A nanoparticle-based microsensor for room temperature hydrogen detection

In this work, we report a novel micromachined hydrogen sensor operating at room temperature. The sensor has been successfully designed and fabricated, based on interdigitated conductometric microelectrodes integrating indium oxide (In/sub 2/O/sub 3/)-doped tin oxide (SnO/sub 2/) semiconductor nanocrystalline particles with platinum (Pt) nanoclusters. Very high H/sub 2/ sensitivity (110/spl times/10/sup 3/) with fast response and recovery has been observed for the presented sensor at room temperature and low hydrogen gas concentration. The nanomaterial/microdevice integration for a highly efficient sensor device with unprecedented functions has been explored and investigated systematically.