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Nanocrystalline Spinel CoFe2O4 Thin Films Deposited via Microwave-Assisted Synthesis for Sensing Application

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Abstract

This work describes and demonstrates the fabrication of nanocrystalline CoFe2O4 thin films deposited over an oxidised silicon substrate, in a solution medium at ∼ 110°C, via a simple microwave-assisted synthesis process. Films were characterised by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. A platinum electrode was patterned to form the sensor device using optical lithography. The CoFe2O4 sensor so fabricated displays excellent sensitivity to SO2 at a concentration of 3.5 ppm yielding a 350% response at 120°C, with rapid response (10 s) and recovery (20 s), and with a detection limit of 250 ppb. In addition, the film has very good selectivity over H2S, NH3, NO2, and CH4. The work illustrates the potential advantage of nanocrystalline ferrite thin films for the detection of toxic gases at low detection limits and at a moderate sensor temperature.

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Cobalt Ferrite Thin films for SO2 sensing at sub-ppm concentration with quick responses and recovery

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge that much of this work was carried out in the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE), IISc, with assistance from the National Nano Fabrication Centre (NNFC) and the Micro Nano Characterization Facility (MNCF), which are supported by the Govt. of India through MeitY, MoE, and the DST. The authors thank the staff of NNFC and MNCF for the help they provided.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, B.M.S. College of Engineering, Bengaluru, 560019, India

    Suma Umesh & A Usha

  2. Centre for Nano Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India

    S. Varadharajaperumal, S. A. Shivashankar & M. Srinidhi Raghavan

  3. Department of Chemistry & Centre for Nano-materials and Displays, B.M.S. College of Engineering, Bengaluru, 560019, India

    M. Srinidhi Raghavan

  4. Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, BMS Institute of Technology & Mgmt., Bengaluru, 560064, India

    Suma Umesh

  5. Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, B.M.S. College of Engineering, Bengaluru, 560019, India

    Kiran Bailey & K. Sujatha

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  1. Suma Umesh
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Umesh, S., Usha, A., Bailey, K. et al. Nanocrystalline Spinel CoFe2O4 Thin Films Deposited via Microwave-Assisted Synthesis for Sensing Application. J. Electron. Mater. 51, 5395–5404 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-022-09789-z

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