Abstract
In this study, a thick-film semiconductor odor gas sensor for the detection of $CH_3$SH was developed using SnO$_2$ as the main substrate and was investigated in terms of its sensitivity and reaction time. In the process of manufacturing the sensor, Taguchi's design of experiment (DOE) was applied to analyze the effects of a variety of parameters, including the substrate, the additives and the fabrication conditions, systematically and effectively. Eight trials of experiments could be possible using the 27 orthogonal array for the seven factors and two levels of condition, which originally demands 128 trials of experiments without DOE. The additives of Sb$_2$O$_{5}$ and PdCl$_2$ with the H$_2$PtCl$_{6}$ ㆍ6$H_2O$ catalyst were appeared to be important factors to improve the sensitivity, and CuO, TiO$_2$, V$_2$O$_{5}$ and PdO were less important. In addition, TiO$_2$, V$_2$O$_{5}$ and PdO would improve the reaction time of a sensor, and CuO, Sb$_2$O$_{5}$, PdCl$_2$ and H$_2$PtCl$_{6}$ㆍ6$H_2O$ were negligible. Being evaluated simultaneously in terms of both sensitivity and reaction time, the sensor showed the higher performance with the addition of TiO$_2$ and PdO, but the opposite results with the addition of CuO, V$_2$O$_{5}$, Sb$_2$O$_{5}$ and PdCl$_2$. The amount of additives were superior in the case of 1% than 4%. H$_2$PtCl$_{6}$ㆍ6$H_2O$ would play an important role for the increase of sensor performance as a catalyst.nce as a catalyst.