Highly sensitive ZnO nanowire ethanol sensor with Pd adsorption

The authors report the growth of high-density single crystalline ZnO nanowires on patterned ZnO:Ga/SiO2/Si templates, Pd adsorption on nanowire surfaces, and the fabrication of ZnO nanowire-based ethanol gas sensors. With Pd adsorption, it was found that measured sensitivities of the ethanol gas sensors increased from 18.5% to 44.5% at 170 degrees C and increased from 36.0% to 61.5% at 230 degrees C. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.