Fabrication of SnO/sub 2/-based semiconductor gas sensors for combustible and pollutant gases

SnO/sub 2/-based semiconductor gas sensors have been successfully fabricated and tested for detecting carbon monoxide and methane. The sensitivity and selectivity of the sensors, as two important parameters in these devices, are tailored by incorporation of different additives. While platinum enhances the sensor response to CH/sub 4/, cerium-oxide suppresses its sensitivity in favor of carbon monoxide. The effect of operating temperature on the performance of sensors is reported. Lowering the operating temperature allows integration of such gas detectors on silicon membranes.