Hydrogen Gas Sensing Characterizations Based on Nanocrystalline SnO2 Thin Films Grown on SiO2/Si and Al2O3 Substrates

High-quality nanocrystalline (NC) SnO2 thin films were grown on SiO2/Si and Al2O3 substrates using sol–gel spin coating method. The structural properties, surface morphologies and gas sensing properties of the NC SnO2 were investigated. XRD measurements showed a tetragonal rutile structure and the diffraction peaks for NC SnO2 thin films grown on Al2O3 substrates outperformed those of NC SnO2 films grown on SiO2/Si substrates. The surface morphology of the annealed SnO2 thin films at 500 °C appeared as polycrystalline with uniform nanoparticle distribution. Hydrogen (H2) gas sensing performance of the NC SnO2 was examined for H2 concentrations ranging from 150 ppm to 1000 ppm at different temperatures (room temperature, 75 and 125 °C) for over 50 min. The room temperature sensitivities for H2 gas sensors based on NC SnO2 thin films grown on Al2O3 and SiO2/Si substrates was 2570% and 600%, respectively upon exposure to 1000 ppm of H2 gas. While the sensitivity values at 125 °C increased to 9200% and 1950%, respectively.