NH3 Sensing Properties of SnO Thin Film Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering

SnO thin films, 100 nm in thickness, were deposited on glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. A stack structure of $SnO_2/SnO$, where few nanometers of $SnO_2$ were determined on the SnO thin film by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition, XPS depth profile analysis of the pristine and heat treated thin films were introduced. The electrical behavior of the as-sputtered films during the annealing was recorded to investigate the working conditions for the SnO sensor. Subsequently, The NH3 sensing properties of the SnO sensor at operating temperature of $50-200^{\circ}C$ were examined, in which the p-type semiconducting sensing properties of the thin film were noted. The sensor shows good sensitivity and repeatability to $NH_3$ vapor. The sensor properties toward several gases like $H_2S$, $CH_4$ and $C_3H_8$ were also introduced. Finally, a sensing mechanism was proposed and discussed.