Sputtered thin-film pH electrodes of platinum, palladium, ruthenium, and iridium oxides

Abstract Thin-film metal oxides have been investigated for use as pH electrodes. These materials may have potential for measuring pH under conditions that are not favorable for glass electrodes. Reactive sputtering of platinum, palladium, ruthenium, and iridium metal targets in argon-oxygen atmospheres is used to produce 1 μm thick electrodes on alumina and silicon substrates. The structure of the deposits is determined and compared to the fully crystalline structure developed after annealing at 420 °C. The pH response is measured for pH 2-11 versus a glass electrode. Exposures of up to 24 h at pH 2–11 are used to study the stability under harsh conditions. Palladium and platinum oxides are found to be less stable than ruthenium oxide. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies are used to determine the surface chemical state and verify the stoichiometry of the sensing surface. The stability of thin-film RuO 2 indicates the usefulness of further testing at high temperatures and wider pH ranges.

[1]  Michael R. Neuman,et al.  A Pd-PdO Film Potentiometnc pH Sensor , 1986, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[2]  K. Kreider Summary Abstract: IrO2 radio frequency sputtered thin film properties , 1986 .

[3]  K. Kreider Iridium oxide thin-film stability in high-temperature corrosive solutions , 1991 .

[4]  B. Koel,et al.  Interaction of oxygen with Pd(111): High effective O2 pressure conditions by using nitrogen dioxide , 1990 .

[5]  C. Rao,et al.  XPES studies of oxides of second- and third-row transition metals including rare earths , 1980 .

[6]  M. Yuen,et al.  Electrically free-standing IrOitx thin film electrodes for high temprature, corrosive environment pH sensing , 1983 .

[7]  N. Winograd,et al.  X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies of palladium oxides and the palladium-oxygen electrode , 1974 .

[8]  Nicholas Winograd,et al.  Electron spectroscopy of platinum-oxygen surfaces and application to electrochemical studies , 1971 .

[9]  W. O'grady,et al.  The surface structure of RuO2: A leed, auger and XPS study of the (110) and (100) faces , 1988 .

[10]  S. Głąb,et al.  Polycrystalline and monocrystalline antimony, iridium and palladium as electrode material for pH-sensing electrodes. , 1986, Talanta.

[11]  Michael J. Tarlov,et al.  Mechanistic and response studies of iridium oxide pH sensors , 1990 .

[12]  Marc Madou,et al.  Electrochemical Measurements on Pt, Ir, and Ti Oxides as pH Probes , 1984 .

[13]  J. Zemel,et al.  pH-sensitive sputtered iridium oxide films , 1981 .

[14]  W. Gissler,et al.  ESCA Spectra and Electronic Properties of Some Ruthenium Compounds , 1982, January 16.

[15]  M. Peuckert,et al.  Characterization of oxidized platinum surfaces by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy , 1984 .

[16]  Timothy Dietz,et al.  Review of materials for pH sensing for nuclear waste containment , 1985 .

[17]  Agner Fog,et al.  Electronic semiconducting oxides as pH sensors , 1984 .