Integration of individual TiO₂ nanotube on the chip: Nanodevice for hydrogen sensing

Abstract

Titania (TiO 2 ) exists in several phases possessing different physical properties. In view of this fact, we report on three types of hydrogen sensors based on individual TiO 2 nanotubes (NTs) with three different structures consisting of amorphous, anatase or anatase/rutile mixed phases. Different phases of the NTs were produced by controlling the temperature of post‐anodization thermal treatment. Integration of individual TiO 2 nanotubes on the chip was performed by employing metal deposition function in the focused ion beam (FIB/SEM) instrument. Gas response was studied for devices made from an as‐grown individual nanotube with an amorphous structure, as well as from thermally annealed individual nanotubes exhibiting anatase crystalline phase or anatase/rutile heterogeneous structure. Based on electrical measurements using two Pt complex contacts deposited on a single TiO 2 nanotube, we show that an individual NT with an anatase/rutile crystal structure annealed at 650 °C has a higher gas response to hydrogen at room temperature than samples annealed at 450 °C and as‐grown. The obtained results demonstrate that the structural properties of the TiO 2 NTs make them a viable new gas sensing nanomaterial at room temperature. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)