Highly sensitive and selective gas sensors using p-type oxide semiconductors: Overview

Hyo Joong Kim, Jong Heun Lee

    Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

    1827 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    High-performance gas sensors prepared using p-type oxide semiconductors such as NiO, CuO, Cr2O3, Co3O4, and Mn3O4 were reviewed. The ionized adsorption of oxygen on p-type oxide semiconductors leads to the formation of hole-accumulation layers (HALs), and conduction occurs mainly along the near-surface HAL. Thus, the chemoresistive variations of undoped p-type oxide semiconductors are lower than those induced at the electron-depletion layers of n-type oxide semiconductors. However, highly sensitive and selective p-type oxide-semiconductor-based gas sensors can be designed either by controlling the carrier concentration through aliovalent doping or by promoting the sensing reaction of a specific gas through doping/loading the sensor material with oxide or noble metal catalysts. The junction between p- and n-type oxide semiconductors fabricated with different contact configurations can provide new strategies for designing gas sensors. p-Type oxide semiconductors with distinctive surface reactivity and oxygen adsorption are also advantageous for enhancing gas selectivity, decreasing the humidity dependence of sensor signals to negligible levels, and improving recovery speed. Accordingly, p-type oxide semiconductors are excellent materials not only for fabricating highly sensitive and selective gas sensors but also valuable additives that provide new functionality in gas sensors, which will enable the development of high-performance gas sensors.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)607-627
    Number of pages21
    JournalSensors and Actuators, B: Chemical
    Volume192
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2014 Mar 1

    Bibliographical note

    Funding Information:
    This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea Government (MEST) (No. 2013R1A2A1A01006545 ).

    Keywords

    • Gas sensor
    • Selectivity
    • Sensitivity
    • p-Type oxide semiconductor
    • p-n junction

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
    • Instrumentation
    • Condensed Matter Physics
    • Surfaces, Coatings and Films
    • Metals and Alloys
    • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
    • Materials Chemistry

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Highly sensitive and selective gas sensors using p-type oxide semiconductors: Overview'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this