Influence of the Sputtering Technique and Thermal Annealing on YSZ Thin Films for Oxygen Sensing Applications

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films were deposited using direct current (reactive and metallic) radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The effect of the deposition technique annealing treatment on microstructure crystallinity was assessed. Using produced in this work, oxygen gas sensors built their performance under vacuum conditions evaluated. All exhibited a cubic crystalline structure after post-deposition thermal treatment, regardless sputtering technique. When surpassed 1000 °C, impurities detected film surface. employing reactive oxide-sputtered YSZ displayed proportional increase sensor as partial pressure increased evaluated range (5 × 10−6 to 2 10−3 mbar). which employed metallic-deposited suffered from electronic conductivity at low pressures.