A Novel Method for the Improvement in Thermoelectric Property of Tin Oxide Thin Films and Its Application in Gas Sensing

Tin oxide thin film deposited on to glass substrates by the process of DC reactive magnetron sputtering has been used in our work. These films were characterized for their thermoelectric behavior. Further, a novel method has been developed to enhance the Seebeck coefficient of these films. Prior to the oxide film deposition on the glass substrate, thin metal films have been deposited at the two ends of the sample. High conductivity metals such as chromium, silver and copper were used for this purpose. On characterizing these films for their thermoelectric property, a high Seebeck coefficient of 400 μV/C has been achieved. In addition to this, we also report the results of the gas sensing behavior of a sensor developed using this film which exhibited a maximum response to acetone gas at a relatively low temperature of 110 C. Index terms : Tin oxide, Seebeck coefficient, Gas sensor, Chromium, Acetone.