Study of a New Hydrogen Sensor Based on the Synthesis of a Sputtered In-Sn-Zn-O Thin Film and Evaporated Palladium Nanoparticles

A new and interesting hydrogen (H2) gas sensor based on an In-Sn-Zn-O (ITZO) thin film modified with palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) on a sapphire (Al2O3) substrate is manufactured and investigated herein. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are employed to study intrinsic material properties. Experimentally, under 1% H2/air gas, the fabricated Pd NP/ITZO sensor exhibits prominent sensing performance, including a higher sensing response {R} of 12890 with a response (recovery) time of 106 s (13 s), and a lower detectable content of 1 ppm H2/air at 225 °C is obtained. Moreover, the sensor shows high reproducibility, excellent selectivity, and long-term stability (91 days) toward H2 gas.