Nanocrystalline and amorphous tellurium films for gas sensing applications

Abstract

Microstructural peculiarities and gas (NO2) sensing properties of tellurium thin films dependent on the technological procedures of their physical grow are presented. The fabrication of the films was provided using thermal vacuum evaporation method but the investigation were focused to establish the interdependence between the technological conditions of their growth process and both structure / morphology and gas sensing properties. Tellurium (purity 99.999 %) based thin films have been prepared using different grow rates (10 - 40 nm/s) onto Pyrex glass, sintered alumina (Al2O3) or Si/SiO2 substrates.