Highly Sensitive Acetone Sensor Based on Pd/AlGaN/GaN Resistive Device Grown by Plasma-Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Highly sensitive acetone sensing performance of Pd/AlGaN/GaN resistive devices in the temperature range of 100 °C–250 °C and in the detection range of 100–1000 ppm was reported. A plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy was used to grow the AlGaN/GaN heterostructure on Si (111) substrate. Structural characterization of the grown epilayers was performed through double-crystal X-ray diffraction whereas atomic force microscopy was used to obtain the roughness of the sensing surface. Resistive mode configuration of the sample was tested toward acetone in the detection range of 100–1000 ppm and in the temperature range of 100 °C–250 °C. The optimum temperature was found to be 150 °C with response magnitude ~95% for the acetone concentration of 1000 ppm. The sensor response time and recovery time were found to be in the range of ~18–44 s and ~25–109 s, respectively. The cross-sensitivity of the device with other interfering species such as butanone, benzene, toluene, and xylene attributed to good acetone selectivity of the devices. Acetone sensing as well as current transport of the Pd/AlGaN/GaN devices was illustrated with effect including Langmuir adsorption–desorption kinetics and Schottky barrier height between Pd/AlGaN interfaces.