Abstract
In this work, we report on the sensing properties of screen-printed In2O3 (Indium Oxide) while adding a moderate quantity of SnO2. It was found that the addition of SnO2 improves the response and decreases the operating temperature of the sensitive element for NO2 detection. However, a non-controlled amount of SnO2 leads to opposite result; for this reason in the present investigation we test films with different composition in order to optimize the quantity of SnO2 to be added. The crystallinity, roughness and morphology of the obtained In2O3-SnO2 anocomposite were analyzed using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electronic Microscopy (TEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The atomic composition of the In2O3-SnO2 films was determined with the energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) analysis during TEM observations. The effect of the composition on the cristallinity and morphological properties of the films was analyzed. Finally, the In2O3-SnO2 films were tested like sensitive elements for NO2 detection, wherein the effect of the composition was correlated with the sensor response in NO2 ambient. It was found that the addition of a moderate quantity of SnO2 to In2O3 exhibited high sensitivity at rather lower operating temperatures.