Sensors (Mar 2014)

Analytical Calculation of Sensing Parameters on Carbon Nanotube Based Gas Sensors

  • Elnaz Akbari,
  • Zolkafle Buntat,
  • Mohd Hafizi Ahmad,
  • Aria Enzevaee,
  • Rubiyah Yousof,
  • Syed Muhammad Zafar Iqbal,
  • Mohammad Taghi. Ahmadi,
  • Muhammad Abu Bakar Sidik,
  • Hediyeh Karimi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/s140305502
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 3
pp. 5502 – 5515

Abstract

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Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) are generally nano-scale tubes comprising a network of carbon atoms in a cylindrical setting that compared with silicon counterparts present outstanding characteristics such as high mechanical strength, high sensing capability and large surface-to-volume ratio. These characteristics, in addition to the fact that CNTs experience changes in their electrical conductance when exposed to different gases, make them appropriate candidates for use in sensing/measuring applications such as gas detection devices. In this research, a model for a Field Effect Transistor (FET)-based structure has been developed as a platform for a gas detection sensor in which the CNT conductance change resulting from the chemical reaction between NH3 and CNT has been employed to model the sensing mechanism with proposed sensing parameters. The research implements the same FET-based structure as in the work of Peng et al. on nanotube-based NH3 gas detection. With respect to this conductance change, the I–V characteristic of the CNT is investigated. Finally, a comparative study shows satisfactory agreement between the proposed model and the experimental data from the mentioned research.

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