Sensitivity is one of the core indicators of gas sensors. This paper aims to provide a method for obtaining SnO2 gas sensors with the optimal sensitivity and desired fractal dimension by adjusting the annealing parameters.
The fractal dimension is commonly used to characterize the microstructure of films, and changes in the microstructure have a direct impact on the sensitivity of gas sensors. This paper prepares SnO2 sensors with different annealing temperatures (400°C–550°C) and annealing times (1–3.5 h). Through fractal analysis and experiments with ethanol as the target gas, the effects of different annealing parameters on the micro fractal and sensitivity of SnO2 films are studied, and the relationship between annealing parameters, fractal dimension and gas sensitivity of SnO2 films is elucidated.
The experimental results show that the fractal dimension of the film is proportional to the sensitivity of the gas sensor, and the gas sensor annealed at 500°C for 3 h has the highest fractal dimension and sensitivity. By adjusting the preparation parameters of annealing, the fractal structure of SnO2 films can be modified, thereby obtaining the optimal sensitivity gas sensor with the desired fractal dimension.
This paper elucidates the relationship between annealing parameters, fractal dimension and sensitivity of SnO2 films, providing a method for obtaining SnO2 gas sensors with optimal fractal dimension and sensitivity by adjusting annealing parameters. This research can theoretically be extended to other gases and metal oxide semiconductor materials, which can be verified in the future.
