Enhancement of the low temperature response of thin film gas sensors by UV irradiation

In this work we present recent results regarding the activation of sensors with high power density light with energy in the range of the energy gap of the semiconductor. We report the measurements registered for tin oxide RGTO deposited layers using CO as a target gas. The influence of the doping on the activated gas sensing properties has been investigated. We have found the value of the incident power corresponding to the best gas sensing performances (response enhancement and kinetics). The comparison between dark and irradiation condition is presented for the different kinds of layers tested.