensor. Moreover, it had a higher output signal-to-power ratio (Delta V/P).