Characteristics of a NOx Gas Sensor based on a Low-Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic and Ga-Doped ZnO

For certain applications, the small-size characteristics of MEMS structures can be traded off for low cost production and high manufacturing yields. Low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) is a more promising material for this application than a silicon substrate. In this work, Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) thin films for gas-sensor applications were deposited on LTCC substrates by using a RF magnetron sputtering method. The LTCC substrates with thicknesses of 400 μm were fabricated by laminating 12 green tapes consisting of alumina and glass particles in an organic binder. The microstructures of the GZO thin films were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The films were well crystallized in the hexagonal (wurzite) structure and the sensors showed good sensitivity for the NOx gas at a lower operating temperature. KCI Citation Count: 9