Proposition of deposition and bias conditions for optimal signal-to-noise-ratio in resistor- and FET-type gas sensors

Abstract

In the field of gas sensor studies, most researchers are focusing on improving the response of the sensors to detect a low concentration of gas. However, factors that make a large response, such as abundant or strong adsorption sites, also work as a source of noise, resulting in a trade-off between response and noise. Thus, the response alone cannot fully evaluate the performance of sensors, and the signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) should additionally be considered to design gas sensors with optimal performance. In this regard, thin-film-type sensing materials are good candidates thanks to their moderate response and noise level. In this paper, we investigate the effects of radio frequency (RF) sputtering power for deposition of sensing materials on the SNR of resistor- and field-effect transistor (FET)-type gas sensors fabricated on the same Si wafer. In the case of resistor-type gas sensors, the deposition conditions that improve the response also worsen the noise either by increasing the scattering at the bulk or damaging the interface of the sensing material. Among resistor-type gas sensors with sensing materials deposited with different RF powers, a sensor with low noise shows the largest SNR despite its small response. However, the noise of FET-type gas sensors is not affected by changes in RF power and thus there is no trade-off between response and noise. The results reveal different noise sources depending on the deposition conditions of the sensing material, and provide design guidelines for resistor- and FET-type gas sensors considering noise for optimal performance.