Selective Deposition of PdO Nanoparticles on Si Nanodevices for Hydrogen Sensing

In this paper, we present a method, involving plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition and constant-power device-localized Joule heating (DLJH), for the selective deposition of palladium oxide (PdO) nanoparticles at the n – region of n + /n – /n + polysilicon nanobelt (PNB) devices. These PdO-decorated PNB devices were then operated under DLJH so that the temperature of the n – region was maintained during the sensing of H 2 gas. From their measured responses, the devices operated at a temperature of 339 K exhibited the most reactive interactions between PdO and H 2 . Considering the possibility of humidity interference, we also characterized the PdO-decorated PNB devices for H 2 sensing at various relative humidities. The PdO nanoparticles on the PNB devices having a grain distance that sustained a spillover effect were almost immune to RH interference.