The Improved Non-Polar Gas Sensing Performance of Surface-Modified Porous Silicon-Based Gas Sensors

The present article studied gas sensor sensing characteristics based on surface-modified porous silicon (PS) by depositing the metal oxide semiconductor layer. The PS layer was prepared through the electrochemical etching of crystalline silicon in an HF-based solution. DC magnetron sputtering technology was used to obtain the p-CuO layer on the surface of the p-PS. The obtained material's structural, morphological, and sensing behavior were investigated using SEM, XRD, Raman spectra, and the current-voltage characteristics. For the detection of toluene and chloroform vapors, a planar structure was used. The sensing response value revealed that the CuO/PS-based gas sensors have good sensitivity for toluene and chloroform vapors. The sensing mechanism is explained using schematic energy band diagrams. Therefore, this approach is helpful for the development of a simple, cost-effective sensor for detecting non-polar chemical analytes.

Automated summary

The present study investigated the sensing characteristics of a gas sensor based on surface-modified porous silicon (PS) by depositing a metal oxide semiconductor layer. The PS layer was prepared through electrochemical etching of crystalline silicon, and a p-CuO layer was obtained on the surface of the p-PS using DC magnetron sputtering technology. The material's structural, morphological, and sensing behavior were analyzed, and the CuO/PS-based gas sensors showed good sensitivity for toluene and chloroform vapors. The sensing mechanism was explained using schematic energy band diagrams. This approach is beneficial for the development of a simple and cost-effective sensor for detecting non-polar chemical analytes.