Towards Low-Power Electronics: Self-Recovering and Flexible Gas Sensors

New paradigm in recovery strategies for gas sensors is presented in this work. Resistive gas sensors based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) are well-known and show high sensitivity to different gas species but they require external recovery (i.e. heating) to offer a fast and stable response. In order to avoid this external element and reduce power demand, we demonstrate the possibility of recovering this kind of sensors by only applying a DC voltage. In particular, three different metals have been tested (Au, Ag and Al) to define interdigitated electrodes on a polyimide substrate. On top of them, CNT layers have been sprayed for the sensitive layer. The performance of these devices in terms of gas sensitivity, power consumption and stability is described and compared with external heating recovery. In particular, Au electrodes shows a response to 2500 ppm CO2 of 2.6% with a recovery voltage of 5 V, presenting almost the same sensitivity as in the case of external recovery at 80 ºC but decreasing the power demand more than 35 times.     «

New paradigm in recovery strategies for gas sensors is presented in this work. Resistive gas sensors based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) are well-known and show high sensitivity to different gas species but they require external recovery (i.e. heating) to offer a fast and stable response. In order to avoid this external element and reduce power demand, we demonstrate the possibility of recovering this kind of sensors by only applying a DC voltage. In particular, three different metals have been test...     »